Many TikTokers believe they have found the best solution for anyone out there who wants to satisfy their sweet tooth while also prioritizing their health. The words “protein ice cream” continue to garner millions of views and thousands videos in which users are seen pouring protein powder onto ice cream and dubbing it a “healthy” dessert. We checked in with experts to learn more about the trend, and determine how beneficial the treat really could (or couldn’t) be for your health overall. Read on for insight from health and nutrition experts Dr. Suzanna Wong, DC and David Culpepper, MD.
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So, Is The Idea ‘Protein Ice Cream’ Healthy? Yes And No
While many users on the video-sharing app will swear by eating their ice cream recipes every day for weight loss and other goals, Wong notes that there are often many additives in the popular videos that are more sugary and calorie-filled rather than containing ingredients with nutrients. “There’s a lot of sweetener and fillers in the trend which can cause bloating and digestive distress,” she says. While she explains that not every protein ice cream recipe is “unhealthy,” your ultimate goal should be to “feel good eating it” (and not be eating large amounts of anything that doesn’t contain essential vitamins).
A scroll through TikTok might find users putting candy, cookies or other processed items into their protein ice cream, which experts would agree could defeat the purpose of improving a classic treat health-wise. Adding fruit or more fiber-filled additions with protein powder, Wong suggests, could be a much better choice. “A better recipe would be protein powder blended with frozen banana and cocoa powder or protein powder blended with frozen berries,” she recommends. These, she says, give you a (more accurately) healthy update of “protein ice cream,” providing lots of “nutrients and fiber, without any potential tummy issues.”
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Culpepper points out that demonizing sweet treats like ice cream isn’t the way to go either, as no one should be shamed for having a sweet tooth! Something he notes, however, is that falsely promoting something as “healthy”or telling people to forgo ice cream altogether only contribute to an unhealthy diet culture. “Of course, you might ask, wouldn’t it be healthier to never eat ice cream? Well, maybe—but life would definitely be less fun,” Culpepper says, explaining that eating dessert in moderation is fine, and that as long as you don’t consume treats like these in excess, your overall health can still be supported by getting protein from other sources (and not ‘protein ice cream’ alone).
“All joking aside, the answer, of course, is moderation—whether we’re talking about ‘healthy’ ice cream or the classic, sugar-packed dessert,” he says. Even if you’re packing your ice cream with protein powder, he continues, “it still has a lot of sugar; and even if you find a low-sugar or sugar-free version, eating a ton of it won’t be good for you (and probably won’t make you feel very good, either).” With that said, Culpepper advises to obtain protein from “sources like fish, tofu, and nuts” (whether you do put protein powder in your ice cream or not) because foods like these are more likely to help with your health goals, whether that is to lose weight, maintain weight, or feel better about your digestion in general.
