Is Ice Cream Keto?
At the end of a long summer day, is there anything more satisfying or indulgent than simply sitting back and enjoying a refreshing bowl of frozen ice cream? The creamy goodness of this dessert is what wins many people over when they want to indulge their sweet tooth. The problem is that keto changes the way you eat.
Can you still have ice cream while staying in ketosis?
Don’t despair just yet thinking you will have to give up this treat just because you are on a diet. For those who don’t mind planning their meals in advance, you may find that you still have a little wiggle room for ice cream.
Is Ice Cream Keto?
The bad news is that traditional ice cream is going to have to be scrapped from your keto diet. No matter what flavor you are looking at, regular ice cream will have too many carbs due to the high sugar content of this sweet dessert. Here is a quick look at the carb count in the three traditional flavors of the Neapolitan ice cream trio:
- Chocolate ice cream: 16.4 grams [1]
- Strawberry ice cream: 16 grams [2]
- Vanilla ice cream: 15.6 grams [3]
As you can see, traditional ice cream is not very likely to fit into your macros for the day unless you are saving all of your carbs for a single bowl of ice cream. By the time dessert rolls around, you are more likely to be hungry, which can lead to overindulging. Not to mention that eating all your carbs in one sitting may raise your blood sugar even if you remain in your macros.
However, there is still an opportunity for you to indulge in ice cream if you know what to look for. Namely, you want to look for brands marked “no sugar added.”
Popular brands have taken notice of the trend toward the keto diet and have come out with new items that align with your macros. Chances are you have already seen some of these ice creams (usually served in pints) in the frozen treats aisle.
Some brands you might want to look out for include the Halo Top Keto Series and Rebel.
Halo Top Keto Series has a lot of fun ice cream options apart from a simple pint (though they offer these too). For example, you can indulge in a turtle cheesecake ice cream pop that has just two grams of net carbs. If you want a normal dish of ice cream, their pints all have eight grams of net carbs or less. Popular flavors include:
- Mint chocolate cookie
- Chocolate caramel lava cake
- Chocolate cheesecake
- Macadamia nut cookie
- Banana cream pie
Rebel boasts an extensive line of flavors, many of which have no sugar added and have fewer than ten grams of carbs in the entire pint. Choose from flavors you might have thought were off-limits on a diet like peanut butter cup, triple chocolate, and coffee chip.
Keto Ice Cream Recipes
For those who want to stick with the keto diet but have a serious sweet tooth, what do you do if your local grocery store doesn’t stock some of the newly popular keto ice cream brands? Even if you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can still create your own frozen treats at home. Some will have very few carbs, making them ideal on a day when you are already maxing out your carb macros.
Here are five recipes you will want to check out if you have a soft spot for ice cream:
- Keto Ice Cream (Without an Ice Cream Maker) – 0 net carbs
- Maple Bourbon Pecan Keto Avocado Ice Cream – 4.4 grams net carbs
- Keto Mint Chip Ice Cream – 3.3 grams net carbs
- Keto Coconut Ice Cream – 3 grams net carbs
- Keto Chocolate Avocado Ice Cream – 8.2 grams net carbs
While it might be tempting to eat the entire bowl of ice cream you whip up, remember to portion out your servings. This will allow you to stick within your macros. Eat slowly and enjoy every bite to make the most of your indulgence.
Keto Ice Cream Is Possible
The good news is that with a little preparation and planning, you can still indulge in ice cream while adhering to a strictly keto diet. Whether you want to make your own ice cream or pick something up from the store, you’re free to indulge in a creamy bowl of ice cream from time to time. Which flavor or recipe will you try first?
References
United States Department of Agriculture. (n.d.-a). Ice Creams, Chocolate. FoodData Central. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168809/nutrients
United States Department of Agriculture. (n.d.-c). Ice Creams, Strawberry. FoodData Central. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168810/nutrients
United States Department of Agriculture. (n.d.-b). Ice Creams, Vanilla. FoodData Central. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/167575/nutrients
