{Today’s post was written by the Sage Leaf Communications intern. This is the first of hopefully many posts by her.}
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A balanced diet is an ice cream cone in each hand
If there’s one food I could never resist that would be ice cream. It may be one of my biggest weaknesses. But an even bigger weakness? Ice cream in a cone. I’m pretty sure that my first true love in life was an ice cream cone. It’s such a nice treat, especially on a hot summer day or, on a day like today – which happens to be National Ice Cream Cone Day.
Partly what makes an ice cream cone such a treat is how rarely I eat one. Or, if you’re like Elana, you eat ice cream nearly every single day. We’re not the food police, but we can offer some tips to enjoy that delicious cone:
- If ice cream is a sometimes food for you (like me): Go nuts! No, really, top that ice cream with chopped, unflavored nuts for some added protein and nutrients. But seriously, even if nuts aren’t you’re thing – go ahead and enjoy your cone. If this is truly a treat for you, enjoy it completely and guilt-free. Savor the full-fattedness and the candy crunch, or whatever may appeal to you. Just keep it in the context of an overall healthy diet.
- If you need that one sweet treat per day (like Elana): Size matters! A single scoop on a cake cone may be enough to satisfy a sweet tooth, or put a tasty cap on a long day. It’s been said that nothing tastes as good as the first bite, so keep it small. Again, one small cone within a day of healthy choices is called balance.
- If you find yourself having a hard time with self-control (hey, it happens to the best of us), choose pre-portioned ice cream cones. SkinnyCow has a few flavors that satisfy a sweet tooth but with only 170 calories per cone. Or try one of the lower-calorie, higher-protein pints such as Halo Top or Breyers delights.
- If you love waffle cones but can’t stomach the amount of ice cream it takes to fill one, try this fun trick: ask for a small cup with the cone on the side and crumble waffle cone pieces as a topper. I’ll bet you don’t even need to use the whole cone! All the taste with less ice cream and no mess.
Either way, enjoy that cone, and happy National Ice Cream Cone Day! Just be sure to eat your vegetables tomorrow.
