Last Updated on by San San
Who doesn’t love a dose of delicious ice cream on a hot summer day? Best consumed while walking along the boardwalk, by the way. If you’re reading this, I can already see you drooling and daydreaming about your favourite ice cream and toppings combination. I wouldn’t deny it if I were you. If you are here reading this article though, you may not be sure whether you should grab yourself a cone of ice cream or not, because you’re either dealing with high blood sugar or you’re already diagnosed with diabetes. You may be wondering, then, can diabetics eat ice cream?
Let’s be honest, as a diabetic, you go through life wondering about what you can or cannot eat out of fear that it messes with your blood sugar levels. Nowadays though, you have an endless supply of choices out there when it comes to ice cream.
You can always try different ice cream options. Ice cream varieties also come in low-fat, no-fat, low sugar ice cream, as well as dairy-free ice cream too. How does a person who is diagnosed with diabetes figure out if all these are even delicious without actually spiking their blood sugar? How satisfying can this sweet treat be for them if ice cream didn’t spike their blood sugar?
That’s easy, you come to a place like this to find out because I tried to gather all the necessary information to answer these questions.
Can Ice Cream Cause Diabetes?
You can find a lot of information out there on this topic because a lot of people who are diagnosed with diabetes always keep an eye out for progressive ways to deal with their diagnosis. The problem, though, is that 90% of the information most people gather is incorrect. They are written by opinionated individuals who do not take the time to do proper research on the topic, therefore not helping at all. No food can give you diabetes. A combination of poor diet and lack of exercise which can cause you to become overweight can lead to type 2 diabetes – that’s not the food’s fault. This does not mean that one specific food caused it, but it’s your body’s reaction to this lifestyle that may cause diabetes.
Lifestyle choices cause type 2 and type 1 diabetes, it’s an auto-immune disease that has no prevention or cure. This also means that type 1 diabetics are born with the disease, rather than causing through poor choices. With that being said, I understand that sometimes you can only do what you can do, or you only go with what you know. However, type 2 is preventable by making wise and informed choices when it comes to diet and exercise. As with most things, managing it is simple enough by watching the types of food you consume, and the quantities.
Can eating ice cream cause diabetes? No, it does not cause diabetes. This does not mean that you can go out and start packing back the Ben & Jerry’s though. You still need to be concerned with the amount you ingest. Sitting down and smashing a 1-liter tub of your favorite French Vanilla blend twice a week is still not considered a healthy choice. The next thing you should consider is, are there better brands of ice cream for diabetics?
What Are The Best Brands of Ice Cream For Diabetics?
As you are aware, there’s an endless supply of the delicious frozen treat available. All you need to do is, take a stroll through the freezer section at your local grocer, and you will see all the different choices you have available. Let’s be honest, too often when choosing based on calories, you find that the flavor is also lacking. How can you select a brand of ice cream that isn’t going to send your levels into the atmosphere, and still have something that tastes yummy too? Which leads to the question – As a diabetic, which brand of ice cream is best for you?
As a diabetic looking for some ice cream, you want to select a product that falls in the following area: No more than 150 calories, try to keep your choice around 5g of total fat, and 3g of saturated fats. You will also want to try and keep the carbohydrates around 20g and the sodium, somewhere around 100mg. This is per 1/2 cup serving. Now that you have a guideline of where you want to be, which brands are going to give you the best flavor for your buck?
Two brands seem to be sitting at the top, when it comes to fitting into this topic. The first one is called Blue Bunny Hi-Lite, and they offer up a deliciously delightful Light Vanilla, and Light Chocolate for your discerning pallet. Per 1/2 cup they contain the following: between 100-110 calories, 2-3g of total fat, as well as 45-5mg of sodium. The other brand that tops this list, which should be no surprise, is Breyers Smooth & Dreamy product line. Offering up both flavors in an amazingly delicious low carb offering. Both flavors contain 110 calories, 3.5g total fat, 50-55mg sodium, and 16g carbs.
Is There Sugar-Free Ice Cream for Diabetics?
Fun fact: When an ice cream product is labeled “sugar-free” It actually is not. This is mostly due in part because, they contain naturally occurring sugars as well as, carbohydrates. Products that are labeled “no sugar added” are usually sweetened with what’s called sugar alcohols and sucralose, which is more commonly known as Splenda. Most “no sugar added” brands contain a little thing called lactose, a naturally occurring sugar. The reason is, that most brands claiming no sugar added are made using milk.
The other thing to note is that some substitutes used in place of sugar, actually contribute to the carbohydrate load, thus increasing blood sugar levels, although this increase is nowhere as dramatic as table sugar. So, the answer is no, there is no sugar-free ice cream for diabetics. Yet there are low sugar options available for you.
Final Thoughts…
Can diabetics eat ice cream? Most certainly, diabetics can – at a reasonable consumption for their health. However, as with most foods, make sure to read the label and do the research when it comes to selecting your favourite flavour. When consuming some delicious, sweet ice cream, consider eating it with your meal rather than as a treat separate from it. This way the nutritious components of fibre and protein can help balance the meal out.
Consider adjusting the contents of your meal as well. If you were planning a meal with a carb heavy side dish, consider swapping it for the ice cream so you can stay within a 45-60g range, or whatever your target carbohydrate range is according to your doctor’s advice.
As always, learn how to read the labels for their nutritional values, be informed and updated to better options, and there’s no reason you can’t enjoy ice cream in moderation even as a diabetic. Enjoy your everyday!
