Vanilla Ice Cream – Nutrient Dense

When I say healthy, I’m typically referring to the nutrient-density of a food. Most foods can be made healthy by increasing the quality of the ingredients. Look at the difference between homemade vanilla ice cream versus store-bought vanilla ice cream:

When comparing these foods side by side, it’s hard to even consider them both ice cream when they are so obviously different. This homemade vanilla ice cream has fat, carbs and protein to make it a balanced dish.

This naturally sweetened ice cream isn’t just incredibly tasty and creamy. It’s actually good for you! Homemade ice cream is an incredible source of healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. It’s high in B vitamins, vitamin E, calcium and phosphorus – but most importantly, it’s extremely high in the most bioavailable form of vitamin A called retinol.

It’s important to recognize that there are two types of vitamin A found in food. The most bioavailable form of vitamin A is called preformed vitamin A (a.k.a. retinol). This form is only found in animal products – particularly liver, fish, eggs, milk, cream and other dairy products. The second type of vitamin A is called provitamin A carotenoids, such as beta-carotene in carrots and sweet potatoes. This type of vitamin A must be converted to retinol in order to be assimilated into the body.

There are two issues regarding provitamin A carotenoids as a primary vitamin A source.

The first issue here is that 45% of the population can’t convert provitamin A carotenoids to retinol. This means that plant-based sources of vitamin A aren’t reliable, at least for about half the population.

The second issue is that 12 mcg of beta-carotene is equal to 1 mcg of retinol. This means you need a lot more beta-carotene to get the required amount of retinol. Let’s put this into perspective. The RDA for retinol is 900 mcg for men and 700 mcg for women. One would need to eat roughly one whole sweet potato or 1 cup of carrots to get enough retinol. That doesn’t seem too difficult. Of course, this is assuming you’re even part of the population that can convert beta-carotene to retinol.

Just one serving of ice cream will give you half your daily retinol needs. If you want vibrant skin and healthy teeth, eat homemade ice cream!

Sources: https://www.xcode.life/23andme-raw-data/beta-carotene-conversion-vitamin-a/ https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.112.034850

• A mixing bowl or measuring cup
• A whisk
• An ice cream machine. I have the Cuisinart ice cream maker and I really love it!

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