Does Ice Cream Really Make You Fat?

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!

It’s an understatement to say that people adore ice cream. According to statistics from the International Dairy Foods Association, the average American consumes around 23 pounds of the creamy dairy treat per year.

Ice cream sounds like the ideal delicacy to keep you cool on a hot day or lift your spirits when you’re having a bad day! Even though many individuals adore ice cream, they are concerned that it will make them fat due to its high sugar content. But does ice cream really make you fat? Actually, not definitely.

Recently, an interesting study about ice cream as a cancer therapy in the 2022 Ig Nobel Prize has gained much attention and arouse people’s curiosity.

In this 2021 study, a group of researchers from the University of Warsaw in Poland found that when ice cream is used in place of one customary component of some toxic chemotherapy, patients experience fewer negative side effects. In order to avoid oral mucositis, cancer patients who undergo cryotherapy frequently suck on ice chips (which causes sores in the mouth, gums, and tongue, increased mucus and saliva, and difficulty swallowing).

Considering this sweet study, let’s explore the world of ice cream together!

What’s in ice cream?

Vanilla. Chocolate. Rocky Road. These flavors all make ice cream very tasty. But what makes ice cream so…well…creamy? For starters, it has cream in it. But it has another important ingredient, too. Here’s a hint: You can’t see it. But it’s all around you. Can you guess what it is? It’s air!

Air is a key ingredient in ice cream. There’s also milk, cream, and sugar…lots of sugar. Most ice cream has at least 7 teaspoons (41.5 grams) of sweet stuff per cup. Why so much? Cold food freezes our taste buds. This means it takes more sugar for us to taste the flavor. So how do these different ingredients come together on a cone? It’s all about science.

The first step in making ice cream is to warm and mix the milk, cream, and sugar. This blends them together. Then the mixture is cooled, and flavoring, like vanilla, is added.

The next step is to freeze the mixture quickly and evenly. At the same time, high-speed paddles churn it. The ice cream gets cold. Its water freezes into ice crystals. And the churning keeps those ice crystals super small. The smaller the crystals, the creamier the ice cream. The churning also forces air bubbles into the mix. This changes the texture of the ice cream. It’s a smooth mix of frozen crystals, fat, flavors, and, yes, air. And that’s the science of making ice cream.

Ice cream won’t gain weight unless …

Basically, ice cream is made up of three ingredients: milk, sugar, and cream. But be careful, the amount of sugar may be very high, because the ice will make the taste bud on the tongue clumsy, so in order to ensure the taste, the merchant may add excessive sugar to it to ensure the taste. Too much sugar is naturally unhealthy. In addition, some ice cream may also add Oreos, dried fruit, chocolate sauce, etc. The sugar content of these ingredients is also very high, which makes ice cream more unhealthy and causes weight gain.

In fact, you may eat anything you want, including ice cream and other delicious treats, and still lose weight according to some studies! The idea is simple: all you need to do is be aware of your daily calorie needs and adapt your meal plan to include ice cream as a snack or dessert. So ice cream won’t gain weight unless you eat ice cream out of control and add a lot of unhealthy ingredients. Here is a picture introducing the calories in ice cream, which is from Equalution posts in 2018.

According to USDA, a serving of vanilla ice cream with half a cup contains 137 calories and 7.2 grams of fat, of which 4.5 grams are saturated. 143 calories and 7.3 grams of fat, of which 4.5 are saturated fats, are present in the same amount of chocolate ice cream. The high fat and added sugar levels of classic ice cream are the main sources of many of these calories. Eating foods heavy in sugar and fat on a regular basis might cause weight gain. But you can switch to low-calorie ice creams if you want to reduce calorie intake. In order to reduce the number of calories, low-calorie ice cream frequently uses skim milk rather than full-fat cream.

Does eating ice cream at night make you fat?

It’s about time folks realized that eating any food at any time of day has the same number of calories. If you eat only the amount of calories you need each day, you won’t gain weight by simply eating later.

However, one of the reasons it’s so challenging to stick to a balanced diet and the daily plan on your calorie counter is that many individuals frequently suffer from sugar cravings. Not your body’s need for food, but your brain’s demand for consolation and pleasure causes cravings. If you give in to the need to feast on sweets and are persuaded to eat ice cream at night to satisfy your craving, you’ll probably gain weight as a result.

Simple tips to make ice cream friendly with health and weight

Ice cream, like the majority of processed desserts, has a number of negative health effects to consider, including containing some unhealthy flavors and additives, offering few nutrients, and so on. But it’s definitely acceptable to occasionally indulge in dessert as part of a balanced diet. Modesty is the key. In addition, simple tips to make ice cream friendly for health and weight can also be taken into consideration for a better and healthier life.

Tip#1. Determine the brand and the amount per serving.

Look closely at the nutrition and ingredient labels while purchasing ice cream and choosing the brand. Select goods are derived primarily from natural components like cream, milk, cocoa, and vanilla beans. If at all feasible, choose ice creams with a manageable number of simple-to-read ingredients to avoid ones that are highly processed. Look for goods with less added sugar and less than 200 calories per serving if you’re worried about your weight.

Though low-fat or low-sugar selections can seem healthier, keep in mind that they might contain artificial substances and may not be any more nutrient- or even calorie-dense than other options. So read labels thoroughly and exercise caution.

Tip#2. Avoid adding some extra ingredients to your ice cream.

When you are faced with so many kinds of ice cream and toppings that make you dazzled, try to say no to those with extra toppings like chocolate, syrup, candy, and nuts since these ingredients can really contribute to your weight gain.

For example, 1/2 cup(64grams) of chocolate ice cream contains 143 calories, 7.26g fat, and 16.8g sugars, which can easily push you toward the daily limit.

Tip#3. Add some toppings like mixed berries to your ice cream.

Mixed berry ice cream is one kind of perfect snack to enjoy with people. Additionally, it’s a clever method to include additional fruit. If your child is a fussy eater, they might not even realize that this dessert is healthy for them. Antioxidants, which might prevent cell damage and possibly lower the risk of some diseases, are abundant in berries of all sorts. In fact, some studies have shown that berries’ antioxidants may also lessen oxidative stress. In addition, according to another study, blackberries and raspberries have the highest antioxidant activity next to pomegranates.

No frozen fruit is allowed. Nothing to worry about. Just chop and freeze your fruit overnight after peeling it.

Tip#4. Be careful of the fake low-sugar ice cream.

Low-calorie ice creams can be created using low-fat dairy, artificial sweeteners, and/or milk substitutes to reduce their calorie content. That doesn’t necessarily mean that these treats are healthier, though. It’s possible that some low-calorie ice creams are heavily processed, while others have more sugar than conventional ice cream. So be careful of these so-called low-fat ice creams.

Tip#5. Make your own homemade and healthy ice cream.

When it’s hot outdoors, there’s no need to keep yourself from enjoying the oh-so-satisfying taste of something cold and sweet. Therefore, you can rejoice with these nutritious ice cream substitutes! Don’t worry if you don’t own an ice cream machine before you assume that you can’t make homemade, dairy-free ice cream. The majority of these healthy ice cream recipes only require a hand mixer, a blender, or just some good, old-fashioned elbow effort.

Here is a recipe for sweet potato chocolate ice cream on offer:

Why are sweet potatoes so blessed to exist on this planet? They make an excellent basic ingredient for this fantastic ice cream substitute and are versatile, delectable, and healthy.

Ingredients:

• 1 substantial sweet potato
• 1 bag of chips in dark chocolate
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar and 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 can of coconut milk, light

Instructions:

• scrape the sweet potato.
• After giving a sweet potato numerous fork pricks, microwave it for five minutes.
• Five more minutes in the microwave after turning.
• Put chocolate chips in a bowl that can go in the microwave, and then microwave for 20 seconds at a time. Until smooth, stir for 15 seconds in between each increment.
• Remove the sweet potato’s peel once it has cooled, then mash it until it is smooth.
• To a sizable blender, add precisely 3/4 cup of sweet potato mash.
• Blender with remaining ingredients added, including melted chocolate.
• Blend on high until all ingredients are fully combined and smooth.
• After putting the mixture in an airtight container, freeze it.
• Stir the mixture once every 30 minutes for two to three hours, or until it resembles ice cream.
• Scoop and enjoy.

References:

• https://www.idfa.org/ice-cream-sales-trends#:~:text=The%20average%20American%20consumes%20approximately,popular%20category%20of%20frozen%20desserts.
• https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-02002-x?utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=commission_junction&utm_campaign=CONR_PF018_ECOM_GL_PHSS_ALWYS_DEEPLINK&utm_content=textlink&utm_term=PID100060515&CJEVENT=2e5c88ca3e2a11ed82ed003e0a1c0e14#Sec6
• https://www.instagram.com/equalution/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26773014/
• https://www.usda.gov/
• https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf801381y
• https://www.sclhealth.org/blog/2019/07/make-your-own-homemade-and-healthy-ice-cream-treats/