Published: July 04, 2008 02:22 pm      

COOL TASTES: The skinny on local ice cream treats

Just because you’re on a diet doesn’t mean you can’t visit the local ice cream parlor this summer and enjoy a cool treat. You just have to be smart about it.

After visiting eight ice cream and fast food locations around the Niagara area, we found that it really is possible to order a “semi-healthy” treat (if you want “really healthy,” eat an apple) and not feel like you’re depriving yourself.

These days, just about every establishment has something “low-fat,” “sugar free” or some other kind of “healthy alternative.”

Whether it be low-fat ice cream, gelato, frozen yogurt or Italian ice, the dieters among us should be able to find something to please their palate.

Marissa Tringoli of Perry’s Ice Cream said the demand for what her company calls “healthier alternatives” has exploded in the last couple of years, with more choices for the health-conscious.

“Our low-fat ice cream is definitely gaining popularity. Right now, light ice cream is the fastest-growing trend in the ice cream industry,” Tringoli said.

First introduced in 2000, Perry’s “lite line” has added flavors ever since, including two fat-free/sugar-free ice cream flavors.

“The sugar-free line has really been popular, especially with diabetics and others who want to limit their sugar intake. We’ve actually gotten letters from people thanking us for offering a sugar-free alternative,” Tringoli said.

Perry’s also offers frozen yogurt, but don’t be fooled. Just because it’s yogurt and not ice cream doesn’t necessarily mean it’s much lower in calories.

Tringoli said that the calories and fat in frozen yogurt is dependent on the flavor.

For instance, one serving of vanilla frozen yogurt (1/2 cup) has 120 calories, with 20 calories from fat, while one serving of peanut butter chip frozen yogurt has 170 calories, with 70 calories from fat.

Over at the newly opened Sweet Melody’s on Transit Road at Millersport in Clarence, owner Chuck Incorvia offers homemade gelato, or Italian ice cream, which he touts as “half the fat, twice the flavor” of regular ice cream.

Incorvia said that premium ice cream contains 14 to 16 percent butterfat, compared to gelato, with 7 percent.

In addition, he said gelato is more flavorful because of the way it’s turned and chilled.

“When you taste ice cream, the first thing you notice is how cold it is, then how creamy it is. When you eat a fruit-flavored gelato, it’s like you’re biting into a fruit,“ Incorvia said.

Perhaps the best news for dieters these days is that the bigger ice cream producers have detailed nutrition information on their Web sites, including calories, saturated fat, sugar, cholesterol, vitamins and allergy warnings, making it a lot easier to make educated food choices.

Whatever you do, don’t think that just because you order something to drink rather than a cone, it’s healthier or lower in calories.

According to the Dairy Queen Web site, a Caramel MooLatte 16 ounce frozen blended coffee packs a whopping 880 calories, with 230 from fat. Compare that to a small vanilla cone at 240 calories, or even a large chocolate sundae at 580 calories.

Also, portion control is important for calorie-watchers. At most places, small cones are big enough to stifle that ice cream craving. Most places also offer “baby” cones — and lots of adults order them when they want a treat that won’t destroy their diet.

Here’s a list of places we visited, what we ordered and how it tasted.

• Sullivan’s, 501 Cayuga Drive, Niagara Falls. Perry’s fat-free peach ice cream. It had lots of peach chunks and a light fruity flavor. Although it doesn’t have the creaminess of regular ice cream, it definitely had a smooth consistency. A good choice. They also offer Perry’s fat-free, no-sugar added butterscotch swirl, but it was sold out when we visited.

• De-Dees Dairy, 8715 Niagara Falls Blvd., Niagara Falls. Lemon ice. Good, cold, refreshing and fruity. Good choice if you’re trying to stay away from fat, but not sugar. They also have fat-free soft serve.

• Sweet Melody’s, 8485 Transit Road, Clarence, Coconut gelato/vanilla gelato. Blueberry-lemon/frozen chocolate banana sorbet. We hit the jackpot on both the gelato and sorbet. The gelato has a much more intense flavor than regular ice cream, and the coconut flavor had real pieces of coconut throughout. The gelato, which has sugar but no fat, is equally flavorful, with intense fruit flavors. Either one of these would be a great choice, but not for the serious dieter who is really trying to restrict calories.

• RJs Ice Cream, 6622 Lincoln Ave., Lockport, Perry’s lemon meringue light ice cream. A great choice. Very lemony flavor with swirls of meringue and pie crust pieces. We didn’t miss the fat at all.

• Dairy Queen, Niagara Street, City of Tonawanda, Tropi colada smoothie. Fruity, smooth and refreshing. Only one size available, which may be more than the diet-conscious consumer may want.

• Mississippi Mudd’s, 313 Niagara St., City of Tonawanda, Strawberry Dole Whip. Not too impressed. The Dole Whip was cold, but very watery. Not much fruit flavor. (Editor’s note: Stick with a small ice cream at this popular riverfront spot and enjoy the Niagara River view.)

• Uncle G’s, Washington Street, Pendleton. Tangy Raspberry Frostbite Cooler. Real fruit mix with ice and a splash of soda. This was a real thirst quencher. Refreshing and cold, it was fruity and delicious.

• Anderson’s, 6231 Robinson Road, Lockport. Wow Cow chocolate mint. Without a doubt, the most disappointing of the bunch. The concoction tasted “manufactured” and not like anything found in nature. It also left a unpleasant filmy aftertaste.

Contact reporter Anne Calos at 439-6239, ext. 6239.