Did you know Dairy Queen’s ice cream isn’t technically “ice cream”?

It doesn’t contain enough milkfat to be considered ice cream and they artificially thicken it up with additives like carrageenan, polysorbate 80 and mono and diglycerides. These ingredients are riddled with health risks ranging from heart disease to cancer:

This is the same ice cream that they use in their Blizzards, Sundaes, Cakes, and other “treats”.

Next time you’re craving a DQ fix, here are some healthier options:

  1. Homemade Coconut Milk Ice Cream – Recipe here with 3 different flavors to try. You’ll also find this recipe in my cookbook, Food Babe Kitchen. 
  2. Homemade Banana Ice Cream – Add frozen bite-sized pieces of a very ripe banana to a powerful blender or food processor and puree until it comes to a creamy consistency. This may take a few minutes. Try adding nut butter, cinnamon, cocoa, or vanilla to change up the flavor.
  3. Store-bought Organic Ice Cream – Some of my fave brands are Cosmic Bliss, Talenti Organic, or Straus Organic.

Another healthier treat would be this delicious chia pudding…

This pudding recipe is healthy, but you'd never know it. 

Chia seeds grow 10 times their weight in size when combined with liquid, helping the body stay hydrated and full. The word “chia” comes from the Aztec word that means “oily” — the oils found in this small little round seed is the secret to its health benefits, full of omega 3 fatty acids that fight inflammation in the body, reducing the risk of heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and depression.

I love this pudding for dessert, but it also is a great addition to a brunch.

There's nothing easier than mixing chia seeds with nut milk and a few simple ingredients to make a deliciously creamy pudding without any nasty chemicals (or standing over the stove!)

Get my chia pudding recipe here!

If you choose to buy ice cream, remember to vote with your dollars and choose brands who are doing the right things.

Know anyone who would love these healthier treat swaps? Please forward this email to them and ask them to subscribe here. People need to know the truth. 

Xo,

Vani

P.S. If someone forwarded this email to you, make sure to subscribe to my free email newsletter here. I'll send you updates, life-changing health tips, recipes, and breaking investigations each week.


P.O. Box 31521 Charlotte, NC 28231

If you would like to stop receiving free food investigations, recipes and healthy living tips, you can update your preferences here.