A Nutritionist Shares Her Favorite Ice Cream Picks for the Summer
Spoiler alert: It's all about quality ingredients and fresh flavors — not low-cal labels.
As a former ice cream scooper and life-long ice cream lover I am always on the lookout for delicious and innovation frozen confections. As a registered dietitian, I am forever seeking out flavorful, high quality ingredients. In honor of National Ice Cream Month, and really summer in general, here is my latest list of hot finds for cool treats.
This innovative small batch parlor in St. Louis was on my list last summer and they keep on cranking out some of the best ice cream I have ever had — and I’ve had a lot. Summer 2021 features new flavors like boozy Blueberry Mojito Sorbet and a Vegan Hummingbird that you don’t need to be a plant-based eater to adore.
The scoops launched last year and keep on coming. The newest flavors in their line of frozen treats includes Pistachio with Toasted, Buttery Hazelnut Crunch and Cold Brew + Roasted Espresso Bean Chip made with organic cold brew coffee, cashew butter, chaga mushroom and dark chocolate.
If you’ve never had Jeni’s are you even a real ice cream connoisseur? Always pushing the ice cream envelope with exciting, creative and fun flavors, this summer Jeni’s is bringing you back to your childhood with a limited release of Ice cream truck inspired treats including pineapple and blueberry "Rocket Pop", decadent "High Five Candy Bar" and dairy free "Orange Freeze" made with citrus and coconut.
KIND is keeping things very chill. Last year we loved KIND frozen bars, and now they are offering plant-based pints. These dairy-free, blends of nuts, fruit and chocolate feature an impressive list of flavors including Dark Chocolate Almond Sea Salt, Cherry Cashew, Coffee Hazelnut and Strawberry.
Portion control is everything when it comes to not over-indulging on dessert. These perfectly-portioned cups come complete with sprinkles for all the fun. Kids and adults alike with swoon for these, adorable, lactose-free ice cream cups.
Fans of these fruit-forward ice pops now have a creamier version to love. These new bars are made from a mix of milk with fruit, coffee or chocolate and offer up 5 grams of protein per serving. Despite having 25% less sugar than traditional frozen dairy bars, these taste like a milkshake on a stick!
Another ice cream innovation worth a try, ReThink ice cream is made from lactose-free, A2 dairy milk and sweetened with agave and stevia. The Cardamom Pistachio is winning combo of flavors and the Lemon Poppy Seed is not to be missed.
Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ATC, is a registered dietitian, certified athletic trainer and owner of Dana White Nutrition, Inc., which specializes in culinary and sports nutrition. She is the author of four cookbooks First Bites: Superfoods for Babies and Toddlers, The Healthy Air Fryer Cookbook, The Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook and Healthy Quick and Easy Smoothies.
*This article was written and/or reviewed by an independent registered dietitian nutritionist.
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