I am always in the mood for ice cream.  Unfortunately, as much as we all wish, it’s not best of food options.  So to kick off summer, here’s a list of my favorite healthier alternatives to ice cream:

1. Frozen Hot Chocolate – mix diet/no sugar added/fat free hot cocoa mix, skim milk, and ice in a blender until smooth
2. No Sugar Added Fudge Pops – these are only 40 calories/popsicle and give you your chocolate fix
3. Homemade Juice Popsicles – fill popsicle molds with orange, grape, or apple juice (or create your own cocktail)
4. Light Yogurt – mix light vanilla yogurt with granola or a tsp of mini m&ms to simulate a McFlurry
5. Arctic Zero – this brand provides several flavors of protein-heavy ice cream at only 35-75 calories/serving
6. Fruit Sorbet – try these recipes for easy peach and watermelon sorbets you can make in a blender
7. Frozen Banana – sometimes all it takes is a cold banana to beat an ice cream craving (chocolate syrup doesn’t hurt)
8. Fruit Smoothie – check out Pinterest for thousands of recipes for healthy fruit smoothies (like this banana one)
9. Sugar-Free Pudding – look in your grocery aisle for tons of options for sugar-free jello pudding
10. Ice Cream Cups – if nothing else will do, try a mini ice cream cup from the freezer aisle (just stick to one)

I hope this can help your summer cravings!