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CNN Live At Daybreak
Interview with Lisa Drayer
Aired August 06, 2002 - 06:21 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It is time to talk health this morning. And with the summer heat, we're all screaming for ice cream. So how do you satisfy your sweet tooth without packing on the pounds?
Lisa Drayer joins us live from New York with the scoop. Lisa is a registered dietitian and the director of nutrition services for Dietwatch.com Incorporated.
Good morning, Lisa.
LISA DRAYER, NUTRITIONIST: Good morning.
COSTELLO: OK, so we know ice cream is really, really fattening. But you have some horrible numbers to show us.
DRAYER: Yes, exactly. Yes, the calories can be very, very high in ice cream. So what we need to know is that if we consume an extra 500 calories each day, we will gain about a pound per week from that ice cream.
COSTELLO: Oh!
DRAYER: So, for example, this Wavy Gravy ice cream has 660 calories and 20 grams of saturated fat, just this small amount.
COSTELLO: And it's got 48 grams of fat?
DRAYER: Exactly. You know, if you're following a diet that's 20 percent fat, that's your total fat budget for the day. So be very careful and read those labels. Those tell you the real deal.
COSTELLO: Is all ice cream that fattening?
DRAYER: You know, it really isn't. In fact, if you look for certain terms such as "lite," "lite" means that it has a third fewer calories or half the fat than the regular brand. That's certainly one option. Also, there are some fat-free brands. So just be careful and read the labels and do extra exercise if you do indulge.
COSTELLO: So we all, we always hear that frozen yogurt is the way to go because it's so much less fattening than ice cream. Is it really?
DRAYER: You know, the truth is a lot of people think that frozen yogurts are a healthier option. But in reality, they can actually be higher in calories, even if it's a low fat frozen yogurt. For example, some of the brands such as Ben & Jerry's, they're low in fat and they're frozen yogurts, but they can be higher in calories than a Breyer's ice cream.
So the bottom line is read the labels. The numbers on the label tell you what you're consuming, putting in your mouth.
COSTELLO: Got you. OK, so you have some ice cream eating tips. What are they?
DRAYER: Yes, well, definitely, as I mentioned, read those labels. These terms are actually federally regulated, so "lite," you cannot call an ice cream "lite" unless it has a third fewer calories or half the fat. The same thing with low fat. Ice cream cannot be called low fat unless it's three grams of fat or less per serving.
But the most important thing is to look at serving size because the serving sizes on most ice creams is based on a half a cup.
COSTELLO: Oh, me.
DRAYER: Yes, that's about a half the size of a baseball.
COSTELLO: I know, you go to the ice cream store and they give you so much. You order like, I'll take one scoop, a small, but they just pack that ice cream in that cone and you're really eating like a cup of ice cream.
DRAYER: Exactly. And that's another thing, don't assume that all smalls are created equal, especially when you go into those ice cream stores. Sometimes you can order a small and it could be 10 ounces. That's up to two and a half times the size of some other smalls.
So if it looks too big, then it probably is. So just eat some of it, throw the rest away and save yourself some guilt.
COSTELLO: OK. Do some extra exercise on days when you indulge. We like that. You should always do extra exercise anyway. Hey, do you have some frozen treats that are good for us? I mean what should we be eating?
DRAYER: Yes, you know, there are some great ones. Actually, Haagen-Dazs makes this chocolate sorbet. It's only 80 calories and zero grams of fat. So Haagen-Dazs does have healthier options.
Also, Tufitti (ph) pops or the Fudgicles. Those are about 30 to 60 calories, zero grams of fat. And also if you're a fan of fruit flavored pops, a lot of those fruit pops are very low in calories.
COSTELLO: And they're really good, too.
DRAYER: Yes, they're very refreshing, especially during the hot summer months.
COSTELLO: Definitely.
Thank you, Lisa Drayer.
DRAYER: Thank you.
COSTELLO: We'll check in with you again next week.
DRAYER: Thank you.
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