Trade It Tuesday: Ice Cream & Toppings

For Ben's 8th birthday this past weekend he requested ice cream sundaes.  YUM!  Our family loves ice cream (and I love toppings) so we've found the all-natural versions of our favorite flavors.  You'll be happy to know they are relatively easy to find. 

But first, here are the ingredients you can find in Dryers flavor Cookies & Cream:
SKIM MILK, CREAM, SUGAR, CHOCOLATE COOKIES (SUGAR, ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR [WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID], SOYBEAN OIL, PALM OIL, PALM KERNEL OIL, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, INVERT SUGAR, CORN FLOUR, CHOCOLATE, CORN STARCH, SALT, BAKING SODA, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, WHEY, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, SOY LECITHIN), CORN SYRUP, WHEY, MOLASSES, ACACIA GUM, NATURAL FLAVOR, GUAR GUM, ANNATTO COLOR, CAROB BEAN GUM, CARRAGEENAN, XANTHAN GUM

And here's what you can find in Dryers flavor Nestle Butterfinger (sure sounds good until you see this):
SKIM MILK, CREAM, SUGAR, BUTTERFINGER ® PIECES (CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, GROUND ROASTED PEANUTS, HYDROGENATED PALM KERNEL OIL, COCOA, MOLASSES, ANDD LESS THAN 1% OF WHEY [FROM MILK], CONFECTIONER’S CORN FLAKES, NONFAT MILK, SALT, LACTIC ACID ESTERS, SOY LECITHIN, SOYBEAN OIL, CORN STARCH, ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, TBHQ AND CITRIC ACID [TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS], YELLOW 5, RED 40), PEANUT BUTTER SWIRL (PEANUT BUTTER, SUGAR, PEANUT OIL, SALT, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED PALM OIL), CORN SYRUP, WHEY, MOLASSES, ACACIA GUM, NATURAL FLAVOR, GUAR GUM, ANNATTO COLOR, CAROB BEAN GUM, CARRAGEENAN, XANTHAN GUM.

Plus, I've already taught you that the LESS ingredients in food, the BETTER, right?  The list above scares me.

For the past two years, our family has eaten the Breyers All Natural Ice Cream in the black cartons.  However Breyers recently changed its packaging, eliminated the "All Natural" from their products, and no longer cooperates with the Feingold Association with regards to their ingredients list.  They've made it easy to assume that their product is no longer all natural.  Big bummer for us, because you can find Breyers at most stores. 

So now, here's what ice cream we buy (but there are many other brands available, just read your labels):

Fresh & Easy store brand ice cream, many flavors.
I like the small containers because they don't contain corn syrup
like the larger containers do, though all sizes I've researched seem all-natural.

Ben & Jerry's Product Mission:
To make, distribute and sell the finest quality all natural ice cream
and euphoric concoctions with a continued commitment to incorporating wholesome,
natural ingredients and promoting business practices that respect the Earth
 and the Environment.
(We all know B&J's has TONS of flavors!)

Haagen-Dazs All Natural Ice Cream
(many flavors)
Vanilla Flavor Ingredients: Cream, Skim Milk, Sugar, Egg Yolks, Natural Vanilla.
(Isn't that a nice, short list of ingredients?)

So how about toppings?  I love chocolate syrup!  Here are some options:

Santa Cruz Organic
(other flavors:  chocolate mint, chocolate raspberry)
I've found this at Whole Foods & Bel Air.

Ah!Laska Organic
They also make a great hot cocoa powder.
I usually find this at Whole Foods, Bel Air or Sprouts.

Ben loves to also put the all-natural equivalent to M&M's on top of his ice-cream, and Whole Foods carries their own brand of these great candies. 

I've barely touched the brands available out there for your all-natural ice cream craving.  Please check out the labels next time before you buy this treat, and find a brand that doesn't add artificial flavors or colors (why would vanilla ice cream need yellow food coloring anyway?!?). 

If you want more information on the artificial ingredients commonly used in ice cream, check out these links:
http://editor.nourishedmagazine.com.au/articles/ice-cream-lies
http://feedingabear.wordpress.com/2010/11/26/chewing-gum-ice-cream-and-artificial-flavors/
http://www.foodrepublic.com/2012/03/14/6-scary-things-hiding-your-food