When it comes to finding a dessert or treat, you can’t go wrong with ice cream. Americans, especially, like their ice cream. According to research, the average American eats ice cream slightly more than once every two weeks, and in any given two-week period, about 40% of the population eats ice cream at least once. There are plenty of ways to satisfy your ice cream cravings, and if regular ice cream isn’t your thing, there also are alternatives.
When you are looking for frozen treats, nothing quite hits the spot like ice cream. Whether you are having hard ice cream by the scoop or soft serve at an ice cream buffet, you can’t go wrong with the dairy treat. However, not everyone likes ice cream or has a system that can tolerate it, so they have to look into alternatives.
For those who can tolerate dairy but just don’t want ice cream, frozen yogurt can be a good alternative. Frozen yogurt still tastes very good, but it has fewer calories and generally has less sugar than ice cream from an ice cream buffet does. Frozen yogurt cups have around 220 calories per serving, whereas the same size serving of ice cream has about 265-270 calories. It’s not hard to find frozen yogurt, as there are more than 2,500 shops in the U.S., which works out to more than 50 per state on average. If you live in a city of any size, you are likely to be able to get frozen yogurt somewhere.
If dairy is not your thing, whether you can’t eat it because of lactose intolerance or you just don’t like it, there are other options for frozen treats. Sorbet is a good alternative. It gives you a sweet treat that is healthier and does not have dairy. Smoothies are another option. You can get fruit flavors as well as non-fruit flavors such as peanut butter. Like sorbet, smoothies are healthier than ice cream. Some ice cream companies also make vegan dairy-free versions, although these can vary in quality and taste.
Whatever your tastes or dietary needs, there is a frozen dessert treat on the market for you. You just may have to do a little searching for it if you want something other than ice cream.