Pros and Cons of Frozen Treats

Summer months bring heat, heat and more heat. To beat the heat, many turn to frozen treats to cool off. How healthy are these tasty treats?

Since National Ice Cream Day, Snow Cone Day and Frozen Yogurt Month are all during the hot summer months, researchers thought it would be a good idea to find out if these frozen goodies provided more benefits beyond being refreshingly cool.

Frozen goodies have their nutrician ups and downs; read the label.

Suzy Weems, Ph.D, R.D. from Baylor University, figured it was about time to test the nutritional value of frozen treats. The first up to bat is ice cream. Ice cream provides calcium, vitamins D, A, B's and a little protein.

Ice cream does pack a lot of nutrients, but is it enough to offset the amount of calories and fat? Ice cream can be a source of vitamins and minerals, but it may not be the best according to Weems.

Next up - frozen yogurt, the “healthier version” of ice cream. These sweet treats provide a little more calcium and protein, with fewer calories than ice cream. Sounds like a winner, but Weems says frozen yogurt and ice cream are just about the same in health value.

Last, but not least, are snow cones. How bad can ice and syrup be? Well, one pump of syrup contains about 90 calories, and one pump of sugar-free syrup contains 3.5 calories. Yummy! But snow cones are mostly just sugar and water. They don't even provide enough fluids, according to Weems.

It is important to stay hydrated, especially when out in the sun, but frozen sweetness just doesn't cut it, says Weems.

Sour frozen treats may do the trick because the sour taste triggers the mind to want to drink. The more you drink, the more you stay hydrated all summer long.