Ice cream for breakfast? A national event is all about it this weekend. With so many more healthier options in the freezer section, would it be that bad after all?
Saturday, February 3, is actually "Eat Ice Cream For Breakfast Day."
But with more and more so-called "guilt-free ice creams," what's the difference between the various brands and their ingredients?
Newswatch 16's Ryan Leckey pulled back the curtain on these various treats with two registered dietitians from Weis Markets.
They tackled these treats including which ones might be better for diabetics from a Weis store in Williamsport.
The following facts and ice cream suggestions are courtesy of Weis Markets Registered Dietitians:
According to the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA):
- The average American consumes more than 23 pounds of ice cream per year. That’s about 40 pints of ice cream each year.
- Regular ice cream is the most popular category, followed by low-fat ice cream.
- Top 5 ice cream flavors according to the results of a July 2017 survey:
- Vanilla
- Chocolate
- Cookies N’ Cream
- Mint Chocolate Chip
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
- Most popular fruit topping: strawberries
- Most popular nut topping/flavoring: pecans
Benefits of Eating Ice Cream
- A half-cup serving of vanilla or chocolate ice cream has about 140 calories, 7 grams of fat, 13 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. This can fit into a balanced diet. The key is sticking to the proper portion!
- Ice cream provides your body with a handful of key nutrients, including calcium, potassium, B vitamins, and protein.
- Ice cream makes you happy!
Areas of Concern
- Ice cream is a source of saturated fat which can negatively affect cholesterol levels in the body.
- Ice cream is also a source of added sugar which shouldn’t be eaten in excess.
Make Homemade Ice Cream
Get the kid’s involved and make homemade ice cream! This is a perfect activity/science experiment for kids of all ages. They can learn to measure ingredients and follow recipe instructions.
Ingredients
- ½ cup half-and-half
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- ¼ tsp. vanilla
- 1 resealable sandwich bag
- 1 resealable gallon bag
- 3 cups crushed ice
- 1/3 cup kosher or rock salt
Directions
- Place half-and-half, sugar, and vanilla in the smaller bag, push out excess air, and seal the bag. Make sure it is tightly sealed!
- Place ice, salt, and smaller bag in the larger bag. Seal the large bag.
- Squeeze and shake the bag until ice cream is thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Hold the bag with a kitchen towel if your hands get too cold.
- Remove small bag, unseal, add toppings and enjoy!
How it Works
The salt lowers the freezing point of the ice and creates an extra-cold atmosphere that causes the mixture to freeze. Shaking the bag breaks up the ice crystals and helps the ice cream freeze evenly.
DIY Ice Cream Bar
Make a DIY ice cream sundae bar so everyone can create their favorite sundae.
- Serve the ice cream in small bowls or on top of a waffle or pancake.
- Keep the ice cream portions reasonable and include a variety of healthy + treat options as the toppings.
- Topping ideas: Fresh berries, walnuts, sliced almonds, pecans, mini marshmallows, crushed cookies, whipped cream, dark chocolate chips, coconut flakes, mini waffles and crumbled bacon.
- Serve the toppings in little bowls or a muffin tin.