Ice cream is everywhere—the star dessert of the summer season, especially in high demand when the heat becomes unbearable. It’s refreshing, appetizing, and delicious, but it has one well-known flaw: it can make you gain weight. So, what type of ice cream can you eat without worrying about extra pounds?
How many of us don’t feel a joy of the taste buds when eating a cold ice cream on a hot summer day? Very few people skip this dessert during a heatwave—and for good reason. Not only does it provide a cooling sensation, but its taste is highly satisfying. However, if we look closely at what we eat, we realize that ice cream may not be the wisest choice.
In this article, we’ll explore why ice cream is such a universal fascination, offer simple solutions to avoid the excess calories of traditional ice creams, and, as a bonus, share 3 healthy, low-calorie homemade ice cream recipes. Yes, fortunately, these exist!
Why Ice Cream Is Fascinating… and High in Calories
Commercial ice creams are, first and foremost, calorie bombs—most exceeding 200 calories per 100 grams, almost half the calorie value of a healthy meal like fish and a vegetable salad with olive oil dressing. And calorie count, surprisingly, is the least of ice cream’s problems.
Full of Unhealthy Ingredients
Preservatives, artificial colors, “nature-identical” flavors, high industrial sugar content (about 50%), and saturated or trans fats (about 45%) make most store-bought ice creams unhealthy. They also leave you hungry shortly after eating.
Addictive
While the content is often noted on the packaging, what’s less known about traditional ice cream is that the combination of trans fats and simple carbohydrates creates strong dependency.
Dr. David Kessler, a physician and nutrition researcher from California, author of a bestselling book on conditioned overeating, explains how the food industry manipulates consumers through so-called multisensory foods. Essentially, they exploit humans’ attraction to sugar and fat, producing highly refined, ultra-processed combinations with numerous flavor enhancers that make you crave ice cream again and again.
For example, a vanilla, mint, and chocolate ice cream on a hot summer day creates a real “roller coaster” in the mouth. The cooling sensation, the combination of sweetness and fat, plus the flavors, make ice cream a multisensory food that amplifies addiction.
How to Turn High-Calorie Ice Cream into a Harmless Dessert
How can you avoid the traps set by the food industry? The basic rule is to make your own ice cream at home, where you fully control the quality and quantity of ingredients. Each high-calorie ingredient in store-bought ice cream has a low-calorie, healthy substitute.
Ice Cream with Sugar Substitutes
White sugar accounts for more than half the calories in store-bought ice cream and increases the risk of overweight, obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. At home, sugar can be replaced with low-calorie alternatives:
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Erythritol (0 calories)
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Stevia syrup or powder (0 calories)
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Maple syrup, brown rice syrup, or date paste (25 calories per tablespoon)
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Raisins, cranberries, or dried dates (30 calories per 10 g)
These low-calorie substitutes also have less impact on blood sugar and offer antioxidant benefits.
Ice Cream with Natural Flavors and Colors
Let your imagination run wild with natural ingredients: from cocoa, vanilla, and cinnamon to your favorite fruits. Berries, citrus, and melons are most commonly used in diet-friendly ice creams, while cocoa, cinnamon, and vanilla flavors curb chocolate cravings naturally.
Ice Cream with Healthy Fat Alternatives
Saturated fats from dairy, like cream, whipped cream, or butter, are a major part of high-calorie ice creams. To make lighter homemade versions, replace these with cottage cheese or Greek yogurt. You reduce calories without losing taste. Combined with the natural sweetness of fruits and low-calorie sweeteners, these ice creams are just as satisfying as the traditional versions.
Healthy, Low-Calorie Homemade Ice Cream Recipes
Here are some concrete examples of tasty, healthy ice creams:
Raspberry Ice Cream (90 calories/100 g)
Blend together one serving of fat-free yogurt, 20 g of fresh raspberries, 2 tablespoons of milk (cow’s milk 1.5% or a plant-based alternative), and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. Pour into molds and freeze for a few hours. You can substitute raspberries with cherries, blueberries, or strawberries.
Banana, Chocolate, and Pistachio Ice Cream (140 calories/100 g)
Blend one ripe banana with 2 squares of dark chocolate (at least 50% cocoa). Add 10 g of chopped pistachios or walnuts, raw or roasted without oil, and freeze for a few hours. Sprinkle with coconut flakes before serving if desired.
Cantaloupe Ice Cream (60 calories/100 g)
Blend 50 g of cantaloupe with 50 g of fat-free Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon of stevia, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Freeze in molds. Top with raisins or other dried fruits when serving.
Homemade ice cream is easy to make: it combines the flavor of fresh fruits with the creaminess and protein of yogurt, exotic and antioxidant flavors from cocoa, vanilla, or cinnamon, and the natural sweetness of maple syrup or dried fruits.
No nutritionist forbids enjoying ice cream in hot weather, but our recommendation is to avoid store-bought varieties too often. Homemade ice cream, prepared according to healthy principles, contains natural, intense flavors and fewer calories. Learning a few simple recipes saves hundreds of extra calories, avoids synthetic flavors, and reduces exposure to industrial sugars and fats designed to create addiction and increase disease risk.
Ice Cream: A Dessert with a Long History
The origin of ice cream is ancient and uncertain. Some historical sources describe an ice-like dessert in Persia around 550 BCE, where ice storage was used. Others suggest primitive ice cream appeared in China around 200 BCE, mixing snow with fruits, juice, and honey.
In ancient Greece, recipes included snow mixed with honey and fruits. Romans also prepared a snow-and-fruit dessert with honey or syrups.
Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli (known as Procopio Cutò in France) popularized ice cream in Europe by opening Café Procope in Paris in 1686. This café became a landmark for Parisian aristocracy and the first European café dedicated to ice cream, made from milk, cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla, cocoa, and fruits. It attracted writers, philosophers, and cultural figures, becoming a meeting place for intellectuals.
Technological progress further spread ice cream. In 1846, Nancy Johnson invented the first hand-crank ice cream machine, making preparation easier. Jacob Fussell’s crank ice cream machine in the 1850s enabled mass production.
Today, ice cream is available in an impressive variety of flavors and textures and remains a popular treat worldwide. However, as discussed, store-bought varieties often contain few natural ingredients and are far from healthy.
Occasionally, such as at a party or visit, it’s fine to enjoy commercial ice cream politely. But for daily consumption, homemade ice cream is safer, healthier, and often tastier.
