There are lots of way to stay cool in the heat of the summer. If you have some leftover snowballs in your freezer, a snowball fight is always a fun thing to do—mind you, be prepared for slush on impact! Or you can cool off in a refreshing pool or under a sprinkler (if you meet the height requirements!). But lets face it, who can resist opening the freezer door for a blast of cool air— and while you are in there grabbing an icy treat?
I’ve blogged on freezer treats before but I thought I would add on some new finds in the freezer section before the season runs out.
There’s a lot of buzz about Icelandic style or Greek yogurt these days. Both have a thicker consistency and higher protein content. Depending on the fat content, using it as a substitution to ice cream or sour cream (I use mine as a sub for mayonnaise based salads) can save a lot of calories and boost the nutritional content of a meal or a snack. One company that is noted for its healthier, frozen yogurt treats is Yasso. Here are some of my picks from their website.
Yogurt Bar: They have a wide variety of bars and flavors available so nutrition readouts depend on which one you choose. On the average, their Greek yogurt bars average 80-100 calories, 1-1.5 grams of saturated fat, 4-5 grams of protein, and 8 grams of added sugar (that’s 2 teaspoons of sugar).
Mochi: Yasso has also teamed up with grains—rice and quinoa. The Greek Yogurt Mochi uses a Japanese rice dough (mochi) as its casing around Yasso’s creamy filling. This product has 70 calories, 2 grams of protein, and 9 grams of added sugar (2 teaspoons of sugar).
Bite Sized: The smallest of their product line, Poppables, is made with creamy frozen Greek yogurt that is dunked in a chocolate, crunchy, quinoa-crispied shell. Because of their size, they have 35 calories, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of protein, and 2 grams of added sugar (1/2 teaspoon sugar). These seem like they would be easy to eat a lot of. Also note that one of them has the same amount of saturated fat as one of the Yasso bars, so be careful popping too many in your mouth!
As a reference, I blogged about saturated fats in ice creams in this blog. https://www.eatrightboston.com/post/icy-treats-in-aisle-10
So, for comparative purposes, I looked at a traditional ice cream company. A friend is addicted to Dove, so I looked at DOVE Ice Cream Minis with Dark Chocolate bars. They are mini bars that have 60 calories, 2.5 grams of saturated fat (a lot more than Yasso) and <1 gram of protein (nothing to write home about) and 4 grams of added sugar (one teaspoon).
Frozen fruits like bananas, mangos, and pineapple are popular in the freezer aisles these days. Most are dipped in dark or white chocolate. I love frozen grapes at his time of the year. 100 calories per cup, no saturated fat or added sugars, and they are loaded with fiber and vitamins!
Remember to pay attention to serving sizes on the boxes of these products. Look at the nutrition info for ONE serving, especially in these smaller sized products. I also think these icy desserts are occasional treats and shouldn’t be used on a daily basis—except for the natural fruits that you toss in the freezer… next to the snowballs!
In Good Health,
Sophie
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