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Why it's beneficial to replace the conventional ice cream dessert with a lighter sorbet
Table of Contents
1. A myriad of ice cream varieties - a comprehensive guide
The concept of ice cream originated in China, where snow was combined with fruits around 5,000 years ago. Marco Polo introduced the recipe to Europe, and the world's first ice cream parlor, Cafe Procope, was founded in France in 1660. Ice cream arrived in Poland in the 18th century. Ice cream is a frozen dessert made up of fruits, condensed milk, cream, chicken eggs, sugar, and various types of food additives such as colorants, emulsifiers, stabilizers, or flavor and aroma enhancers. The preparation involves aeration and freezing of a previously prepared mixture. There is a wide range of ice cream flavors on the market, including coffee, cappuccino, toffee, dried fruits, and nuts. Depending on the ingredients, one can distinguish between milk-based ice cream, which contains protein and fat from cow's milk, milk-based ice cream with additional vegetable fat, sorbets, and water ice. Milk-based ice cream is prepared by aeration and freezing of a previously emulsified and pasteurized mixture of cream, milk, eggs, sugar, and optional food additives. Dried fruits or nuts are often added. Sorbets are a type of ice cream dessert that do not contain any fat or cow's milk protein. They consist of 60% water, making them refreshing, especially on hot days. The main ingredients used in their production are water, fresh or frozen fruits, juices or fruit purees, sugar, and optional additives such as citric acid, colorants, stabilizers, and emulsifiers. Alcoholic beverages such as vodka, wine, or liqueur are often added during the production of sorbets. Alcohol lowers the freezing point and improves the sensory quality of the ice cream. To achieve the right consistency, gelatin is often added. The best fruits for making sorbets are strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, apricots, and kiwi.2. Ice Cream - Calorie Content
The calorie content of ice cream is dependent on its constituents. On one hand, traditional ice cream desserts contain a substantial amount of fat, which is highly calorific - 1g of this macronutrient provides up to 9 kcal. In comparison, 1g of carbohydrates and 1g of proteins provide 4 kcal, and 1g of alcohol - 7 kcal. On the other hand, fat is a flavor carrier that enhances the palatability of ice dessert. It is also essential for achieving the desired, creamy consistency, preventing the formation of crystals of frozen water.3. The Caloric Content of Selected Ice Cream Varieties (D. June 2006)
Milk ice cream 112 kcal/100 g, Chocolate ice cream 218 kcal/100 g, Milk vanilla ice cream 152 kcal/100 g, Fruit and milk ice cream 116 kcal/100 g, Cream and bacon ice cream 257 kcal/100 g, Peach sorbet 105 kcal/100 g, Strawberry sorbet 100 kcal/100 g, Orange sorbet 76 kcal/100 g. Comparatively, milk ice creams possess more calories than sorbets. Frozen desserts that contain 12% fat supply around 180 kcal per 100 g product. Additional ingredients such as bacon, chocolate, or nuts amplify the caloric content of ice cream.4. Ice cream - nutritional value
Ice cream is often considered a sweet treat, but compared to most sweets, it has a better nutritional value. Milk ice cream provides easily digestible calcium, 100 grams contains 120-150 milligrams of this nutrient, which is 16% of the daily requirement. Sorbet, on the other hand, mainly consists of carbohydrates and compared to ice cream, contains almost no protein and fat. Most sorbets contain 10-40% fruits. Fruits, especially berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries), are a rich source of antioxidants, including vitamin C and anthocyanins. These substances have health-promoting properties, they act anti-inflammatory by removing excess free radicals, and anthocyanins improve microcirculation of blood and support vision.5. Dairy-free ice cream for allergic individuals and vegans
Dairy-free ice cream, which is produced without the use of milk, is the ideal solution for people with cow's milk protein allergy or lactose intolerance. For those following a vegan diet, it is also the right choice. Sorbet is an example of dairy-free ice cream that is becoming increasingly popular.6. How to produce homemade ice cream
Regrettably, the sorbets available on the market are not always of high quality. A genuine sorbet should be composed of three components – a substantial quantity of fruit, sugar, and water. Nevertheless, industrial ice creams may additionally encompass glucose, glucose-fructose syrup, stabilizers, emulsifiers, and dyes. Hence, it is a good notion to prepare homemade ice cream. It is not that challenging – it suffices to blend your preferred fruits, water, sugar (if the fruits are sweet, the addition of sugar is superfluous) and potentially lemon juice. Subsequently, the prepared mixture should be poured into specific molds and frozen for several hours. To concoct a healthier dessert, it is advisable to substitute sugar with honey, xylitol, or erythritol. Such ice cream will be an excellent alternative for individuals aiming to lose weight and those with impaired carbohydrate metabolism (insulin resistance, diabetes). It is worthwhile to utilize a ripe banana (with brown spots) in the production of ice cream. It is very sweet, thus the addition of sugar is unnecessary. Furthermore, it will impart a creamy consistency to the ice cream. To avert homemade ice cream from becoming excessively compact and hard, after blending all the ingredients, the mass should be placed in the refrigerator for around 30–60 minutes, then mixed again and only then frozen. It is worth retaining frozen chopped fruits in the freezer, which merely need to be blended with the addition of water or a plant-based beverage. The preparation of such ice cream only takes 5–10 minutes, and there is no necessity to freeze it again.7. Recipes for homemade ice cream without utilizing cow's milk
Dairy ice cream is appreciated for its creamy consistency and delicious taste, after all, fat acts as its carrier. A superb alternative for individuals who cannot consume milk are ice creams containing plant-based beverages, avocados, bananas or nut butter.8. Basic banana ice cream with peanut butter addition
Components for two servings: 40 g of peanut butter (2 teaspoons), 230 g of ripe bananas (2 pieces). Preparation time: 2 hours 10 min Preparation step1. Peel and cut bananas into smaller pieces, place in bags and freeze in the freezer for about 2 hours. 2. Put frozen bananas and peanut butter in a blender and mix until smooth. Nutritional value per serving (135, 0 g): – Nutritional value: 231, 0 kcal, – Protein: 5, 5 g, – Fat: 9, 7 g, – Total carbohydrates: 32, 0 g, – Fiber: 3, 2 g.9. Strawberry ice cream made with coconut milk
Ingredients for two servings: coconut milk, chilled 200 g (0.5 cans), frozen strawberries 300 g (2 glasses), powdered sugar 30 g (3 teaspoons). Preparation time: 35 min Method of preparation 1. Place all ingredients in a blender container and mix to a uniform mass. 2. Place the mass in special molds and freeze for about 30 minutes. Energy value per serving (265.0 g): - Energy value: 208.8 kcal, - Protein: 2.0 g, - Fat: 11.1 g, - Total carbohydrates: 30.3 g, - Fiber: 6.2 g.10. Avocado ice cream
Components for two portions: avocado 70 g (0.5 pieces), coconut milk, chilled 200 g (0,5 cans), lemon 43 g (0,5 pieces), powdered sugar 50 g (5 teaspoons). Preparation time: 6 hours.11. Is it truly worth exchanging a classic dessert with ice cream for a light sorbet?
Sorbets have fewer calories than traditional ice cream desserts and offer a fantastic option for those looking to shed pounds. They contain neither milk protein nor milk sugar, otherwise known as lactose. Furthermore, sorbets are produced from fruits, which are a source of many vitamins and antioxidants, thereby having a healthful impact on the human body.
