33 Vanilla Ice Cream Nutrition Facts: Is It Healthy For You?

Vanilla ice cream is an all-time classic flavor.

Along with chocolate ice cream, vanilla ice cream can be called an original flavor. Although hundreds of new ice cream flavors have been created, vanilla still holds a special place in many people's hearts.

Occasionally, eating vanilla ice cream as a sweet treat is good. It can help to fulfill the calorie needs of people when there is a reduced intake of other food items. However, as much as vanilla ice cream provides vitamins and protein, it can also potentially increase calorie levels too much and cause some health-related issues when eaten in excess.

Once you finish reading this fun facts article, you might also enjoy reading our articles about tuna nutrition facts and trout nutrition facts here at Kidadl.

Level Of Nutritional Value

Even though vanilla ice cream is considered to be an indulgence added to your daily diet, it can still provide you with nutrients and help meet your calorie needs. Below you will find the nutritional values of different vanilla ice cream servings.

A serving of one standard scoop of vanilla ice cream contains 180 calories, of which 89 come from fat. This serving consists of 0.34 oz (9.9 g) of total fat, of which saturated fat is 0.21 oz (6 g), and trans fat is 0.021 oz (0.6 g). The cholesterol present in this serving is 0.002 oz (0.042 g), and the total carbohydrate amount is 0.69 oz (19.6 g), out of which 0.021 oz (0.6 g) is dietary fiber and 0.6 oz (17 g) is sugar. It also contains 0.11 oz (3.1 g) of protein.

The daily values for each of these nutrients are, of course, different. The daily value is the measure against which your daily intake of nutrients should be included in your diet. The daily value can change according to the diet of a person. One scoop serving of vanilla ice cream contains 8% DV (daily value) of vitamin A, 11% DV of calcium, 1% DV of vitamin C and iron, 8% DV of phosphorus, 7% DV of vitamin D, 5% DV of vitamin B12, and 2% DV of vitamin B6. Moreover, this serving also has a small amount of magnesium, zinc, copper, fatty acids, and pantothenic acid in it.

A pint (16 oz (473.17 ml)) of vanilla ice cream can make up to around nine individual servings. Per serving, the daily value of total fat, including saturated fat and trans fat, cholesterol, carbohydrate, calories, protein, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin A, calcium, potassium, dietary fiber, iron, phosphorus, zinc, and copper, may be different depending on the size of the scoop.

There are different types of vanilla ice cream (like other ice creams), such as a regular version, premium version, low-fat version, and no added sugar version. Premium vanilla ice cream is processed to be more creamy and rich in texture and contains more calories, cholesterol, fat, and potassium per serving than a regular one. Meanwhile, low-fat vanilla ice cream is considered to be a healthier option as it contains fewer carbs, calories, and cholesterol while being more vitamin and nutrient-rich.

Milk-Based Vanilla Ice Cream

Milk meets more daily values of protein, vitamins, calcium, minerals, and fewer calories than vanilla ice cream. Although vanilla ice cream made in commercial establishments uses milk substitutes, homemade vanilla ice cream has milk as one of its key ingredients.

Milk is a nutrient-rich liquid food and is used in many recipes as a base ingredient. Milk is also consumed by itself for the rich protein and calcium presence in it. Milk contains vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and vitamin C. Along with these, milk also has potassium, iron, phosphorus, selenium, fat, and carbs in it. There are also different types of milk with different fat levels, including unsaturated and saturated fat, calories, protein, and dietary fiber.

Milk in vanilla ice cream serves the purpose of making the ice cream more creamy and also contributes to its melting point when kept at room temperature. The more fat there is in the milk used, the creamier and richer the texture of the vanilla ice cream or any flavor ice cream will become. However, it can also increase the number of calories, carbs, and fiber per serving.

Advantages Of Sugar

Ice cream is enjoyed by people because of its cold and sweet taste. Vanilla ice cream is a food that stimulates your brain and makes you feel happy and relaxed after a hard day. But do you know about the benefits and role of sugar in vanilla ice cream?

The sugar in vanilla ice cream doesn't just provide a sweet taste to the food item. It also plays another role which is to control the ice formation on the food while it is in the freezing process. The sugar in vanilla ice cream ensures that the ice cream doesn't become too hard and remains soft enough to scoop and eat.

Moreover, dentists suggest eating ice cream after you visit them as the cold food doesn't just numb the area where it hurts, but the sugar present in it also affects the area in your brain responsible for making you feel happy. Thus, you can say that the sugar in ice cream takes your focus away from an unpleasant sensation in your gums.

A healthy sugar intake is vital for your body; low blood sugar can be harmful to your health.

Does it help in gaining weight?

Ice creams of any flavor are calorie-rich sweet treats. As we have seen, Vanilla ice cream contains a high amount of calories and fat. If you want to add ice creams to your well-balanced diet, it should be done in moderation.

If you are underweight and looking for foods to add to your healthy diet which will help you gain weight, then vanilla ice cream is a good choice. However, you should only add low-calorie ice cream or homemade ice cream. These ice creams contain fewer calories and added sugars, which is good for your health. The total fat in this ice cream, including saturated fat, can help you to gain weight easily.

However, ice cream should be eaten in moderation, as too much fat and sugar can also cause health problems, such as indigestion, heart disease, and so on.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our vanilla ice cream nutrition facts, then why not take a look at our tofu nutrition facts or table salt nutrition facts?