Ice cream is known as a treat to indulge with but you don’t have to harm your health while enjoy ice cream, as I break down in this video, some frozen treats are better than others.
What’s the sweetener?
The first thing I look for is food dyes which are represented by a color and number such as “red 40” or “yellow 5”. Food dyes have been linked to behavioral issues in children, with even the FDA admitting, “Some evidence suggests that certain children may be sensitive to (food dyes).”
The second thing to look for is what has the product been sweetened with and how early in the ingredients label is that sweetener located. Remember, the earlier on the ingredients list, the more of that substance is in the product. So if sugar is the first ingredient in vanilla ice cream, you know there is more sugar in the product than there is milk or vanilla. Common sweeteners to look out for are high fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, molasses, honey, and anything with the word “syrup” in it. “Sugar Free” products are often sweetened with artificial sweeteners that are far worse than sugar itself, for instance Splenda. Avoid sugar free ice creams at all costs.
Alternatives
With lots of dairy alternatives out there (oat milk, soy milk, almond milk, etc.) it’s possible your ice cream may not have dairy in it. If it does, make sure it’s organic or has a label saying it doesn’t use bovine growth hormones (such as Ben and Jerry’s). Ben and Jerry’s isn’t perfect, because of its high sugar content, but it do
es get points for not using the infamous hormone that farmers use to make cows produce more milk.
My favorite healthy ice cream, I actually make at home. Simply peel a banana, freeze it until hard, and then throw it in a food processor with an “S-blade” and blend it until it has an ice cream consistency and add all your favorites: cinnamon, warm apples, walnuts, nut butters, etc.
Sources: https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/color-additives-questions-and-answers-consumers