During the hot summer months, there’s no better treat than a refreshing cup of ice cream.  But that cup of ice cream in the evening could add on tons of calories that will counteract your best efforts to look beach ready in your hot, new bathing suit. 

We’ve compiled a list of the best and worst ice cream or frozen yogurt choices to order when you are out on the town or stocking your freezer.

Tanya’s tips:
1. Look for low-fat, fat-free and no-sugar added.  These varieties will be your best bets when it comes to choosing ice cream or frozen yogurt. They tend to have the fewest calories, but be careful because they can still pack on tons of calories. You can usually ask the store for the nutritional information. And if you are buying your own at the grocery store, carefully read the labels! Not all low-fat ice creams are created equal.  Choose ones with about 100 calories per serving and less than 3 grams of fat.

2. Be careful with serving size.  You may think you are being smart by ordering the small, 4 oz. cup, but chances are you are getting double the amount.  Ice-cream scoopers tend to fill the cups past the rim, which may seem like a great thing, but not when you are trying to watch your weight.  A small serving of soft serve can easily reach about 8 oz.  Take some home or share with a friend to cut calories yet still satisfy your ice cream craving.

3. Eat your dessert, don’t drink it. Avoid shakes, smoothies, and any other creation that’s mixed up into a creamy, frothy treat.  They can have double to triple the amount of calories in a regular serving of ice cream.  Plus, studies reveal that your body does not register calories from fluids — meaning that fluids don’t replace food. You will still end up eating the entire dessert, but with all the extra calories. So think twice next time you order a smoothie, which still has tons of calories and carbs even though it seemed like a good choice at the time. 

4. Choose your toppings wisely.  Don’t be fooled by the toppings that may seem healthy. Fruit drenched in gooey syrups and granola should be avoided.  Granola is one of those deceptive foods because we tend to think it’s healthy but in reality, it is not.  One cup of granola contains over 500 calories.  So depending on how much topping you get, you could be adding hundreds of calories to your already caloric dessert.  Your best bets are sprinkles, sugar-free chocolate syrup or fresh fruit. 

5. Bag your own.  If you’re looking for some added crunch to your ice cream, consider bringing a small bag of Fiber One or Bran Buds as a topping for your dessert.  Not only will you have a low-calorie topping, but the added fiber from the cereal will help satisfy you so you don’t overeat the ice cream.

6. Buy single servings.  When shopping at the grocery store, there are many great options of what dessert to buy. Go for bars or ice cream sandwiches that are low in fat and sugar.  Great choices are nonfat, sugar-free fudgesicles (many are under 45 calories!)

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and founder of www.Skinnyandthecity.com.    She is also the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being.  For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com.

Q: Is frozen yogurt a good summer treat? It tastes so good, can it really be that good for me?

A: Not necessarily.  As you said, it is a treat so you should treat it that way.  Many times it can actually pack in more calories and sugar than regular ice cream, especially if you opt for a bigger size because, why not? It’s low-fat isn’t it?

The frozen yogurt industry surged in the 1980s and early-1990s when Americans decided to completely cut fat out of their diets. This trend leveled off as a result of other fad diets such as the low-carb craze and products emerging on the marketplace. However, frozen yogurt is making a major comeback and everywhere you turn there is a Tasti D-Lite or TCBY.  Sure, it can be lower in fat than ice cream (before toppings!) but here are some helpful hints to make sure frozen yogurt is not packing on the pounds.

1) Frozen yogurt should not be a meal. It is not nutrient-dense and usually contains half of the calcium and less protein than you would get in a serving of yogurt from the dairy aisle.
Average non fat vanilla yogurt (6 oz): 8 grams protein and 250 mg calcium
Average frozen yogurt (6 oz): 5 grams protein and 100 mg calcium

2) Most frozen yogurts have zero grams of fiber. Therefore, if you eat it for lunch, you’ll be feeling ravenous in a few hours and your “healthy lunch” will have been a waste of calories. An average 16 oz (large) vanilla frozen yogurt with a side of granola contains about 500 calories, 10 g fat, and about 70 g carbohydrates! Instead, you could have eaten a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with an apple for half the carbohydrates (more fiber), higher quality protein, and more satiety until dinner.

3) Watch the toppings. While the yogurt may be non-fat, it does not mean adding crumbled Oreos will not have an effect on your waistline. Choosing Gummi bears and fruit with syrup doubles the sugar content of your yogurt, while granola and chocolate chips hike up your saturated fat intake. If you get a topping, stick to a regular serving of fresh fruit or dry nuts for some healthy fiber and protein.

4) Beware of portions. Many times, the serving size of the cup is much less than the actual amount of the fro-yo they dish out. Ask how many ounces are in a cup and tell them not to overfill. This way, you can keep track of how much you’re actually eating.

The bottom line is: When you do choose frozen yogurt, have it as a small-sized snack and choose healthier toppings.  We searched the country for the best frozen treat and found it at a small, but rapidly expanding chain in Connecticut. Gofer Ice Cream currently has three stores in Darien, Greenwich, and Stamford. They created a soft-serve, non-fat Gofer-Lite which, besides from being delicious contains 11 g fiber per 4 oz serving! I definitely approve this ‘ice cream’!

*My Favorites
Serving sizes below are for ½ cup or 4 oz. Notice, a small size cup is usually larger than 4 oz and the actual cup size served at each place varies, even within a chain.

*Keep in mind that a small weighs in at about triple these amounts! SO, if you’re craving Frogurt for a snack, ask them not to fill the cup over the brim.

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being.  For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com.