Who doesn’t love ice cream? Everyone grab your spoons, we’re going to the ice cream shop!
In the United State alone, there are about 1.5 billion gallons of ice cream and similar desserts, such as gelato, produced. We Americans sure do love our ice cream. But which ice cream flavors do we love the most? According to The Top Tens, the top 10 favorite ice cream flavors in the country are:
- Cookies and Cream
- Chocolate
- Mint Chocolate Chip
- Vanilla
- Cookie Dough
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
- Strawberry
- Rocky Road
- Mint
- Coffee
Where did your favorite flavor rank? Did your favorite flavor make the top 10? If you think about the amount of ice cream the average person consumes throughout their lifetime, wouldn’t you want to know how that was affecting your body? No one is asking you to give up ice cream to save your waistline, but there is a healthy alternative to consider.
Gelato
There is not a huge difference between ice cream and gelato. However, according to The Kitchn, “Gelato is churned at a much slower rate than ice cream, incorporating less air and leaving the gelato denser than ice cream. Gelato is served at a slightly warmer temperature than ice cream, so its texture stays silkier and softer. Because it has a lower percentage of fat than ice cream, the main flavor ingredient really shines through.” Sounds to me like not only does gelato taste better, but it’s healthier for you too. If you consider the amount of these frozen desserts you may consume in just one summer, the difference in the amount of fat you are taking in with ice cream as opposed to gelato may force you to have to loosen your belt. Grab those gelato spoons and dig in!
Ice cream contains a lot of saturated fats, which can lead to heart disease. Consuming ice cream leads to an increase in triglycerides and cholesterol, which are basically blood fats.This means that your risk for blood clotting, clogged arteries, and heart attacks increases every time you eat ice cream. Eating gelato instead of ice cream and decreasing the number of fats you consume in your delicious desserts just may save your life. Looks like we’re swapping our ice cream scoops for gelato spoons!
