Gelato vs. American Ice Cream

This past week, I was lucky enough to have my parents visit me in Florence. As much as I enjoyed having them here, I have to admit I also enjoyed the luxury of eating out for the week (on their bill!)Wanting them to get the full Italy experience, I made sure we saved room for gelato after lunch one afternoon.  I brought them to one of my personal favorites in Florence, Café Ponte Vecchio, located right at the foot of the famous bridge. My dad and I got small cups, but my (often very health conscious) mom was feeling a bit more adventurous. She went for the €5 chocolate and nut dipped cone filled with cioccolato and caffe gelato.

 My dad jokingly gave her a hard time about the enormous serving size as it dripped down the sides of her cone. Her justification was that she was on vacation, treating herself, only in Italy once, blah blah blah… Anyways, this conversation got me thinking; in actuality, how bad is gelato for you? How does this Italian indulgence compare to traditional American ice cream I’m used to eating at home?

In search for my answer I stumbled upon Livestrong.com. This blog had exactly what I was looking for; a 2011 post titled “The Nutrition in Gelato & Ice Cream.” To my surprise, I learned that gelato has less calories and fat than ice cream does, although it is clearly creamier and richer than the American dessert. The difference in consistencies all has to do with the way the products are processed. With ice cream, the ingredients are constantly churning (stirring) while the mixture freezes, therefore letting air mix in. The air is what gives ice cream its light and fluffy form. On the other hand, no air is added to gelato when it is produced, which gives it a denser and creamier form. Gelato also does not contain cream (unlike American ice cream) which is why it is essentially better for you. In reality, both products are still a dessert. Sure, they could be a source of calcium, and different flavors of gelato (such as the fruit based sorbettos) contain less fat content but like any sweet, should only be consumed in moderation.

My mom and I were comforted to hear that gelato is general less fattening than the ice cream, especially since she was hooked, as was I since the first time I had a nocciola and cioccolato cone in September. We indulged in gelato several more times last week, always with the justification that my parents were only here for week. Well, I’m not sure what this means for me and my gelato habits. Four months is still considered a vacation right...

 -Jessica