A hot summer day often calls for a cool frozen treat. Ice cream has become a common staple in many households, but freezers are being stocked with more than just ice cream; sorbet, sherbet, gelato, frozen yogurt and even Greek frozen yogurt are competing with ice cream’s hungry audience.   

Ice Cream

Ice cream is composed of dairy ingredients, such as milk and/or cream, as well as sugar and flavorings.  Sorbet on the other hand, is a non-dairy frozen dessert made of fruit juice or fruit puree, sugar and flavorings. It’s a good option for those who are lactose intolerant or allergic to cow’s milk. And because it doesn’t have any dairy products, it’s generally lower in fat and calories. Sorbet and sherbet are sometimes used interchangeably, but there is a notable difference. While sherbet may taste more like a sorbet because it’s use of fruit juice or fruit puree and sugar, it also contains a small amount of milk fat.  Therefore, it generally has slightly more fat and calories than sorbet, but not as much traditional ice cream.

Gelato

Gelato is the Italian version of ice cream and contains the same core ingredients but with less milk fat.  Ounce for ounce, gelato is about 35 calories and 4 grams of fat less than ice cream. However, gelato has less air than ice cream making it heavier, and therefore, unless you serve yourself a smaller portion of gelato, you could end up with more calories and fat than your favorite ice cream!

Frozen Yogurt

Frozen yogurt, which has now become the ever so popular “fro-yo,” is made with actual yogurt and sometimes other dairy products. Since it’s not made with cream it is generally lower in fat and calories than regular ice cream. Frozen yogurt may or may not contain live active cultures, or healthy bacteria. It is possible that regular yogurt has more live cultures and prebiotics than frozen yogurt, but according to Tufts University, it really depends on the amount that was in the yogurt and the specific bacteria’s ability to withstand freezing temperatures. Frozen Greek yogurt is simply made with Greek yogurt instead of regular. It has virtually the same nutrient composition but with slightly more protein.

All of these frozen desserts can fit into a healthy diet, but no matter which one you choose, beware of the portion size!

Sources

• Jones, J. Types of Frozen Desserts. WebstaurantStore blog. bit.ly/4b7mne
• Tufts Journal. June 2008. bit.ly/3VMWpZi