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Our weekly news column bringing the most current, non-biased health
information to the consumer. |
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July 13, 2010 |
A Publication of QVHD |
Your Best Bet: Yogurt or Ice Cream?
By: V. Deborah Culligan, RN, MPH,
Deputy Director QVHD
Remember when you were a
kid and one of the biggest treats on a hot summer evening was to get an
ice cream cone? No one worried about the fat or sugar, because it was an
occasional treat , with fairly limited choices. (Wasn't the only choice
in flavors vanilla, chocolate, strawberry or Neopolitan?) Then along
came popsicles. What a special event! There was basically one kind,
double-sticked in 5 or 6 flavors. The real excitement came when
fudgesicles and creamsicles were introduced.
In today's marketplace, there are an overwhelming number of choices of
frozen treats. In fact, there is a whole grocery aisle dedicated to ice
cream and popsicle-like items. And the flavors have become very
elaborate with all kinds of"stuff” (fudge chunks, brownies,
marshmallows, nuts, caramel) thrown in. Consequently, these frozen
desserts have a very wide range of saturated fat content and caloric
values. Further more, most of the nutrition labeling on these products
are based on half cup servings. Be honest…is that your typical serving
size?
As Americans are trying to cut down on their fat intake, frozen yogurts
are popping up in the aisle along with stores specializing in frozen
yogurt, rather than ice cream. But are they really better for you? Or is
this another marketing fad? The answer is that some products are better
than others and as with ice cream or any food product, you have to check
the nutrition label .
Most frozen yogurts are lower in saturated fats than their ice cream
counterpart, but that mostly applies to low fat or fat free yogurts. You
also must compare the serving sizes when evaluating ice creams versus
frozen yogurt. Furthermore when you start adding toppings, you
contribute to the calorie, sugar and fat amounts. Specialty toppings are
equal whether on top of ice cream or frozen yogurt! If sugar content is
your main concern, beware! Frozen yogurt, depending on the brand, can be
loaded with sugar. And nutritionally speaking, frozen yogurt is not as
healthful a choice as is regular yogurt.
The action of selecting a frozen dessert product is not as simple as it
used to be. The marketing of these products has become big business and
uses words to tug at our nutrition conscience, such as traditional, lite,
light, double-churned, reduced fat, fat-free, no sugar added, and
sugar-free. Frozen yogurt marketing strategies cause one to believe that
frozen yogurt is always a better choice than ice cream which may or may
not be true. Use your nutrition label to determine the best product for
your needs. Government standards provide guidelines for definitions for
several terms used on frozen dessert products:"Reduced fat” (applies
only to ice cream) must have 25% less fat than a typical ice cream;
"Light” (also applies only to ice cream) much have at least 50% less fat
or ˝ less calories that a typical product; "Low fat" (applies to both
frozen yogurt and ice cream) indicates 3 grams of fat or less per
serving of ice cream or 0.5-2% milk fat for yogurt; and "Non-fat or
fat-free” means ice cream with a maximum of 0.5 grams of fat per serving
and for yogurt less than 0.5% grams of fat per serving."No sugar added"
means there is no additional sugar added. It does not mean no sugar at
all. (That would be"sugar-free.”) Whatever sugar exists in the
ingredients used to make the ice cream (like the milk) will be present
in the product. Artificial sweeteners may be added to make up the
difference in flavor.
In today's marketplace, you can eat a totally fat free hot fudge sundae.
However, this does not mean that this sundae is calorie-free. Excess
calories contribute to excess weight. Don't let marketing terms trick
you into thinking that eating a fat free hot fudge sundae is good for
your health! Reducing fat is important, but as with all else, the best
diets are those that are well-balanced and choose a variety of foods,
especially fruit, vegetables and grains.
For free reprints of articles about frozen desserts that list the
nutritional content of many frozen desserts, District residents can call
QVHD, the public health department for Bethany, Hamden, North Haven and
Woodbridge, at 203 248-4528 or request on line,
www.qvhd.org.
| An Ounce of Prevention is a
publication of the Quinnipiack Valley Health District, located at
1151 Hartford Turnpike, North Haven, CT 06473. Telephone:
248-4528. An Ounce of Prevention is
written by V. Deborah Culligan. The articles are published in the following local newspapers, The Advisor &
Beth-Wood News.
The content is provided as health education and
information to help you make health decisions. It is not intended to
be legal or medical advice, or substitute for recommendations made
by your health care provider. Address all comments to the district
office. |
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