There’s nothing like a frozen treat on a hot summer day. As the temperature starts to soar, so too does the demand for ice cream and other deliciously cooling snacks.
But if you have a food intolerance, particularly to ingredients such as egg or cow’s milk, you can feel a little left out.
Thankfully, there are tonnes of tasty free from alternatives to try, from the supermarket’s own ranges to quick and easy recipes you can make at home.
Dairy free ice-cream
Many of the creamy frozen ice cream treats we love are made using cow’s milk or cream. But it is possible to recreate that rich, thick texture and flavour without using dairy.
Why not try this delicious vanilla ice cream recipe from BBC Good Food which faithfully recreates the classic flavour, without the usual egg or dairy?
Chocolate lover? You don’t have to go without either. This chocolate ice cream recipe uses coconut milk, chocolate chips and sweet potato (yes, really!) to create a thick, fudgy vegan dessert which tasters have described as better than traditional chocolate ice cream – and no, you can’t taste the sweet potato!
Chocolate dipped frozen banana lollies
Looking for an easy frozen treat which tastes great, looks good and also makes for a fun activity to do with the kids? These chocolate dipped banana ice lollies are the perfect fix.
Endlessly customisable, you can add any toppings you like to mix and match flavours, such as freeze-dried fruits, chopped nuts, sprinkles or grated coconut. Just be sure to use dark chocolate or dairy free to avoid the cow’s milk and you’re all set!
Fruity summer sorbet
If you prefer a more fruity frozen treat, sorbet is a refreshing option. Naturally made without dairy and egg, sorbet is an easy free from favourite.
This BBC Good Food recipe for a zesty orange sorbet is the perfect cool-down treat for a hot day, using just three ingredients.
No-milk shake
Want something cold and refreshing, with an ice cream flavour but without the freeze-time? Milkshakes are a great way to satisfy that craving. But if you’re trying to steer clear of dairy, you’ve probably been avoiding milkshakes altogether.
With this deliciously creamy strawberry milkshake recipe from Living Healthily, you can indulge in your favourite cold treat without the cow’s milk.
By adding frozen bananas to the mix and pureeing then, you can recreate that thick, cold ice cream texture.
Could something in your diet be spoiling your summer treats?
It’s estimated that around 45% of the UK population has some kind of a food intolerance, making it a very common condition. But for a lot of sufferers, they never get to the bottom of the problem, relying instead on guesswork and assumptions – all the while living with a condition which causes them to feel unwell without knowing why.
Unlike allergies, which usually involves a severe and instant reaction, intolerances can be fairly mild and take a little while to present themselves after eating a trigger food. Because of this, a lot of people living with food intolerance spend years trying to work out exactly what is causing the problem.
Commonly, people living with food intolerances can experience a range of complaints, from digestive issues including IBS, bloating, cramps, constipation, and diarrhoea to skin problems such as eczema or acne. Asthma, migraine, brain food and low mood are also commonly linked with food intolerances.
Take control of your diet
If you’ve noticed that you regularly seem to experience these types of symptoms, but you aren’t sure why, it may be worth taking a closer look at the foods you’re eating to understand if something in your diet could be the cause.
A common recommendation is the elimination diet, where you remove one food at a time for a few weeks to see how you feel. But this process can take a long time. And, although many of us commonly react to a few different ingredients, the elimination diet is often abandoned when the first trigger food is found, leaving an incomplete picture of what’s causing the problem.
Get answers faster with Smartblood
When it comes to food intolerance testing, it’s important to do your research and choose a reputable laboratory testing company. At Smartblood, we offer a comprehensive test to help you take control of your diet quickly and discover your own trigger foods.
Our home-to-laboratory service gives you fast, accurate results that pinpoint exactly which foods you are reacting to. Tests are completed in our accredited laboratory by trained experts, with clear, easy to understand results sent to you via email within three days.
Dedicated nutritional support
Our food intolerance tests include a telephone consultation with our BANT registered Nutritional Therapist. This additional support is there to help you understand your results and put a plan together to make safe, sustainable changes to optimise your diet.