article_detail

There are few guilty pleasures that herald the arrival of summer in Spain quite like a delicious ice-cream and it’s a treat that most adults enjoy just as much as children. These days, more and more of us are becoming health conscious and checking the ingredients of our food, but the good news is that your icy indulgence doesn’t have to ruin your diet.

 

Spain’s consumer watchdog, the OCU, has scoured the supermarket shelves and revealed the top three ice-creams that are kind to your waistline while still delivering that delectable taste.

 

To conduct the research, the OCU used the NutriScore system, a sort of score chart that tallies up the amount of sugars, saturated fats and additives contained in food items, along with the quality of ingredients. The system provides a classification ranging from A (very healthy) to E (unhealthy).

 

One of the OCU’s favourites comes from budget supermarket Lidl’s own brand Gelatelli: the super popular Huracán popsicle. According to the experts, this colourful icepop contains 105 kcal per 100 grams, 3 grams of fat and 14 grams of sugar and has been given a NutriScore rating of C.

 

Not exactly a superfood, but definitely not bad for a sweet treat.

 

Next up is Nestlé's Pirulo Happy, another popsicle that has just 70 kcal per 100 grams and 20% fruit juice. The NutriScore system gave it a B rating.

 

Nestlé is rounding out the top three with that old faithful: the humble ice-cream sandwich. This one has been around for a long time and it’s been given a pretty respectable C rating by NutriScore for its 261 kcal per 100 grams.

 

While these may be the OCU’s ‘healthiest’ picks, it’s still worth noting that they should all be consumed in moderation and as an occasional treat, not an everyday indulgence.

 

Spain is definitely an ice-cream-loving nation. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, in 2023, an average of three litres per person was consumed – that’s 140 litres of ice-cream in all.

 

At least now we know we can treat ourselves without a side helping of guilt.

 

 

Image: Pexels