Healthy Alternatives to Bring Onboard Ships

Over the last decade, people have begun to pay more attention to the various things we consume day-to-day. This not only includes food, but substances and chemicals as well. As obesity rates continue to climb, however, a shift toward healthy alternatives has emerged. Dessert — although a guilty pleasure — has been targeted by this shift, along with other culprits such as fast and processed food. So when we speak of provisions bought onboard ships for long overseas journeys, the same principles apply: What foods can we substitute to improve the overall health of the crew? To answer this question, let’s first focus on one tasty switch — replacing ice cream with frozen yogurt.

People often lump frozen yogurt and ice cream into the same category because of the similarities in form, taste, and composition. Although both are made from diary, the main difference lies in the fat content. For ice cream to qualify as ice cream, the dessert must contain 10% milk fat or more; frozen yogurt has no such requirement. So while some ice creams contain as much as 16% milk fat, yogurts offer a healthier alternative through cultured milk products.

Similarly, ice creams typically contain more sugars and salts to create new and exciting flavours, whereas yogurts use natural ingredients like honey for sweetening. In addition, yogurt contains several vitamins and minerals that ice cream does not. With that said, the probiotics associated with yogurt may not survive in freezing temperatures, so this healthy advantage may be lost. Some labels will inform consumers directly whether or not the dessert contains live cultures. Overall, however, regular yogurt wins every time for healthy eating on board ships.

Unfortunately, as frozen yogurt grows in popularity, more flavours pop onto the market, many of which contain artificial flavours, ultimately reducing the health benefits of this frozen treat. Read the label to avoid such products as they make an even worse choice than ice cream. For instance, low-fat chocolate ice cream is better than a decadent brownie-caramel frozen yogurt to bring on-board. By this same token, overloading your dessert with unhealthy toppings will reverse all the good frozen yogurt does for the body. With this in mind, let’s take a look at how to enjoy frozen yogurt responsibly on board ships.

When eating frozen yogurt, watch your portion sizes. Many people assume that since it’s the healthier option, they can overindulge without suffering any consequences. Believe it or not, overfilling your cup can result in a serving well over 500 calories, which is a large percent of your day’s recommended calorie intake. While favouring smaller portions, choose fruits, nuts, and other fiber-rich snacks to sprinkle on top. Say no to candy, chocolate, and other foods that may overload your healthy dessert with saturated fats and sugar. Without these toppings and embellishments, just look at the health differences between these two treats:

Recommended Readings:

http://www.diffen.com/difference/Frozen_Yogurt_vs_Ice_Creamhttp://healthyeating.sfgate.com/nutrition-frozen-yogurt-vs-ice-cream-1525.htmlhttp://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/reasons-to-choose-frozen-yogurt-over-ice-cream.html