On a diet? The 5 ‘healthiest’ ice lollies to enjoy guilt-free
THERE’S something very nostalgic about the taste of an ice lolly and your hands getting all sticky from the drips.
And let’s face it – there’s nothing better than a cool, sweet iced treat to get you through hot summer afternoons.
But chances are these days you might feel a twinge of guilt about indulging in a treat.
Jess Hillard, sports nutritionist at Warrior, said we should never feel guilty about eating things.
She explained that guilt “can often come about from eating what we deem as ‘unhealthy’ foods”.
There’s a reason we often refer to ice cream or ice lollies as ‘guilty pleasures’, after all.
But Jess argued that we should try and shake off these negative feelings around indulging.
“We eat for fuel, eat to enjoy and eat for a reason, but it is about finding a balance between things so we can eat in moderation and not feel that guilt,” the nutritionist told The Sun.
“Ice creams and ice lollies do not have to be unhealthy,” she went on.
If you want to enjoy the cooling summer treats but you’re on a weight loss journey or trying to eat fewer of them, Jess has your back.
Here, she recommends five ‘healthier’ ice creams and ice lollies.
1. Solero ice lollies
Who doesn’t love a Solero?
The fruity ice cream on a stick with a marbled inside is refreshing and you can have your pick of ‘exotic’ – pineapple, mango and passion fruit – or red berry flavours.
And the best part – it’s low in calories with just 98 calories a piece, according to Jess.
You can grab a pack of three at Tesco, ASDA, Salisbury’s and Morrison’s for £2.50.
2. Yeo Valley Ice Cream
Yeo Valley’s ice creams have a few more calories – about 144 per 100ml.
But Jess said this “is a good option” as the brand’s ice creams are organic and though they have a base of milk and double cream, there are no artificial colourings, flavourings, sweeteners or stabilisers.
A 500ml tub will cost you £4.75 at Waitrose and Ocado. And you can chose from flavours such as vanilla, mint choc chip and sea salted caramel.
According to the NHS, a typical ice cream serving should be about 60 to 80g or ml – that’s about half a cup.
3. Grom Sorbetto
Jess suggested Grom Sorbetto for the sorbet lovers out there.
The nutritionist noted that Grom’s sorbets have “a small ingredient list”.
“Sorbets are lower in fat due to being made with water instead of milk and cream, [so they’re] naturally dairy free,” she added.
You can find mango and lemon 460ml tubs at Waitrose and Ocado for £6, at 98 calories per serving.
4. Booja-Booja ice creams
“A great brand who don’t just serve ice creams, but chocolates too,” according to Jess.
“Despite being vegan, you would never know,” the sports nutritionist revealed.
Booja-booja ice creams have slightly more calories per serving that the previous options – 171 per 100ml.
But Jess said “the ingredients are all organic, made from a base of cashew nuts, meaning 70 per cent less saturated fat than the leading ice cream brands.”
A 500ml tub will cost you £4.65 at Ocado and Waitrose.
5. Frozen protein bars
Finally, a good way to get your ice cream fix is to freeze our protein bars.
According to Jess, it’s “a great way to make them last longer and cool you down after a sweaty workout, but giving you protein at the same time”.
She recommended freezing the Warrior CRUNCH bars, as they a delicious ice cream-like texture.
A pack of 12 goes for £18.99 on the brand’s website, or you can nab a variety pack for £19.95. You can also find the bars in supermarkets like ASDA.