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Ice
Cream Do's and Don'ts
Dear
Kathleen,
I find it so hard to lose weight in the summer because the
ice cream man drives by three or four times a day and I
drive by Dairy Queen to and from work.
I have a terrible weakness for ice cream and anything sweet
and cold on a hot day so it's hard for me to pass up
these treats.
Can you help?
Marcie
Dear Marcie,
You're not alone. Americans consume an average of 45
pints of ice cream a year. The ice cream math is grim news
for waist watchers. A pint of Ben & Jerry's New York
Super Fudge Chunk has 1,240 calories and 80 grams of fat.
During a year, 45 pints will set you back 55,800 calories
and 3,600 grams of fat. If these ice cream calories are
over and above your daily allotment, you could be looking
at an almost 16-pound weight gain in just one year!
But there's always a way to have your treats and be fit
too, Marcie, and there's no reason you can't enjoy
a treat from Dairy Queen once in a while. Here are some
do's and don'ts:
At the Dairy Queen
- Decide
how many calories you're willing to spend. Develop a plan
for working them into your diet and working them off your
waistline if once-in-a-while isn't often enough during
summer months.
- Do
make informed choices. All of the nutritional information
for Dairy Queen's products are located on their Web site:
dairyqueen.com.
- Good
things don't always come in small packages. A large
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Blizzard will set you back
1,320 calories, almost a day's worth! Ordering a small
saves you 600 calories, but will still cost you 720 calories.
That's a lot for a dessert if you're trying to lose
weight. Most of the blizzards are pretty caloric so it's
best to have them only once in a while.
- Calories
you drink count too. A large chocolate malt has 1,320
calories, but the small still has 640.
A large chocolate shake has 1,140 calories and a small
has 560. Switch to a slush and you'll save a bundle. A
medium Misty Slush has 290 calories, the small has 220.
- Any
day Sundaes. When you're in the mood for more than
an ice cream cone, consider a DQ Sundae. A large chocolate
sundae has 580 calories but the small has 280.
A small strawberry sundae has even less, about 240 calories.
While these calorie counts are a lot more reasonable,
they still have to be factored into your overall diet.
- Plain,
no gain—or not so much gain, anyway. A small vanilla
cone has 230 calories and the large has 480.
Dip them in chocolate and the small jumps to 340 calories
while the large soars to 710.
- If
you're a DQ regular, take a look at their lower calorie
options and challenge yourself to order these choices
more often:
- Chocolate
Dilly Bar, 210 calories
- Ice
Cream Sandwich, 200 calories
- Lemon
Freeze, 80 calories
- Starkiss
(frozen fruit, Popsicle-style), 80 calories
- No
Sugar Added Orange Bar, 60 calories
- No
Sugar Added Fudge Bar, 50 calories
At
home
Keep your freezer stocked with super low-calorie, no-sugar-added
fudge pops and fruit pops. There are plenty to choose from.
When you have a few kitchen minutes to spare, whip up a
batch of Strawberry Shave Ice. It can be made without an
ice cream or shave ice maker, which means it isn't ice cream
smooth or shave ice perfect, but it is ice cream cool and
shave-ice refreshing and a lot better for you.
Place 2 quarts fresh strawberries (tops removed) in a blender
or food processor and blend until very smooth. Add 1/4 cup
lime juice and 3 tablespoons superfine sugar. Pulse to combine.
Pour into a shallow, flat baking dish or pan that will fit
easily into your freezer.
Freeze until frozen through, stirring every half hour to
break up the ice crystals, for about two hours. For an authentic
shave ice look, scrape shavings off the final frozen product
with a fork and scoop into wine glasses.
Serve immediately. Makes 4-6 servings.
Tip: You can make shave
ice with any pureed fruit you like. Aim for 2-2 1/2 cups
of liquid, but if you end up with a little more or less,
it doesn't matter. You can make this with any quantity of
fruit puree you like.
Season with sugar and other flavorings to taste and freeze
as directed.
If the queen's coming to dinner:
Serve in wine or champagne glasses with fresh blueberries
and a sprig of fresh mint.
kd@chefkathleen.com
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