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This favorite frozen treat is just as good homemade as the ones you’d stand in a long line to buy. I want to be honest and tell you maybe even a bit better, because you can feel comfortable that you and your loved ones are eating a chemical free Mint Chocolate - Chip Ice Cream.
I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for… Mint Chocolate - Chip Ice Cream!
We made a video of this recipe on St. Patrick's day and what else is there to do on this beautiful afternoon? As soon as we finished the videotaping, from outside we could hear the lively music of the neighborhood ice cream truck as it was approaching our house loaded with lots of commercial creaminess. Of course, all 3 of my kids came running into the house (they must play outside, while I make videos), asking for money in order to purchase ice cream. To their surprise, they received freshly homemade ice cream from mama instead!
My take on Commercial Ice Cream
As you probably know by now, I don't have any diet related dogmas, except avoiding industrial chemicals, pesticides, toxins and other additives in food, and I do follow my body’s intuition and listen to it very closely when deciding what to eat. Often, I am asked, "are you vegan"? Somehow due to massive TV propaganda, a vegan lifestyle = a healthy lifestyle.
I love ice cream and my kids do too! And that’s why I’m always looking for ways to enjoy dairy chemical free desserts and it’s why I created this recipe so I can enjoy ice cream all the time without sacrificing how I feel, the way I look or my energy level.
Reasons to avoid commercial ice cream:
Ice creams are full of emulsifiers, such as Carrageenan, Cellulose gum, Polysorbate 80, Artificial Colors, that have been shown to disrupt the good bacteria in your gut. Take a few minutes and read this article. Remember a healthy gut is the key to good health and a slim waistline.
Mono and Diglycerides (or Partially Hydrogenated Oils): These contain trans fat which is strongly correlated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Zero-Calorie Sweeteners: “No Sugar Added” ice creams are packed with sugar alcohols like maltitol syrup and sorbitol. These are associated with destroying gut health. Artificial sweeteners like sucralose (Splenda) and acesulfame potassium have been shown to increase weight gain by promoting sugar cravings. When you eat something sweet – even when it has no calories – your brain is tricked into wanting more calories because your body is not getting enough energy (i.e. calories) to be satisfied. So you keep craving sweets, eating sweets, and gaining weight.
Artificial Colorings in your favorite Ice Cream
Mint-chocolate chip ice cream just happens to be my oldest son's favorite ice cream, or at least that is what he claims! But, this ice cream screams "big taboo" for me, especially when it is the commercially made ice cream. The beautiful bright green color is unfortunately artificial.
What's bad about it, many parents might ask?
Here is what you should know:
May harm children’s health and best be avoided according to a 2018 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) policy statement.
Have been banned in countries such as Norway and Austria. Titanium dioxide was more recently banned in Europe due to studies linking it to genotoxicity, which is the ability to damage DNA, interfere with a child’s hormones, growth.
Artificial colors are known to cause an increase in hyperactivity in children, which requires a warning label in Europe that states “May have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.
Can be contaminated with known carcinogens (a.k.a. an agent directly involved in causing cancer). Also have a negative impact on children’s ability to learn. Have been linked to long-term health problems such as asthma, skin rashes, and migraines.
Disrupt the immune system. Research has found that “The molecules of synthetic colorants are small, and the immune system finds it difficult to defend the body against them.
You’ll find them listed on an ingredient label as Red 40, Red 3, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Blue 1.
So, I was on my mission to get this particular ice cream as naturally green and healthy as possible.
Green without harm, What is Chlorella?
In the past, I published several recipes with spirulina, and here is one of them:
Based on the National Library of Medicine, spirulina is a very hot subject around the world with more and more research revealing how good it is for your health.
But, Spirulina's cousin Chlorella is a powerhouse as well.
In a small town called Bar, where I'm from in another part of the world - Ukraine, there was a factory-laboratory where the Chlorella was produced and supplied not only in Ukraine but in all of the Soviet Union countries. As a middle school student, we took a field trip to this factory. I saw how incredible that was. I remember the tour guide stated that it was also safe for human intake and he sent us home with a little jar of green stuff.
Just like spirulina, it is a freshwater algae with a host of benefits. Unlike spirulina, it is a single-celled freshwater algae (spirulina is many-celled). It is also one of the oldest known species on the planet and is able to reproduce 8 times a day.
Chlorella has a very hard outer shell, making it almost completely indigestible to humans, so a special process cracks the outer shell for enhanced digestibility. And by the way it is one of the most-used supplements in Japan, where most of the world’s supply is produced today.
Health Benefits of Chlorella
WebMD lists that Chlorella is used to boost the immune system, to aid digestive problems, to increase good bacteria in the digestive system, and is good for ulcers.
Chlorella is a source of Chlorophyll, Protein, Iron, Magnesium, and amino acids, but it is primarily known as a detoxifying supplement. Its tiny size and unique properties make it able to bind to heavy metals and unwanted chemicals in the body. Pretty amazing, that chlorella can help liver and detoxification pathways without stripping beneficial minerals from the body.
In my recipe I used pure Chlorophyll, in a liquid form along with a mint essential oil. This combo was so fantastic in my mint - chocolate chip ice cream.
Make sure to check out how to make ice cream cones, they are worth making the extra effort!
Very SIMILAR ice cream recipe
What do you need to make Mint - Chocolate Chip Ice Cream?
Chlorophyll or Chlorella - I used chlorophyll with mint flavor (essential mint oil added).
Heavy cream - I always use organic and not all organic brands are created equal. There are products that have way too many additives.
Sweetened condensed milk - organic if possible, also goat milk and condensed milk are great options too.
Chocolate chips - I love dark chocolate, but use any kind you like.
Let's do it...
Prep time: 5 minutes
Making time: 15 minutes
Waiting time: 30 minutes-few hours
Author: Innichkachef.com
Serves: 10 servings
Ingredients
130 drops or 1&1/2 teaspoons of Chlorophyll
475 ml heavy cream, organic
1 can sweetened condensed milk, organic
2 cups chocolate chips (I think 1 cup would be enough)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Directions
Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, add your cream whisking on medium speed for a few minutes.
As soon as you notice it slightly thickening, add sweetened condensed milk. Keep whisking until soft peaks are achieved.
Add chocolate chips and Chlorophyll. Mix all together.
Pour in freezable containers or individual ice cream cups and leave in the freezer for a few hours, depending on the size of your vessel, this can take anywhere between 3 to 8 hours. Or you can use an ice cream maker to have a quicker result.
More healthier Ice creams from my channel
I hope you'll make this recipe soon. If you do, please tag me #innichka_chef on Instagram, Facebook, Patreon or Pinterest.