What’s the best tasting non-dairy, low cal, and low fat ice cream?
September 12, 2016 Ashley 0 Comments
Quitting processed food is a lot like quitting a drug.
Sure, you miss it initially. But, after a while, once you fall in love with sexy, fresh berries or bananas or unadulterated veggies… you can’t even remember what a Big Mac tastes like. Or the downward spiral that follows Pringle popping. Or how it feels to be food roofied and seduced with sugar into a ménage à trois with Ben and Jerry. But you know what it is that I do miss about comfort foods like ice cream? That connection you get when you’re hanging with your girl friends and binging from the same carton together with separate spoons on a pint of peanut butter and something or other chocolatey goodness.
That said, my besties “get” that I’m vegan. Which means that – while they tease me about my healthy “new” (over two years now) lifestyle – they accept it and don’t give me too much crap about it. (Just a healthy helping.) Nothing I can’t handle. It’s all in good fun. And, generally, we can work around my dietary tendencies. We go out for sushi, and – while they order Nemo and his homies – I get veggie rolls and an edamame stockpile. We go to restaurants, and – while they order fried flesh – I try (in my most supplicating manner) to woo the waiter into catering to my non-animal needs without snotting into my order before bringing it to me. But, what about when it comes to actually indulging in recreational eating together? A classic pastime enjoyed by the Bridget Jones generation? Honestly, I’ve fallen out of that habit over the years. And while, honestly, I don’t miss the junk food that much, I do miss the bonding facet of it. Which is why, after my fishless sushi excursion with my homegirls the other night, we were ready for some Redbox and some Wegman’s specialty ice cream – on which they sweetly met me halfway.
And halfway was in the vegan ice cream aisle… where they opted to try the vegan version with me.
“Mwahaha, I’ve recruited two more. The vegan overlord will be pleased.”
The result?
I won’t lie. It’s been 48 hours since we sat about, stuffing our faces with comfort food to ameliorate the fear born from the film we just voluntarily selected ourselves… And there’s still about 90% of a Ben & Jerry’s pint’ve cashew coffee caramel fudge “ice cream” sitting in my fridge. The good news, though? My friend (who’s flirting with the notion of eating more plant based – not quitting creature eating altogether) has actually tried a lot more of these non-dairy desserts than I have. And her words were encouraging:
“I’ve had better from their vegan selection.”
(This one, for example, is voted a fan favorite.)
And while that’s encouraging (inasmuch as the stuff really didn’t appeal to me – in fact I think the remainder of it is probably going to be used as a cold pack for a recent running sustained injury in a moment here), it makes me more happy for everyone trying to branch (or root) out with their newfound plant-based diet. I may not miss ice cream beyond what it offers for bonding moments. But for those avoiding an awesome lifestyle just because of a dessert on their can’t-do-without list, it’s good to know not all of ’em suck. I just happened to nab a less than stellar flavor. (Although, who knows – you might love it.) So, if you’re a frozen dessert fiend, you can have your ice cream cake and eat it too – without all of the more healthless, addictive, sickening aspects the alternative versions impose. And why’s the dairy version so bad in the first place? Per certified dietitian-nutritionist Lisa Moskovitz, RD, CEO of NY Nutrition Group, it’s due to the higher calorie and fat content that milk has – versus healthier alternatives like almond milk:
“One cup of whole cow’s milk clocks in about 150 calories, eight grams of fat and five grams of saturated fat,” says Moskovitz. “On the other hand one cup of regular plain almond milk is almost a third of the calories, and has only 2.5 grams of fat and zero saturated fat.”
Now, while I’ve admittedly tagged this as a “healthy dessert”, let’s don’t get confused. That’s merely comparatively speaking. Whether you’re eating the lesser of the evils or not, please know that neither should really earn a place on your main staple list. Still, if you’re gonna indulge, it’s always nice to know you’re doing so with something that’s both kinder to your waistline and the animals involved in most alternative versions.
And that’s great news for the girl who wants to relive her formative years….
Without compromising her current values or fitness system that has yet to fail her.