Who doesn’t love ice cream?! We have yet to meet them! 😉 In fact, many of you have told us that ice cream is one of your all-time favorite treats but you try to avoid it because it’s so high in calories. Well, we hear ya—a small serving can set you back several hundred calories. And you probably know that we often joke about how we are double-handedly responsible for putting a lower calorie “frozen treat store” (we won’t name it to protect our friend who worked there and hooked us up with a lot of free goods ;), but just know that they were so delicious, we couldn’t get enough) out of business from all of our free treats!
Well, we’ve got good news! This lightened up, sweet, smooth and creamy take on ice cream reminds us of that deliciousness and is only 40 calories! Plus, it’s rich in phytonutrients and even contains bone-building calcium. (If you like this, you may also like our Skinny Banana Ice Cream Sandwiches, and our Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream and our Strawberry Raspberry Lime Sorbet)
And if the scrumptious flavor, calorie savings and phytonutrients aren’t enough to make you want to dive in to this delicious treat, then check out the other benefits you’ll get from this “ice cream,” courtesy of the mint!
- An Easing of seasonal allergies- Mint’s antioxidant rosmarinic acid, has anti-inflammatory properties which seems to be helpful in in relieving seasonal allergy symptoms. Ba bye Benadryl!
- Help Fighting Colds: Menthol, which is a natural decongestant in mint, helps to break up phlegm and mucus. And it can help relieve sore throats–in tea or in this smoothie.
- An Easing of Indigestion: Mint eases the stomach and is calming and soothing herb. It is thought to improve the flow of bile through the stomach, which helps to speed and ease digestion.
So dig into a bowl of this guilt-free ice cream and truly feel even better afterwards! 😉 Enjoy!
Pssst… something to keep in mind- sugar is hardest to taste in cold food; therefore, a lot of sugar is added to cold summer treats such as ice cream to increase the taste, but with this treat, you can win twice– first you don’t add sugar and then you can let this treat sit for a minute to get softer and it will taste even sweeter! 😉
Skinny Homemade Strawberry – Mint “Ice Cream”
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 cup strawberries, quartered (or frozen sliced strawberries)
2 fresh mint leaves
1/3 cup smooth & creamy yogurt, plain nonfat (we use plain but vanilla would work as well!*)
*Opting for vanilla yogurt over plain would make this naturally sweet (no sugar-added) recipe include some.
Directions
Put strawberries in a glass bowl; place in freezer for 30 minutes. Strawberries should be partially frozen, but not hard. (If using frozen strawberries allow to sit at room temperature for about five to ten minutes.) Using a blender, pulse the strawberries, mint and yogurt together. Once combined, blend on low speed for 15 seconds to make it very creamy. Place your “ice cream” back into the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 60 minutes minimum. Divide into two bowls and enjoy!
Enjoy 🙂
Nutrition, per serving
40 calories, 0.3g fat, 0mg cholesterol, 23mg sodium, 126mg potassium, 8g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, 2g protein
Added bonus: 71% Vitamin C
- 1 cup strawberries, quartered
- 2 fresh mint leaves
- ⅓ cup smooth & creamy yogurt, plain nonfat (we use plain but vanilla would work as well!)
- Put strawberries in a glass bowl; place in freezer for 30 minutes. Strawberries should be partially frozen, but not hard. Using a blender, pulse the strawberries, mint and yogurt together. Once combined, blend on low speed for 15 seconds to make it very creamy. Place your “ice cream” back into the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 60 minutes minimum. Divide into two bowls and enjoy!
- Enjoy
Happy Birthday and thank you to our intern Jillian O’Neil, who shared this awesome recipe with us so we can all celebrate her birthday in style!