Healthy Summer Treats, Without the Guilt.

Summer treats belong in a healthy weight loss.

Inside the Eat Shed Glow® method there is room for real life, and that includes the scoop of ice cream and the s'more by the fire.

You can have the real thing exactly as it is, or choose a version that goes easier on your digestion and energy. Both are valid. Both are part of the method. Here is how to choose, and how to eat it so it costs you nothing.

Can you eat ice cream and still lose weight?

Yes, and when you eat it matters more than which one you pick.

Ice cream on an empty stomach at 4pm sends your blood sugar straight up and straight back down, and you will be hungry and looking for something else within the hour. The same ice cream after a meal with protein and fat lands completely differently, because the food already in your stomach slows everything down.

So the rule is simple. Have it after a meal rather than instead of one. That single change is worth more than every ingredient swap below.

These are happy calories: chosen, enjoyed, and then you carry on.

What should you look for in a healthy ice cream?

Five things, in order of how much they matter.

Real ingredients. Milk, cream, vanilla, cacao, fruit, honey. If the list reads like a lab inventory, put it back.

No seed oils. Canola, soybean and sunflower turn up in far more frozen desserts than people realise, particularly the dairy-free ones. Worth reading the label carefully, because the front of the package is marketing.

Full fat. Fat is what makes it satisfying, and satisfying is the whole point of a treat. Low-fat versions replace it with sugar and gums, and you end up wanting more.

No artificial sweeteners. They tend to keep the craving going rather than ending it.

Around 10 grams of sugar or less per serving, which rules out most of the pint aisle and is a useful shortcut when you are standing in the freezer section.

The brands worth knowing

Dairy: Straus, Alec's, Goodness.

Dairy-free: So Delicious no sugar added, Cosmic Bliss coconut milk base, Frankie and Jo's.

How to order ice cream when you are out

At Van Leeuwen, Salt & Straw, Jeni's, Morgenstern's or Caffè Panna, the strategy is the same.

Choose a classic dairy or coconut base. Skip the oat milk and vegan options, which are usually built on seed oils and gums. One scoop, cup or cone. Skip the syrups, mix-ins and sugary toppings, which is where the sugar quietly doubles.

And do not order sorbet thinking it is the lighter choice. It is usually sugar and water with no fat or protein to slow it down, which makes it the fastest spike on the menu.

How to make a better s'more

A classic s'more can stay exactly as it is. But if you are making them at home, a few swaps give you the same fire, the same mess, the same childhood, with less of what drives inflammation. And inflammation is one of the quietest reasons weight will not move.

Graham crackers: Simple Mills, Partake.

Marshmallows: Hammond's, Sweet Apricity.

Chocolate: Hu, Spring and Mulberry, Jojo's, Lily's if you prefer stevia.

Everything I keep on hand is in my pantry picks.

The part that actually matters

None of this works if the treat is doing a job food should be doing.

If you are reaching for ice cream at 4pm because you skipped lunch, no brand swap fixes that. Eat the meal, then have the treat, and it stays a treat instead of becoming the thing that runs your afternoon. That is what strategic snacking is for.

One to three treats a week, genuinely enjoyed, is not the thing standing between you and your goal. Pretending you will never want one is.

🤎

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