Creamy ice cream seems to us tastier, but at the same time, it is also more nutritious. Fruit sorbet appears to be beneficial for health and figure. And how are things really?
On hot days, ice cream gives us freshness and pleasure. Melting, tender – a real treat for our taste buds. It has useful elements: vitamins, protein and calcium from milk, which is its basis. The downside is its high calorie content. Ice cream is quite high in saturated fat (cardiovascular risk) and sugar (“empty” calories). However, the calorie content of one serving (100 grams) can range from 70 to 250 calories. How to choose it?
Where do calories come from
Classic milk ice cream has a calorie content of about 70 calories per serving – even a person on a diet can afford to eat one scoop (50 g) of such ice cream per day. Another thing is creamy ice cream and frozen desserts (ice cream cakes): caramel cone, chocolate icing, nut crumbs and fillers turn a moderate-calorie treat into a concentrate of sugar and fat. In addition to milk, butter, and sugar, ice cream may contain eggs and peanuts, common allergens. The presence of emulsifiers and preservatives in industrially produced ice cream is simply inevitable, but since it is not the basis of the diet, but only a rare treat, they do not harm the body. But handmade ice cream (home-made, as it is called in some restaurants) is often made on the basis of only natural ingredients – it is not only tasty, but also healthy, although quite high in calories.
With or without milk?
Ice cream seems to us to be more high-calorie, and sorbet (frozen juice) is more dietary, but this is not entirely true. If in classic recipes sorbets are indeed slightly less caloric than ice cream, then today the difference is negligible: industrial ice cream contains much less fat, and sorbet contains much more sugar. There is ice cream without milk at all, which is suitable even for people suffering from a deficiency of lactase (an enzyme that breaks down milk sugar) – in addition to fruit varieties, this ice cream is based on soy milk or yogurt. By the way, ice cream, where animal fats are replaced by vegetable ones, does not always cause the approval of nutritionists. It really has less cholesterol, which is dangerous for blood vessels, but, as a rule, more various flavoring additives – after all, it is milk fat that gives ice cream a delicate creamy taste that we like so much and the lack of which in this case has to be compensated.
Refreshing sorbet
This delicacy comes from the East, where they learned how to prepare a mixture of fruits, syrup and snow many centuries ago. Modern sorbets are a frozen mixture of water, sugar, fruit pieces, fruit puree or juice, with the addition of natural or artificial flavors and sometimes wine or liquor. Commercially available sorbets contain between 10% and 25% fruit. There are light sorbets in which the sugar content is reduced or replaced with a sweetener. Advantages of sorbet: it consists of 50-70% water, quenches thirst and saturates fruits with vitamins – industrial freezing is done almost immediately after harvest, and the loss of nutrients is negligible. However, in the heat, sorbet cannot replace drinking water and fresh fruit.
Children – ice cream!
This is a favorite delicacy of children, and there is no reason to deprive them of it, says pediatrician-nutritionist Tatyana Sorvacheva. The main thing is to observe the measure and monitor the quality of the product.
Ice cream is nutritious and high in calories, contains milk fat, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins A, D, E. Milk ice cream contains a lot of calcium, and fruit ice cream contains vitamin C. If a child does not like milk, ice cream can compensate to some extent lack of nutrients. The choice of ice cream is huge, but it is better for children of three to seven years old to give classic types of treats: dairy, cream, ice cream, without additives and fillers that may be potential allergens. Before buying, you should study the composition indicated on the label: the more natural ingredients in the product, the better. When buying ice cream, pay attention to the conditions of its storage. The temperature in the freezer should not exceed -18°C; if this condition is not met, the ice cream melts, sometimes freezes again – this can be seen by evaluating its texture, consistency, smell and color. Preferably ice cream in portioned packages (glass, cone, briquette), which can be eaten immediately, rather than put in the refrigerator. Children who are prone to colds should not be given hard-frozen milk ice cream, popsicles or sorbet – this is a real test for the throat. By the way, you can learn how to eat ice cream correctly: it is better to do it after eating, slowly, savoring every bite.