I Scream

Well, it's August 11th and Summer is finally here in New England. And just in time for the heat and humidity, NuVal has released its ice cream and frozen yogurt scores. So what do you think is the most nutritious dessert: fat-free sorbet, frozen yogurt, popsicles, or extra creamy vanilla ice cream? If you're like my husband and me, you probably are thinking fat-free sorbet, right? Wrong. Most sorbets score a 1 or 2 on the NuVal scale (which is 1-100, 100 is highest). So, if anyone would like the rest of my just-opened, $5-a-carton lemon sorbet that is in my freezer, just let me know!

Yes, in this case, my 4-year-old daughter, the vanilla ice cream aficionado wins. Breyers Extra Creamy Vanilla Ice Cream scores a 45. Deans Healthy Delight Strawberry Frozen Yogurt (doesn't that sound just so healthy?) only gets a 14. The ice cream aisle at my local grocery store is one of those dizzying places with all sorts of claims on all sorts of products including: Light, No Sugar Added, Reduced Sugar, Fat Free, Reduced Fat, Low Fat. So this is the kind of place where you really need the NuVal scores to cut through the clutter.

Take this example:

Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia Cherry Ice Cream scores a 21

Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia Cherry Low Fat Frozen Yogurt scores a 15

It seems a little crazy, doesn't it? My colleague, NuVal's Director of Nutrition Annette Maggi, puts it this way: "While it will never be mistaken for a health food, ice cream does offer some of the benefits of milk - calcium, vitamins, and a few ice creams even offer a good amount of fiber."

So relish the hot days of this oh-so-short summer and enjoy with a little bit of ice cream.

See the NuVal ice cream press release at http://www.nuval.com/NewsFiles/4YJKKK2DOB.pdf

Read more about NuVal's ice cream scores in the Chicago Tribune. http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/features_julieshealthclub/2009/08/the-most-nutritious-ice-cream.html

You can also see sample ice cream and frozen yogurt scores at http://www.nuval.com/Pages/Score-IceCream-FrozenYogurt.aspx