Back in 1984, President Ronald Reagan pleased democrats and republicans alike when he officially designated July as National Ice Cream Month. No matter whom you vote for, everyone can agree that a cold cup or cone of creamy frozen goodness is the perfect way to cap off a steamy summer day.
Now we don’t like to be Debbie Downers, but ice cream isn’t exactly the healthiest treat. Often laded with artificial ingredients, unknown additives, strange stabilizers and other junk, what used to be an indulgent summer treat has become somewhat of a health menace.
But what if there was a way to experience ice cream – that sweet taste and cool, refreshing texture – without all the fat, calories and chemicals? Well, there is! It’s called frozen kefir and chances are, it’s in a store near you as we speak (erm, read…).
This February, 24 Freshii stores replaced their frozen yogurt machines with Lifeway Foods’ frozen kefir machines. Chicago is home to three Starfruit Cafes, which feature multiple flavors of frozen kefir along with dozens of toppings, plus mobile truck in Chicago that serves up frozen kefir and kefir smoothies.
You can also buy pints of Lifeway frozen kefir at your local grocery store in flavors like original, mango and coconut, as well as frozen kefir bars, which Men’s Health magazine highlighted in it story, 20 New Healthy Snacks Under 200 Calories and which we’re giving away for free all summer long at Gurney’s Montauk in the Hamptons.
In the meantime, here are a few recipes for anyone wanting to celebrate July with some homemade frozen kefir treats:
Rachael Ray’s Cherry Kefir Frozen Pops (featuring Lifeway Organic Whole Milk Kefir!)
As always, enjoy responsibly – too much of a good thing is rarely a pleasant experience!
I definitely will try some.