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I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!

Americans love ice cream.  Each year, we consume an average of 48 pints per person; more than any other country in the world. Originally, ice cream was pretty simple: cream, sugar or honey, an egg and possibly some fruit.  So how healthy are those 48 pints we are eating today? Unfortunately, the majority of scoops sold in parlors, vending machines, and grocery store freezers are downright scary. They are loaded with artificial sweeteners, trans fats, thickeners, artificial colorings, and preservatives; a far cry from the homemade treat enjoyed for centuries.  A quick glance at most of the major brands will reveal nutrition labels with 25 or more ingredients! This is not your great-granny’s ice cream.

Additives commonly found in ice cream

acesulfame potassium	dextrose	polydextrose
artificial colors	disodium phosphate	polysorbate 60 or 80
artificial flavors	high fructose corn syrup	hydrogenated oils
carrageenan	modified food starch	potassium sorbate
cellulose gum	mono and digylycerides	sodium benzoate
corn syrup	natural flavors	sucralose

Ways to make your ice cream healthier

READ THE LABEL - Only buy ice cream with an extremely short list of easy-to-understand ingredients.
MAKE YOUR OWN – Experiment. There is nothing like fresh, homemade strawberry ice cream. 
GO HORMONE FREE – Support creameries who say no to rbST (growth hormones) and antibiotics.
BUY LOCAL - Chances are you have some fabulous, small-batch goodness in your own backyard.
TOP SMART – Try homemade whipped cream, toasted nuts, fresh fruit, or melted chocolate.
ENJOY IN MODERATION - Remember that ice cream is a treat and should be treated as such. Don’t eat the whole pint in front of the TV (yes, we’ve all be there). Savor every, creamy, bite.

Ice cream in numbers:

• To make 1 gallon of ice cream, it take 12 pounds of milk.
• Approximately 9% of milk produced by US dairy farmers is used to make ice cream.
• The US ice cream industry generates more than $21 billion in annual sales
• It is unknown when ice cream was invented as some date it back to the 2nd century B.C.
• Got a cone? It takes approximately 50 licks to finish off one scoop of ice cream.
  

Sources:

http://www.idfa.org/resource-center/industry-facts/ice-cream/
http://www.icecream.com/funfacts/funfacts.asp?b=104
http://www.nicra.org/funfacts.html

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