Ok, I admit it. I LOVE McDonalds soft serve ice cream. It is one of my favorite treats after a long joggle, softball game, or road trip. At a mere 150 calories, it’s a great choice compared to things like candy bars, soda pop, and donuts. That’s why I was appalled to see this report about McDonalds ice cream from the folks at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).
According to them, that ice cream cone that I thought was only 150 calories is really more like 225 calories with 4.5 g of saturated fat. CSPI says that McDonalds is “lowballing” their nutritional content to make the dessert seem less bad for you than it is.
I don’t know. I’ve never put too much stock in what the people of CSPI say. In the United States they are the “food nannies” who tell us that everything we’re eating is bad for us. They use the word “science” in their title to make themselves sound more legit but they don’t do science at all. They begin with the position that processed food is bad for you and collect data to prove that. In this case they looked at ice cream from 5 different McDonalds all in the Washington DC area. If they were really doing ‘science’ they would’ve made it a country-wide survey using random sampling. They would’ve also had some experimental controls. For example, if they did get the sizes indicated on the McDonalds website, does the ice cream cone score nutritionally the way McDonalds says it does?
When I get an ice cream cone the size is completely dependent on the person serving it. Some people load it up with 5 swirls of ice cream, others skimp and give only 3. In the long run is the 75 extra calories going to kill me? I don’t think so. So feel free to eat that McDonalds ice cream cone despite what the CSPI has to say. I think I’m going to get one today after kicking my ass for an hour on the treadmill.
Today’s joggling workout…Six half mile repeats at a setting of 10.5 to 11.0, then a 2 mile cool down. It’s gonna be fun for this joggler.
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I actually might be running the Scotiabank half as a training run so I might see you there. If I don’t, I’ll definitely be down there to watch. I LOVE McDonalds ice cream. I usually get a strawberry sundae and not a cone though. Makes me wonder why the shakes are such fat filled calorie monsters when the ice cream is relatively healthy by comparison.
I’ve wondered the same thing; why on earth are the shakes so high in calories?
I think it’s primarily because the serving size is much bigger (32 oz versus 3.2 ounces) If you ate 10 ice cream cones, that would equal the same serving size as one large shake.
McDonald’s fries are like sponges to oil. If you open one and squeeze it you can see oil dripping down.
And that’s bad because?
I love McDonald’s ice cream too, but they seem huge, way more than 3.2 ounces or whatever the serving size is supposed to be. Maybe that’s why the CSPI measurement came back so high. I think you’re right, the serving size realy does depend on who is serving it.
I love to go to the McDonalds where they make the ice cream cones huge! I still kid myself into thinking it’s 150 calroies.
Well said. I would be happy to read anything else you might contribute on this subject.
I love the apple pies but I don’t know if I’m fond of their promotion on it: In my neighborhood you can buy one pie for 99cents or buy 2 for a dollar. Of course I opt for the better deal thus eating more. I try to stay away from McD by default though..
OK its August, its hot outside and I walked over to McDonalds and got a soft serve in a cup. My secretary say hey that’s 500 calories Bud. So I searched and found your website indicating the ice cream cone is only 150 calories so I think AHA! I can handle that. Then I think wait is this is a Mc D’s scam?… the cone is 150 calories, who in the world knows what the ice cream is!? So if you only want the cone…enjoy!
Ken, the entire cone + ice cream is 230 calories according to McDonalds published nutrition information. I don’t know where you got the notion that the cone is 150 without the ice cream but that’s just wrong.
Enjoy the whole dam thing.
I also thought that the soft ice cream at McDonalds was made with ice milk but today i found out that it’s made with oil..I don’t think that i want to eat it so fast..Does anyone know which oils that they put in?
Thanks..Mari
@Mari – where did you learn that it was made with oil?
Gotta agree with you, Perry. I’m a real sucker for those McDonald’s soft ice cream cones. I compared the nutritional stats with another very popular ice cream cone place, and Mac’s were considerably lower in sugar, calories and saturated fats. Not that it matters to me as I would take the soft i.c. cones or sundaes any day. (The bigger the better). (I’m pushing 70 years old but can still outrun my 5 and 8 year old grandkids so I attribute my very good health to the joy of the soft ice cream cones!)
Hey SuzeQ – Thanks for leaving a comment and joining me in my McDonalds ice cream affection. It’s a great product! Congrats also on remaining active. It’s how I want to be later in life too!
It tastes like 225 – not 150 to me.
Listen, in all honesty. Ice Cream isn’t healthy, no matter where it comes from. Healthy eating isn’t about the occational treat, it’s whether or not you are having that treat everyday. If you are, and above all, sitting on your butt doing nothing…then yeah, eventually you will look like a Suma wrestler. But a nice McD’s (or any other ice cream for that matter) every now and again, especially after a hard session at the gym, is wonderful
@Kapokkie – While I don’t think ice cream is inherently unhealthy, I totally agree getting a treat after a hard workout is a great idea.
I got a soft serve cone yesterday and was analyzing what it is about the McD’s cone that makes me so happy, in a way that other ice cream doesn’t. I think it’s the super softness and how it melts quickly and the refreshingness that comes from not being overly dense or creamy – it’s definitely on the lighter side for ice cream. and the pretty whitey whiteness and the pretty swirly shape, and the deliciousness of the light crisp cone at the end. haha..
about the calories, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if it were closer to 225 calories. I’ve gotten good at calorie estimating through the years, and 150 calories doesn’t sound quite right. I would’ve guessed 200 calories, at least. I clicked on the CSPI link and was surprised to see they’re the ones behind the Nutrition Action newsletter, which is excellent, excellent. My mom got her doctorate in nutrition and had a subscription to the newsletter, so I’d read it once in a while growing up.
I totally don’t agree that getting an icecream treat after a hard workout is a great idea!! C’mon, you’ve worked your ass off to lose those couple pounds at the gym, and slobbering over a cone afterwards is killing all the efforts that you’ve JUST put in. If you lost 500 calories at the gym, sweat a pool, muscles all ached up..BAM ..once icecream just killed half the efforts u put in. So in the end of the day, you’ve also lost 250 calories at the gym…not 500, And that’s all because of your guilty treat – the one single icecream cone!!
in the previos post, i meant..you’ve ONLY lost 250 calories at the gym…not 500 because of the single cone that u decided to eat after just working so hard to move 1 step closer to your goal, but the icecream just pulled you back again. So why go to the gym and work so hard if you’re not going to make your efforts count?
There is more to life than losing weight. If eating an ice cream cone afterwards makes someone more motivated to work out then it is worth it.
Why go to the gym? Because it’s good for you.
Haha, of course there is much much more to life than losing weight. You’re definitely right on that!
You go to the gym because you know it’s good for you – makes sense. But, you also eat the icecream when you know it’s not good for you.
Yes but the ice cream doesn’t have a negative impact on the muscle you just gaines by working out, although you are taking in extra calories if you are going to the gym to become stronger and more defined, you can bet that nice treat won’t impact it one but, it may actually help in your progress, it may have a negative impact in some areas for sure, but it’s not like taking a backwards step, going to the gym isn’t all about the calories you burn, it’s also about te strength you gain, the cardio for your hear, your aerobic ability etc… and for someone like me who is 130lbs and trying to get in better shape without dropping down a ton of weight, granted I won’t rush into eating other mcdonalds food and clog all my arteries, but that treat here and there is far from a bad thing or a step backwards from your excercise.
I have to admit that I stumbled across this blog post after googling “False Mcdonalds Nutrition” because I looked at the back-side of the paper on the tray. I was actually surprised to see how much protein was in my daily items.
Yes I ate at Mcdonalds daily. The secret to doing so responsibly is to limit yourself to small fries and a bacon cheeseburger deluxe. Those two items provide 20g of protein and 8g of sugar in one fast meal. If that is true, then there is a case for nourishing Mcdonalds selections.
I don’t think there is a problem eating McDonalds every day but you do need to get fruits and vegetables in your diet too. You hit on the key. Limit your calories!
i like omg love mcdonalds icecream better than wendys lil small ice cream
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