Wednesday, July 18, 2012

The Skinny (or Tiny, I should say) on Frozen Treats

You can thank Time Warner Cable for the absence of post last night- I couldn't get my internet working!


Anyway, since it's been once of the hottest summers on record (thank you global warming!), I can't help but crave something cold just about every second of the day, and while ice cream is delicious, we all know we can't reach for a giant scoop of ice cream every time we're hot. Where I live, there is a froyo joint within just about every block of me, but I know that's not the case for most people, and while relaxing at home, we all crave the occasional frozen treat. So, I've decided to give a few quick tips for buying store-bought frozen treats because the calories and sugar can add up pretty fast on those suckers.






First of all, know your portion size. If you're the type of person who isn't satisfied with just a single scoop of ice cream, save yourself from the disaster and don't buy the pint. There are plenty of companies that sell single portion cups if it's just a scoop of ice cream you want. My personal fav of these is by Skinny Cow which are all around 150-170 calories per cup, and even have a few grams of fiber! Weight Watchers and Edy's also makes some single-serve yummy ice cream cups that are less than 200 calories per cup.




If you're more of a bar person, you're in luck! There are TONS of low-cal options in the frozen dessert section that are delicious. If you're watching your sugar intake, stick to the sugar free fudgesicles or popsicles, which usually clock in under 70 calories (you can find them as low as 25 calories sometimes!) Popsicle has a whole line of sugar free fudgesicles, popsicles, creamsicles, etc.- though I will warn you, they are sweetened with Aspartame and Acesulfame Potassium which are no-no's in my book. The company also makes a ton of other popsicles (sweetened with sugar) that are low-cal- in tons of fun flavors, such as Root Beer, Banana, and even Cotton Candy! If you're willing to spend a little more, Weight Watchers makes a TON of yummy frozen treats. I've tried a good majority of them, and my personal favs are the Giant Cookies and Cream Bar (Chocolate and Vanilla are both delish!), Giant Latte Bar (like a giant frozen cappuccino, English Toffee Crunch Bar, and the Ice Cream Candy Bars (Think frozen Snickers!). All of the Weight Watchers treats are less than 150 calories and have a few grams of protein, so at least they are slightly satisfying.




I'm sure you remember Fla-Vor-Ices. While theses are basically straight sugar, they will satisfy your sweet tooth for just 25 calories a piece, and they are super easy to buy, throw in the freezer, and eat on the go. I always personally loved the pink ones, since they didn't turn your mouth the color of the ice!


Just a disclaimer, these suggestions are not meant to be filling but rather to satisfy the need for something cold and sweet. 






If it's an ice cream cone you're craving, our friends at Weight Watchers win again. The chocolate, vanilla, and caramel ice cream cones are all beyond delicious- and they even offer 2 sizes to satisfy any appetite. Skinny Cow and Blue Bunny also offer a few yummy cone options.




Lastly, single serve frozen yogurt bars have recently become all the rage. The nice thing about these is since some of them are made from real yogurt, they actually have a little protein. Blue Bunny has hopped on board with the fro-yo bar trend, as well as Jala Bars and companies such as Adonia have even started to sell frozen greek yogurt bars!


Feelin' Frisky? Make your own frozen treats! Just buy some popsicle molds, add your favorite drink or yogurt (or mix of the two), and freeze away! I used to make iced tea pops, coffee pops, greek yogurt pops, etc. all the time, but since I started working at a Fro Yo shop, I eat so much of that stuff that I don't need the pops. Don't have popsicle molds? Use an ice cube tray and add toothpicks for a handle for bite sized mini treats!



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