Gelato typically offers fewer calories, less sugar and lower fat content per serving than ice cream. The typical 3.5 oz. serving of vanilla gelato contains 90 calories and 3 grams of fat, compared to 125 calories and 7 grams of fat in the average vanilla ice cream.
Because there's less butterfat coating your palate, gelato's flavors tend to taste more intense. Gelato also contains less air than American ice cream — that helps keep it dense, fluid and creamy.
Similar to ice cream, gelato is made from a custard base of milk, cream, and sugar. The difference lies in the proportions of each with gelato having more milk (and less cream) compared to ice cream. Gelato also doesn't usually contain egg yolks the way that ice cream does.
Gelato is healthier for you.
SFGate reports that while ice cream has 14 to 17 percent milkfat, gelato contains just 3 to 8 percent. That's because ice cream uses lots of heavy cream, while gelato uses milk. Gelato also uses far fewer egg yolks than ice cream—in some cases none at all.
Gelato contains more milk than cream, making it freeze at a lower temperature and taste cooler, lighter and, arguably, more refreshing. Churned slower than ice-cream, it is more dense and has a more intense flavour.
Gelato typically offers fewer calories, less sugar and lower fat content per serving than ice cream. The typical 3.5 oz. serving of vanilla gelato contains 90 calories and 3 grams of fat, compared to 125 calories and 7 grams of fat in the average vanilla ice cream.
One more thing... If you have ever had gelato, you'll know that gelato spoons are different from regular spoons. Instead of a typical tasting spoon, gelato spoons are round and flat like a shovel. The flat nose helps eaters to scrape across the bottom of the bowl more efficiently.
Gelato contains carbohydrates in the form of simple sugars, which your body can quickly absorb and use as energy. Enzymes, such as those found in pineapple, help your digestive system work better.
It's smoother and silkier than its American counterpart. It's also denser, yet it has that elasticity and fluidity that you can't get with ice cream. Another difference: "the actual recipe and ingredients used," she says. Both contain cream, milk and sugar.
The Italian gelato is served at a temperature a few degrees lower than the ice cream. This helps to savor better the taste understanding the flavors more easily. The ice cream, on the other hand, is stored as if it is frozen food. This involves the addition of preservatives that are not present in Italian gelato.
Cost: On average, gelato costs 30-50% more than ice cream. Ice cream may be cheaper at the register, yet you are saving a few pennies merely to eat a lot of whipped air. Gelato is more densely packed and you will get much more out of it than store-bought American ice cream.
Gelato, churned at a much slower speed, has less air incorporated into the freezing mix, making gelato denser than ice cream. The air interspersed throughout the network of ice crystals and fat in ice cream keeps ice cream colder for longer, meaning that gelato is prone to melt faster.
Because gelato is richer, creamier, and has less air than ice cream, you don't have to eat as much to feel satisfied.
Research shows that eating something sweet triggers your liver to release a hormone (called FGF21),” says Brierley Horton, MS, RD. “Once that hormone hits your bloodstream, it travels to your hypothalamus and essentially tells your brain you're thirsty.
In Italy, gelato is a frozen dessert that is traditionally made with whole milk and without added cream, meaning that the milkfat percentage is around 3.8%. It is also traditionally free of eggs and stabilizers.
Yes, at the end of a meal, instead of fruit
For example, a bowl of gelato can replace fruit at the end of a meal based on plenty of vegetables and fiber in general, which can slow the absorption of glucose.
The Healthiest Choice
Gelato has more calories and fats, which makes people feel satisfied in smaller portion servings. On the other hand, sorbet does not contain fats, but have lesser calories, making you want to eat more.
Halo Top earns the top spot on this list for its low calorie count, fairly simple ingredient list, and variety of classic ice cream flavors. It also boasts a substantial amount of protein and is sweetened with sugar and erythritol, a naturally sourced sugar alcohol.
Experts suggest eating any foods that contain added sugar and saturated fat, like ice cream, in a moderate and mindful way. In excess, these foods might displace nutritious choices in your diet and increase the risk of chronic conditions like heart disease, high cholesterol, obesity and diabetes over time.
Gelato is not usually the friendliest option if you're avoiding lactose. Like sherbet, it traditionally contains milk or milk products. However, there are some suitable options for those with lactose intolerance. Talenti makes a line of popular dairy-based gelatos, but they also offer a dairy-free line.
To experience gelato the way Italians eat it, have it from a tub where it's not frozen solid. Because gelato is essentially not very rich, in Italy it's always served soft, so it tastes creamy. Gelato is gathered on a paddle-like utensil and overlapped in cones or cups like petals on a rose.
Egg yolks, beside adding the flavor and color to your recipe, are also a natural emulsifier (they help binding water & fat molecules to obtain a smooth and creamy texture) and help incorporate more air in your gelato. These reasons make them ideal in chocolate, nuts and overall heavy solid & fatty flavors.
Traditionally, Italian gelato is served with a spade, not a scoop, and is made with fresh, top quality ingredients to give the gelato the best flavor possible!