Scientists are on a mission to create healthy ice cream. Researchers are set to add dietary fiber, antioxidants and probiotics, bacteria that aids in healthy digestion, to the calorie and fat laden frozen treat. Fiber adds a whole host of nutrients to foods, and provides filling, indigestible bulk which regulates appetite, and antioxidants are thought to protect cells from damage caused by free radicals which are linked to causing disease.
If successful, the healthy ice cream (my brain keeps screaming ‘oxymoron!’) will be considered a “functional food,” one that contains ingredients proven to benefit health above and beyond normal nutrition.
But it’s still ice cream. Sure, you will breathe easier knowing that your kid’s after dinner snack has ingredients that promote health, but can we really call it healthy? Ice cream contains saturated fat, sugar, and is extremely calorie dense. Is calling it a “functional food” and labeling it healthy another example of marketing unhealthy foods as nutritious to boost sales, or is any improvement on a normally nutritionally devoid product a lesser of two evils?
“The intent is that instead of feeling guilty because you are eating this ice cream, which has received a bad rap because it is so high-fat, to really say that ‘Yeah I treated myself to a full-fat ice cream, but I did contribute to my nutritional needs in regard to my gut health, my antioxidant needs and my dietary fiber,’” said ice-cream researcher Ingolf Gruen, a professor of food chemistry at the University of Missouri-Columbia, told MSNBC.com.
Okay, I’ll take that, but will your kids know the difference? You betcha. Nutrients add a bitter taste that no amount of fat and sugar can cover, and researchers say texture will also be an issue.
I’m also curious how much this ice cream will cost, and if you are getting the same amount of fat and sugar, shouldn’t just buy the regular stuff and make sure you eat some fruits and veggies in your day? Ice cream is supposed to be an occasional treat, and a healthy diet should be the norm. I think teaching your child how to eat their fill of fruits and vegetables and lean proteins, with a nice, rich treat every once in a while, will instill better nutritional habits than trying to mask unhealthy options as healthy by slapping some extra nutrients on it and calling it good.
The product is slated to be available to the public within two years. Will you be trying to pull one over on your kids?
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