Healthful Ice Cream!

With all the talk about ice cream and fast food, someone is finally beginning to think about ways to have the foods we like without having a detrimental effect on our health. So much of the time we see fruit juices pumped full of vitamins and minerals, yet the effect of the sugar eradicates the positive effects of the drinks. But now someone has the idea to put fish oil in ice cream to fortify it with the fatty acids that are lacking in our diets.

It's not on the shelves yet, but there is a researcher who has proposed a tangy orange sherbet with reduced-fat fish oil. Marvin Rudolph, a food technologist, recently presented the ice cream at the Institute of Food Technologists Expo and is pitching it to the dairy industry.

Why do we like ice cream? It has a creamy, sweet, sinful taste--but by adding essential nutrients without disturbing the taste, ice cream lovers can have their ice cream and maintain their health.

Why is fish oil being discussed? The Omega-3 fatty acids that are found in salmon and tuna, that are not farm raised, have been shown to reduce cardiovascular disease, reduce heart disease, enhance brain function, and that decreases the need for antidepressants.

The American public does not get enough fish oil in the diet either because they do not like the taste of fish (and the majority of the fish on the market is farm raised and has no fatty acid benefit) or they don't take supplements. But the more important issue is that even the supplements cannot be trusted as they do not have the purified oil nor the proper ratio of fatty acids necessary for proper hormonal function.

But putting the Omega-3s into everyday foods isn't easy. The Omega 3s are unstable and when exposed to heat, light, or air, they impart a fishy smell or taste. But fortified ice cream is stored in cold areas, and it won't be exposed to light. It is usually eaten quickly enough to prevent the fish taste from emerging.

Interesting that the food industry is now looking at putting into foods what is necessary to promote good health!

Would you like to have some great ice cream that you can eat for a creative meal or snack?