How to Compare the Nutritional Information for Ice Cream

Ice cream has been enjoyed around the globe since ancient Romans mixed snow with fruit in the fourth century B.C. Over time, ice cream recipes have come to rely less on "ice" and more on fat, sugar and additives. Today's summer favorite is as much a refreshing menu finisher as an artery-threatening delight that regularly tops dieters' "verboten" lists. If you're a sensible soul and live life in the moderation lane, consume all of the data in this article so when you lift your next spoon of hot fudge sundae to your lips, you'll know exactly what you're enjoying.

Things You'll Need

• Ice cream packages

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Instructions

• 1

  Make certain you compare apples to apples by choosing a specific type of ice cream for your nutritional analysis. Premium ice cream is made with milk, sweetening agents, flavorings, stabilizers, emulsifiers and additives. Custard and gelato usually call for the addition of egg or egg yolks. Reduced-fat, low-fat, light and fat-free ice creams all contain less fat per serving in varying amounts. Sherbet labels list 1 percent to 2 percent milk fat and 2 percent to 5 percent total milk solids, water, flavoring, sweetener and stabilizers, but it's not a panacea, since it has more sugar than ice cream. Refine your comparison by matching types only.

• 2

  Compare milk fat content to reach a conclusion about which product is most nutritionally sound. Federal fat standards for dairy products will help you make an informed comparison. Ice cream must contain a minimum of 10 percent milk fat--about 7 grams of fat per 1/2 cup serving--plus 20 percent total milk solids by weight. Premium ice creams start out at 16 percent milk fat, but if you go for the high profile, luxury brands, the count often goes higher. Lowfat ice cream can't contain more than 3 grams of fat per serving. Reduced-fat ice cream must weigh in at 25 percent less fat than standard ice cream; to be considered "light," a frozen dessert is required to contain at least 50 percent less fat than its full-fat relative. Finally, fat-free ice creams on the market can't exceed 0.5 gram of fat per serving.

• 3

  Compare ice creams by vitamins and minerals. Look for high percentages of protein, riboflavin (B2), calcium and other essential vitamins and minerals when you draw your comparisons. Sherbet contains less fat, protein, calcium and vitamins than ice cream, but expect a higher calorie count as a result of sherbet's higher sugar content. Because nutrient comparisons are so complex, you may want to turn to the experts for your figures. Use the Cass-Clay Ice Cream Nutritional Chart to compare nutritional values by serving weight and size: calories, calories from fat, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, fiber, sugars, protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium and iron.

• 4

  Use the "overrun" factor when comparing ice creams' nutritional values. As a rule of thumb, over running, the term for whipping air into ice cream to cut costs and produce a lighter ice cream, will be found in cheaper brands for obvious reasons. Premium ice creams are traditionally rich and dense, so don't expect to find large quantities of air in premium blends. Since the FDA doesn't require companies to post overruns on ice cream ingredient panels, you'll have to use price as a gauge to determine this comparison.

• 5

  Choose the lesser of two evils when you compare high-fat ice creams. At the freezer case, check out half-cup servings of high profile brands to make your decisions. For instance, Breyers regular ice cream has a whopping 17 grams of fat per cup, but it looks positively slimming when compared with Ben & Jerry's or Haagen-Dazs, whose exotic mixes are so lethal you'll invest two-thirds of a day's fat content on their consumption--anywhere from 30 to 50 grams of fat. On this topic, low-fat choices aren't always ideal. Popular freezer case picks such as Healthy Choice Premium low-fat ice creams give you a break in the fat-content arena, but they're so loaded with sugar to boost the taste that they're equally as bad for your health. Ditto many brands of frozen yogurt that rely on sugar to hype the taste.

• 6

  Take the work out of your search for nutritional comparisons by visiting Calorie King when you need the skinny on ice cream you're preparing to eat or serve. The site analyzes and broadcasts the good, the bad and the ugly of ice cream consumption, so whether you're looking to find out which low-fat chocolate ice cream gets the most number of rave reviews or you need to know if artificial sweeteners are being used to boost the taste of a certain flavor, find the data there. Between this resource and the Cass-Clay Ice Cream Nutritional Chart mentioned in Step #3, you'll always stay informed as new brands, formulations and nutritional data on regular ice cream and its first cousins are introduced.