Going organic is considered one of the best things you can do today — for yourself and the world altogether! When you start preferring organic food over food that is manufactured using pesticides and other chemical compounds, you’re creating a positive demand. This positive demand is helpful in creating trends that exclude chemical preservatives, harmful pesticides and agricultural methods that are not environment-friendly. In other words, when you go organic, you go environment-friendly too. As it happens, there are organic alternatives for almost every food product you consume. But, not many do understand that there is an alternative for ice cream as well — organic ice cream, as it is called. Ice cream is loved by many, even those who don’t love many other foods, you know.
What Is Organic Ice Cream?
Organic ice cream refers to the type of ice cream that is manufactured through organic methods. Now, this can differ in many ways, you know. Probiotic organic ice cream containing useful bacterial species of lactic acid which are helpful for maintaining balanced intestinal microbiota and digestion is gaining popularity for its neutral pH content. First, let’s consider the scenario where organic milk is used in place of normal milk. The second scenario is where milk from livestock is completely removed and replaced with soya milk. Soya milk, as you know, would have many benefits and less health-based issues when compared to normal livestock milk. [1]
In either case, the production of the milk is done with proper supervision so that it doesn’t use pesticides, hormones, chemical catalysts or boosters. The point is, the end milk product is completely safe to consume. In the case of organic livestock milk, you get all the benefits of milk when you consume organic ice cream. It turns out, there are many benefits of organic ice cream you should know. That is, when you prefer it over normal ice cream, you are actually doing more than enhancing the aforesaid positive trend.
Serve your raspberry ice-cream with fresh berries. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Benefits of Organic Ice Cream
The organic ice cream market has been skyrocketing in the past decade and is expected to hit USD1.2 bn by 2024, according to a Global Market Insights report. In this article, we have listed the 7 major benefits of consuming organic ice cream. [2]
#1 Organic Ice Cream Is Healthier
As said earlier, organic ice cream is made using ingredients that are organically cultivated. Starting from milk, which is the key ingredient, to preservatives and other agents added to the production, everything is made with proper care and precision. Compared to the manufacturing process of normal ice cream, producers also take more care during each of the steps. It won’t be a generalization to say that organic ice cream makers are nature-lovers. There is little harm done to the environment during the production set-up of organic ice cream. At the end of the day, you can be more confident when you eat a scoop of organic ice cream.
#2 Organic Ice Cream Doesn’t Contain Pesticides
Do you know that normal ice cream you consume may contain serious pesticides and chemicals? Well, even if they are not added intentionally, they end up in the scoop. This is because of the types of ingredients used to create normal ice cream. Most of these ingredients are cultivated using non-natural methods of producing food. On the other hand, organic ice cream makes use of natural ingredients without many chemicals or lots of pesticides. From the health point of view, it can be one of the best ways to stay secure as well, you know. Many normal ice creams are made using commonly unknown food additives which our body can’t take on, like:
- Castoreum: Used as a “Natural-Flavouring” agent for the raspberry, strawberry, and vanilla flavors which is actually a beaver’s anal and urine secretions
- Butyraldehyde: Used in nut flavored ice cream which is also an oil paint solvent.
- Propylene Glycol: Used as antifreeze and also as a paint remover.
- Diethyl glycol: It’s used as a cheap substitute (emulsifier) instead of eggs in ice cream to thicken the product which is an anti-freeze for engines and paint removers.
And many others are even restricted by FDA for intake in any way but are still used as an ingredient in ice-cream production. [3]
#3 Organic Ice Cream is Tastier
Now, you may not understand this benefit so easily. Our tongues have been conditioned to believe that the food products containing pesticides and chemicals are so normal. However, if you keep eating organic ice cream for a while, you will start noticing the difference, you know. There are certain areas when the organic counterpart of ice cream can be more sumptuous than you think. The condition that only organic elements should be used does not prevent organic ice cream from being tastier or worth recommending any day. You would have to give some time, though.
#4 It’s Better Nutrition
This point is actually related to what we’ve said earlier. Because organic ice cream is made using quality-rich material and no pesticides or chemicals, you are not losing the nutritional value. For instance, there is the case of Omega 3 fatty acids, which are quite pivotal in maintaining a healthy body. It contains a noticeable amount of Omega 3 fatty acids that we wouldn’t mind considering it as a supplement at times. Jokes aside, controlled consumption of organic ice cream would add value to your body and life. It’s one of the benefits you can count in.
#5 A Great Source of Vitamins and Minerals
Ice cream, regardless of the type, is a great source of minerals as well as vitamins. This gets enhanced when it comes to organic ice cream. This is what happens in most cases: there are many vitamins and minerals in a bunch of ingredients of ice cream. However, because many chemicals are added in the normal process, these vitamins may end up in the trash. With the organic process of ice cream making, however, this does not even happen. What’s more, you are likely to get some extra amount of mineral values too. On any day, this is an addition to the body system.
#6 You’re Helping the Environment
Now, this is real. When you choose organic ice cream over normal ice cream, you are doing more than taking a simple choice. When you eat organic ice cream, you are taking a step that would decrease the overall CO2 footprint on the campus. Did you know that many materials normally used for creating normal ice cream do emit a lot of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere? Well, thankfully, the same does not happen when it comes to organic ice cream, where the methods are optimized to be environment-friendly. Altogether, if you are taking steps to keep CO2 under control, the shift to organic ice cream would be highly appreciable.
#7 You Can Make It
Because organic ice cream does not use added preservatives or something so rare to get, you can make some at your home. You will need organic ingredients in your kitchen, but they are very easy to get, especially nowadays. The basic thing you would need is some organic milk, which is authentic from each and every perspective. You don’t want to bring some normal milk and spoil the whole thing of having nothing chemical or added preservation in the ice cream.
Ice cream with fruit salad Photo Credit: Shutterstock
If you are a cooking enthusiast, you can use the organic ice cream in very creative ways such as:
- Toppings: Topping it with berries or any other fresh fruits or nuts or sauces and yeah your healthy and organic sundae is ready!
- Ice cream sandwich: Whip your favorite cookies and shape them to your desired size and let them cool completely. After which slice up the ice cream and place it between cookies and serve it, where the organic gluten-free oats cookies will be a healthier option.
- Ice cream cake: You can make a healthy ice cream cake similar to the sandwich. The homemade organic cake can be replaced with cookies and here again, the ice cream can be used for frosting with your favorite toppings.
- A creamy shake: Take a 5:1 organic ice cream and organic milk, with different add-ons like chocolate, banana, peanut butter, or berries, according to your taste and blend it together to get a well creamy frothy milkshake.
Wrapping Up
These are apparently some things you should know about purchasing, making or eating organic ice cream instead of the fatty, normal ice cream that you used to have. There are multiple benefits to both your body and the whole environment where you are living. But it does not compromise taste either. At the end of the day, you can have the same awesome taste, while offering an impressive alternative to carbon emissions and ice creams that are rich when it comes to chemical content as well as added preservatives.
