How are these recipes healthy? The author explains:
- Made with whole fruits and/or fruit juices, creamy nonfat evaporated milk or coconut milk, natural sugars, and natural starch substitutes instead of eggs, these nutrient-rich ice cream treats give you vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and delicious taste.
- They're also a low-fat choice, except for the coconut ice cream, so you'll want to limit serving size there and add low-cal toppings such as fruit.
- Taking out the heavy cream, and refined cane sugar found in most ice cream recipes gives you a low-saturated fat, low-sodium, lower-calorie, guilt-free treat.
- Using natural sweeteners with a lower glycemic index keeps your blood sugar from spiking, and in some of the recipes, fruit is the only sweetener needed. Other recipes rely on agave nectar, honey, or maple syrup. Agave nectar has a four-times-lower glycemic index than the white stuff; honey, another whole food, has antimicrobial properties; and maple syrup is a good source of manganese and zinc, which help energy production and the immune system.
- The ice creams made with whole fruits add fiber to your diet.
- Eliminating eggs not only cuts out the cholesterol, but also gives a cleaner taste to these fruity concoctions. Most of the ice creams are without eggs.
- Nonfat evaporated milk is a good substitute for cream because it is dense and creamy without the fat and cholesterol. Its healthful nutrients include calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and riboflavin. Coconut milk, another excellent substitute, has a multitude of health benefits.
- The book discusses the three styles of ice cream and the differences between commercial and homemade ice cream and offers tips for making creamier ice cream, adding mix-ins, choosing natural thickeners, and defrosting ice cream. You'll understand which ingredients affect freezing temperature and which cream substitutes should be avoided.  Â