Ice cream is considered one of the favorite foods of many people in the summer, especially in hot times, as it helps moisturize the body and feel refreshed, but eating it frequently may cause an increase in blood sugar levels, which may reach three times the daily recommended amount, in addition to the increase in the weight. So how can you make sugar-free but still sweet ice cream at home? Complete this article with us to find out.

What are the important factors in choosing ice cream?

When it comes to choosing ice cream, the number of options is huge, especially with so many different brands; So keep the following factors in mind when choosing:

1. The percentage of sugar

The ice cream with the lowest sugar content is the best for people with diabetes. To check the amount of sugar in a particular type of ice cream, look at the total number of carbohydrates on the nutrition label and ingredients list.

For people with diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes, the best option is sugar-free ice cream that contains less than 20g of carbohydrates.

2. The ratio of fat and protein

The amount of fat and protein in ice cream may directly affect the speed at which sugar is absorbed into the body. The high content of fat and protein helps in a slower-than-average absorption of sugar into the body.

3. Nutrients

Regular ice cream may contain more nutrients than sugar-free alternatives, as low-sugar varieties tend to have other additives, such as preservatives and artificial colors, to achieve a similar appearance to regular ice cream.

Although these additives rarely cause side effects, especially since they are present in small amounts, some people still want to avoid them.

Each type of ice cream contains a lot of marketing information on the nutrition label and ingredients list, which is designed to grab attention. People with diabetes may find labels that have a low sugar content or half the calorie content of regular ice cream.

However, the actual sugar content in these products may be much higher than the recommended amount.

Therefore, homemade options are always the best option. To ensure healthy and beneficial ingredients for the body, and you can fully control these ingredients and their level of sweetness.

How to make sugar free ice cream at home

Some resort to making ice cream at home, in order to ensure the highest nutritional value and healthy and more beneficial content for the body, and you can make your own ice cream through the following recipes:

Banana ice cream

Fruit-based ice cream requires only a few ingredients and a blender to blend them together.

the components:

• Frozen ripe banana
• the milk
• Any additional flavors you would like to add (ex: frozen mango)

How to prepare:

You need to blend a frozen ripe banana with a little milk. To change the flavor, you can mix the mixture with cocoa powder, vanilla powder, or other frozen fruits like mangoes, peaches, or berries. You can also add nut butters; To add a creamy texture to the mixture.

And although homemade banana ice cream doesn’t contain any added sugar, the natural sugars in the fruit contribute to your total carbohydrate intake. Therefore, you should eat smaller portions or choose a different type of ice cream.

Coconut ice cream

If you are looking for homemade ice cream that contains low amounts of carbohydrates, coconut ice cream may be your ideal choice.

the components:

• coconut milk
• vanilla powder
• a pinch of salt
• Sugar-free sweeteners (ex: cocoa powder)

How to prepare:

Mix coconut milk with vanilla powder, then add a pinch of salt. You can add your favorite sugar-free sweetener such as nut butter, matcha, or cocoa powder, which can be great additions to the mixture.

Freeze the mixture into small portions suitable for a blender, let it thaw a bit, and then blend until smooth and creamy and ready to eat.

Although this homemade variety contains fewer carbohydrates, it is higher in fat and calories than other options. This may affect your low-fat diet if you are on a weight loss diet.

The best alternatives to other sweets

These alternatives are available in stores, in addition to that they can be easily prepared at home. Some of these alternatives include:

frozen yogurt

One serving of frozen yogurt can provide approximately one-third of the body’s total fat needs for the day.

However, read the nutritional information on frozen yogurt packages carefully, as they may contain as much sugar as or more than ice cream.

This may mean that it provides a higher amount of carbohydrates in some products. Frozen yogurt is available in stores and can be made at home as well.

the components:

• 2 cups of yogurt
• 4 cups of frozen fruit (ex: strawberries or mangoes)
• 3 tablespoons of white honey
• Any additional flavorings (ex: vanilla powder)

How to prepare:

Place the frozen fruit, yogurt, honey and vanilla powder in a bowl, then whisk the mixture until it becomes creamy. The frozen yogurt is then transferred to an airtight container to store and frozen until ready to be served.

Pudding

Pudding is one of the best alternatives because it is carbohydrate-free, in addition to being full of protein, iron and zinc, which play an important role in maintaining the health of the body in general.

the components:

• 3 tablespoons of starch
• Half a cup of chocolate
• Half a cup of cream
• A cup and a half of milk

How to prepare:

Mix all the ingredients together over a low heat, until the mixture holds together, then put it in cups and it is ready to be served.

In the end, ice cream is one of the desserts loved by most people, but it contains very high amounts of sugar, so if you do not want to give up this dessert, try to reduce the sugar content in it, either through sugar-free ice cream products, or through recipes. The easy way we talked about how to make sugar free ice cream at home using fruits.