Tag: Love Cream

Who Loves Ice Cream?

It is a safe bet to say that most Americans love ice cream! It has been a standard part of most people’s diets for many generations. But if you ask a dozen different people what they like the most, you will probably receive a dozen different answers. It seems that each person has his or her own preferences; and with ice cream, they are usually very strong preferences. Each person simply knows what he or she likes the most. Surprisingly– or not– there are a number of factors which influence this type of preference, determining why some people prefer specific ice creams over others. While a person may occasionally try something new and different, he or she will usually have one flavor and one form that he or she likes the best.

Studies have shown that the main deciding factor in this preference is set in childhood. Ice cream, a standard treat for most American children throughout the decades, is often associated with good, happy, carefree moments of childhood. Sometimes this factor includes specific events in one’s childhood, or simply the time-period itself.

Associating one’s ice cream choices in adult life to early childhood is not as odd as it may sound. Ice cream preferences may be connected to childhood experiences, such as the favored dessert at one’s family dinners, the main focus at birthday parties, or a treat given as a reward for special accomplishments. Statistics show that if you were given a vanilla ice cream cone after attaining a good report card, for example, decades later you will still have a distinct preference for vanilla ice cream.

In ice cream preferences, there are a number of other factors which influence preference. Some are so common that the clerks who work in ice cream shops can often make very accurate guesses as to what a customer will want before he or she orders, simply based on these factors. Young children, for example, are those who are most likely to request the most creative types of ice cream. Youngsters are naturally drawn to such tasty oddities as gummy bears, and it presents a double treat for them when such things are added into or mixed into their ice cream.

On the other hand, high schoolers have a distinct preference for milkshakes. Teenagers loved milkshakes fifty years ago, and teenagers today love them just as much. Whether it is the still-popular oldfashioned form of a malted, or the ever-increasing flavor and style varieties of Dairy Queen Blizzards, teens love these products which are sold in large cups, portable and delicious.

Not surprisingly, it is the trendy young adults who usually prefer the trendy ice creams. Being drawn to the unusual names which ice cream manufacturers give these products, and the unusual compositions of these ice creams which may or may not live up to their names, young adults go for what is new, modern, and different.

Although each person is individual, of course, studies have shown generalizations in the ice cream preferences of people by group. Women have been shown to be more in-tune with the weight aspect of the foods they consume, and make up the majority of those who most often choose the low-fat and light styles of ice cream. Women are also shown to be more cautious in their food choices, preferring standard, basic, and what is most familiar.

On the other hand, it is usually the men who are most inclined to “throw caution to the wind” in their choices of desserts and treats, choosing their ice cream mostly on the basis of taste and enjoyment. But whether male or female, the older people are the more likely they are inclined toward butter pecan and pistachio.

Issues About Ice Cream

If you love ice cream, making choices that are right for you often involves more than your personal preference of flavor and style. As ice cream companies now manufacture and sell an increasingly-large range of ice cream products, it is helpful to know the differences between these products. Some ice cream products are simply better for you than others; and you may want to take these factors into consideration whether or not you have any dietary restrictions or weight-loss issues which directly affect you. Being a well-informed consumer is the best way to go about this, and it will provide for more healthy choices as well as more enjoyment of the ice creams that you select.

If you have the need to reduce the amount of sugar that you consume, you may be interested in knowing the difference between “no sugar added” and “sugar free.” Some people do not even realize that there is a difference, and the difference is not markedly clear on most ice cream packaging. These terms do not mean the same thing. The difference between sugar free and no sugar added is really quite simple, but unfortunately many consumers are not aware of it. No sugar added only means that there was no sugar added to the ice cream during its production; the sugar content from the original ingredients, however, remains in the final product.

For a product to be labeled sugar free, however, the requirement is that the product have no more than .5 grams of sugar per serving. This is difficult with a product such as ice cream, for many of the ingredients which are in ice cream contain their own natural sugars. The sugar free status is hardest to achieve in ice creams which contain fruit or nuts, for both are quite high in their own natural sugar content. Even the basic ingredients needed to produce ice cream contain natural sugar. Some ice cream manufacturers are currently working on methods to improve their sugar free ice creams, in order for these products to remain healthy while not sacrificing taste and quality.

An important consideration for those on weight-loss diets is that the calorie content itself of fat-free, lowfat, and light ice creams is not significantly different from the more standard styles. These designations are more relevant to those who specifically have dietary restrictions on their fat intake.

The standards by which these differences are determined begin with the requirement that ice creams which are labeled light or reduced fat must have a lower fat content than the regular style. Both have a higher fat content than products which can be labeled low-fat. As cream, the main ingredient in regular ice creams, has a very high concentration of fat, it is difficult to produce ice cream with a very low or nonexistent fat content; doing so generally places it in the category of ice milk.

Although ice cream in its natural state is a dairy food that is rich in calcium, those with a special dietary interest or health concern may wish to consider ice creams which are fortified with calcium. This would be a good choice for children and teens whose teeth and bones are still developing, and for women who have a concern or family history of osteoporosis. Although calcium fortified ice creams may tend to be a bit more expensive than the regular varieties, the longterm health benefits to choosing calcium fortified ice cream are well worth it.

Ice cream is no longer as simple as it used to be. But becoming informed about the differences in the many choices which are available to day is the best step toward making healthy choices.