Nothing says summer like the dripping sweat of a…
soft serve, double twist, sprinkled delight.
Yes, ice cream. But don’t scream!
Just because you know you shouldn’t eat it, doesn’t mean you have to give it up completely. There are alternatives! Yay! And we here at Federal Hill Fitness love cheat days, trust me.
But what about treating yourself, without… cheating yourself?
Well, thanks to our sweet-toothed staff, we’ve compiled a list of all our favorites.
Here’s five delicious ice cream alternatives that you’ve probably never thought of, or maybe you have, but haven’t tried any of them out of fear of comparatively losing to your favorite summer dessert.
As much as the personal trainers and gym staff love to work out, we also LOVE to eat, and wouldn’t eat anything unfit for the carb-dessert hungry health nut.
So without further adu, number one.
- The creme de la dream: Mint, dark chocolate, frozen banana ice cream.
There’s a reason this one is our number one and also all of our personal favorites. It doesn’t even taste like you’re doing something good for your body! What an amazing thing, right?!
You should really do good for your body all the time, but hey, being a little bad is fun, too.
But you don’t have to worry about “cheating” with this one, because it IS doing something good for you- the ingredients for sure are good, but the feeling of sweet satiation is its own kind of hella good!
It’s also super simple to make. The best recipe we’ve found is one by Party in my Plants blogger, Talia Pollock. Combining the two must-haves in every splurge treat, affordability and deliciousness, this recipe hits the mark. It’s an under five dollar purchase: bananas, mint leaves and dark chocolate. That’s it. Did I mention each serving is only 170 calories?
Find the full recipe here, along with some funny commentary and health benefits.
Now on to number two!
- When life gives you lemons, find blueberries and make blueberry lemon sorbet!
When something creamy doesn’t hit the spot, leave it to the sorbets. With their refreshing quality, you can’t help but crave a bowl of this in the heat.
And with its antioxidant power and hefty amounts of fiber, this six-ingredient, seven-minute prep dish makes it our number two (see what we did there…. fiber… number two…)!
Health.com provides the full instructions here! There’s only one step: combine ALL the things!
- “If you like Peacha Colodas…”
And getting caught in the rain…
This peach coconut smoothie from “Cook. Eat. Paleo,” will give you that summer vibe without the coronas.
If you eat following the paleo lifestyle, then this paleo dessert might be a summer staple for you from here on out. By blending together peaches, coconut milk and ice, we give you something that is Jimmy Buffet lyric worthy. Find the recipe here! And let this treat be your “Escape.”
- Orange you glad we’re saying creamsicle?
Perhaps you and your main squeeze could come together for the joy of healthy eating and squeeze a few oranges on a sunny day. Sounds cute and fit, huh?
Well, this healthy creamsicle recipe calls for fresh-squeezed OJ, skim milk, greek yogurt and vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract if you can’t find the paste).
By simply mixing the ingredients together and pouring the mixture into a popsicle mold, you’re set to share with friends. It’s what we call Nice cream!
Food bloggers, Port and Fin, share their own health journey and the recipe here.
- You can’t lick this one; it’s liquor.
We finish the list off with what we deem to be the best summer cocktails out there. We chose a few of our favorites from Shape.com’s “Top Low-Calorie Cocktails for Summer,” and they are as follows:
The Farmer’s Market Margarita: Tequila, cilantro, jalapeno, cucumber, lime and distilled water.
The Italian Summer Sipper: Tequila, strawberries, basil, vinegar, lime and distilled water.
Grilled Lemonade: Bourbon, lemons, honey, water, ice and sugar (optional).
Now you have all the tools to curb those summer cravings with something that won’t break your health streak. Good luck out there!