How to choose the first ice cream in summer?

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Summer is getting closer and closer, how can we miss the joy of ice cream? Especially when staying at home, a smooth ice cream can add a touch of sweetness and comfort to our mood.

But some people may feel a little "sweet burden" when it comes to eating ice cream:

——

“All energy, no nutrition”

“Eating too much will make you fat”

“They are all additives”

…

Recently, the "China Ice Cream/Powder Cream Industry Trend Report" was released, from which we can see that Chinese ice cream is developing towards nutrition and health.

So, how should we choose ice cream and how should we eat ice cream? Today I will talk to you about how to choose ice cream and popsicles.

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1

Ice cream VS popsicle, what is the difference?

Ice cream is a volume-expanded frozen drink made mainly from water, milk and/or dairy products, sugar, etc. The protein content must not be less than 2.2 g/100 g, and the fat content must not be less than 5.0 g/100 g.

Image source: GB/T 31114-2014 Frozen Drinks Ice Cream

Ice cream is a frozen drink made mainly from drinking water, milk and/or dairy products, oil, sugar, etc. The protein content shall not be less than 0.4 g/100 g, and the fat content shall not be less than 1.0 g/100 g.

Image source: [7] Image source: GB/T 31119-2014 Frozen Beverages and Ice Cream

However, protein and fat are not the only basis for judging whether it is ice cream or popsicle. Compared with ice cream, popsicle is different in that air is not mixed into the production process, and there will be no "volume expansion". Even if some of its indicators reach or exceed those of ice cream, it can only be called popsicle. But there is no difference between ice cream and popsicle. When choosing, you should mainly look at the ingredient list and the nutritional composition table.

The delicious taste of ice cream and popsicles is inseparable from the role of sugar and fat. Sugar gives it an attractive sweet taste; the fat in ice cream and popsicles will eventually become a semi-solid medium in the ice cream, producing a smooth taste, otherwise it will be no different from a popsicle. Good ice cream and popsicles usually use milk and cream, so the product has a relatively high protein content.

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2

Unhealthy and afraid to eat?

Many people worry that ice cream is unhealthy. On the one hand, they believe that some ice creams contain food additives such as flavors and pigments, which are unsafe; on the other hand, they think that many ice creams contain high levels of sugar and fat, which will make them fat.

Are they all additives?

In fact, food additives are not as scary as some people imagine. For ice cream and popsicles, some such as emulsifiers and thickeners are still necessary, otherwise it is difficult to make a smooth taste, and it is no different from eating an old popsicle.

Do you want ice cream or popsicles? Image from: freepik.com

As long as it is produced by a regular manufacturer, it will be used in accordance with national standards. Whether it is flavors, pigments or thickeners, it will not have any adverse effects on the human body. There is no need to be afraid of the word "additives".

Of course, there are also some products that are made directly from selected raw materials, without any additives, and after multiple tests and scientific formulas, with good taste and flavor of ice cream. You may wish to take a closer look at the ingredient list before buying.

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Will eating too much sugar make you fat?

As for sugar, there is no need to worry as long as you eat it in moderation.

First, sugar has many important functions.

Sugar is the most important source of energy and plays a vital role in maintaining normal life activities. In food processing, sugar can also play a role in seasoning and coloring. For example, the golden color of bread is the Maillard reaction of sugar.

Secondly, most people currently do not consume much sugar.

The results of the study "Sugar Intake Levels and Risk Assessments for Urban Residents in China" show that the average daily intake of sugar by urban residents aged three and above in China is 9.1 grams, and the energy supply ratio of sugar is much lower than that of many other countries in the world. The sugar intake of most of us does not exceed the health recommendation.

Moreover, consuming sugar within a reasonable range will not harm our health.

The "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents 2022" recommends that adults consume no more than 50g of added sugar per day, preferably within 25g. As long as it is within this range, there is no need to worry too much. A common ice cream (about 65g) contains about 16g of sugar, and a cup of common ice cream cone (about 60g) contains about 12g of sugar. Eating them as snacks in moderation does not have to be a burden at all.

Many people worry that eating too much sugar will lead to weight gain and obesity. In fact, the main cause of obesity is the imbalance of total energy income and expenditure, not all sugar. The key to preventing obesity is to have a balanced diet, maintain energy balance, and consume excess energy through physical activity. Even if you don't eat ice cream, eating a lot of fish and meat without exercising will make you fatter.

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Too much fat, too much burden?

When eating ice cream, what everyone loves most is probably its smooth texture, otherwise it would just be a hard popsicle.

The smooth texture of ice cream is contributed by fat. If you are worried about fat, there is really no need to eat ice cream.

In fact, as long as you eat it in moderation, the little bit of fat in ice cream and popsicles should not be a big problem.

You know, we usually use more than 40 grams of cooking oil per day. In fact, the fat we eat mainly comes from cooking oil. The key to reducing fat should be to use less oil when cooking.

The "Report on the Nutrition and Chronic Disease Status of Chinese Residents (2020)" shows that the average daily cooking oil consumption per capita in Chinese households reaches 43.2 grams.

According to the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents 2022", the daily fat intake of adults is about 50-70 grams. A popsicle (about 65 grams) contains about 9 grams of fat, and a cup of ice cream cone (about 68 grams) contains about 10 grams of fat, which will not have a big impact.

In addition, low-fat ice cream is now available on the market. It is not difficult to make low-fat ice cream, but the difficulty lies in how to make it taste good after achieving low fat. Most low-fat and zero-fat products on the market are popsicles and slush, and the taste is generally worse than ice cream.

The latest low-fat guava and coconut ice cream from Zhong Xue Gao has a fat content of 3g/100g. The first ingredient on the list is guava pulp. This fruit with high pulp fiber can make up for the lack of density in the ice cream after reducing the fat. It still tastes very good. The flavor comes from milk and juice, and the taste is also good, which is quite rare.

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3

Sugar-free ice cream, ok?

Many businesses have now launched sugar-free or low-sugar ice cream and popsicles. Are they good?

Sugar-free ice cream is actually made with sweeteners, which are often called sugar substitutes. Commonly used ones include xylitol, maltitol, sorbitol, erythritol, steviol glycosides, mogroside, aspartame, sucralose, sodium cyclamate, acesulfame potassium, saccharin, etc.

Many people worry that sweeteners are unsafe. In fact, all permitted sweeteners undergo a rigorous risk assessment before being approved for use. As long as they are used reasonably, sweeteners will not cause any harm to the human body.

Low-sugar ice cream and popsicles refer to those with a sugar content of no more than 5g/100g (100ml). For example, the sugar content of this Zhong Xue Gao small-grain coffee popsicle product is only 2.7g/100g, which is a low-sugar popsicle. Cream and milk are ranked first in the ingredient list, and the quality is also relatively good.

Sugar is extremely important for making popsicles and ice creams, because it provides sweetness while keeping the ice cream soft and smooth at a lower temperature. To make low-sugar popsicles, the sugar content must be reduced. The usual practice in the industry is to use sugar substitutes to supplement the sweetness without using sugar substances.

We need to remind everyone that if you have special needs for controlling sugar intake, do not blindly buy ice cream and popsicles that say "0 sucrose". Because 0 sucrose only means that it does not contain sucrose, it may also contain more other sugars, such as crystalline fructose. If you want to buy it, it is best to carefully read its ingredient list.

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4

How to choose ice cream?

Ice cream is just a snack. Most of the time, we eat it just to enjoy the delicious taste and feel happy. It is not a big deal to eat it moderately. It is recommended that you choose:

(1) Pay attention to the ingredient list.

The order of each raw material in the ingredient list, for example, if milk, milk powder, whey powder, and cream are listed first in the ingredient list, it means that the milk component is more and the quality is generally higher. If it contains cocoa butter substitutes and hydrogenated vegetable oils, it is generally inferior, so try to avoid buying such products. But now there are also plant-based ice creams, so everyone should pay attention to distinguish them.

(2) Pay attention to the nutritional information table.

Ice cream with high protein content is generally of better quality, after all, protein mainly comes from dairy products.

(3) Choose according to your needs.

If you want to control your weight, you can choose low-fat ice cream and popsicles. If you need to control your sugar intake, you can choose low-sugar ice cream and popsicles. If you don't have any special requirements, regular high-quality popsicles are fine as long as they taste good. Of course, choosing low-sugar or low-fat products can help you reduce some psychological burden.

In fact, ice cream is just a "comfort product" to relieve stress in busy modern life, especially in the hot summer, a piece of ice cream is simply wonderful. As long as it is consumed properly, there is no need to worry too much. Paying attention to a balanced diet and a balance between eating and moving is the key to health.

References

1. GB/T 30590-2014 Classification of frozen drinks

2. GB/T 31114-2014 Frozen Drinks Ice Cream

3. GB/T 31119-2014 Frozen drinks and ice cream

4. Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022)

5. "Sugar intake level and risk assessment of urban residents in China" 2021