Slim Down Your Summer Sundae

Slim Down Your Summer Sundae!

Summer is just around the corner, and along with the summer season comes the Georgia heat! What better way can you think of to beat the heat than to enjoy a serving of ice cream? An ice cream sundae is a great way to treat yourself, but adding nutritious toppings can make this sweet snack a source of vitamins and minerals as well.  

Two recipes for ice cream sundaes are listed below. The first one is a more traditional sundae recipe, and the second is similar but with a few alternatives to make it a little healthier of a choice. Closely read the recipe ingredients and think about why recipe 2 is healthier than recipe 1.

Recipe 1: Ice cream sundaes with chocolate-coffee sauce; yields 4 servings

Ingredients:

·                6 ounces Bittersweet chocolate

·               ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons Coffee-flavored liqueur or Kahlua

·               ¼ cup Heavy whipping cream

·               ½ gallon Vanilla ice cream

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 401.3 calories, 21.1 g fat, 12.2 g saturated fat, 54.7 mg cholesterol, 53 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber, 47.4 g total sugars, 5.2 g protein

Recipe 2: Strawberry-Raspberry Sundaes; yields 4 servings

Ingredients:

·             1 cup Strawberries, plus more for garnish

·            ½ cup Raspberries, plus more for garnish

·             2 tablespoons sugar

·            ½ teaspoon lemon juice

·             2 cups Nonfat vanilla frozen yogurt

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 130 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 28 g carbohydrates, 5 g protein, 65 mg sodium, 293 mg potassium

Here are some of the nutritional differences between the two recipes to consider:

• Recipe 1 has 401.3 calories and 21.1 g fat where recipe 2 has 130 calories and 0 g fat
• Recipe 1 is made with full fat ice cream, heavy whipping cream and Kahlua, which contribute to the fat and calorie content of this recipe
• Recipe 2 is made with nonfat frozen yogurt and strawberries to decrease the amount of fat and calories

Some tips to spruce up your sundae in a healthy way include:

• Include fresh berries as toppings, especially since most berries are in season during the summer.
• Add nuts for a source of healthy, unsaturated fat, but watch your portions.
• Consider non-fat frozen yogurt or no-sugar added ice cream over full fat ice cream to reduce overall calories and sugar. 

References:

• http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/ice-cream-sundaes-with-chocolate-coffee-sauce-357533
• http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/strawberry_raspberry_sundaes.html
• http://www.dining.ucla.edu/housing_site/dining/SNAC_pdf/CaloriesCount.pdf