3 reasons why you should be eating ice cream in winter

The winter season is definitely here and that means frosty mornings and twinkling lights, Christmas shopping and festive countdowns. When it comes to food we often look for hot and warming plates and puddings when the temperature drops. However, ice cream still has a place on your table at this time of year. In fact there are three good reasons why you should still be eating ice cream in winter.

It’s medicinal

Okay, strictly speaking it’s not medicine but ice cream can have a very soothing effect when it comes to the illnesses and complaints that can affect anyone at this time of year. For example, if you’ve got a sore throat as a result of being sick with a cough or cold, a bowl of chilled ice cream can help to soothe the raw pain. You’ll even get some nutritional benefits from enjoying ice cream in winter that can be useful when it comes to boosting your immune system. For example, it’s filled with B vitamins that can be energising and also contains protein, which is essential for tissue repair and cell growth.

Ice cream goes well with everything

In the summer ice cream is often enjoyed on its own – perhaps with a wafer or a few toppings – but in the winter it can be the perfect partner to all of your favourite cold weather puddings. There’s nothing quite like the taste of vanilla ice cream melting into the sponge of a sticky toffee pudding, for example. Or a dollop of salted caramel gelato flooding a hot fudgy brownie. And, given that Christmas is just around the corner, let’s not forget how much nicer a hot, spicy mince pie is when served with ice cream – or even the traditional Christmas pudding. Winter is the ideal time to enjoy the cool creaminess that ice cream can bring to every pudding plate.

The conditions are ideal

Trying to eat ice cream at any other time of year can be a race to avoid drips – but not in winter. When the weather is cold you have time to really savour the experience of eating ice cream, whether that’s in a cone or a tub. Even if you add your favourite hot sauce you’ll still be able to take your time eating it and the treat won’t end up in a liquid state within a few minutes of pouring on the warm caramel or the hot fudge. Cold conditions mean that ice cream stays solid for longer so you can really linger over the flavour and enjoy the taste sensation of this classic sweet treat.

Winter is actually the ideal time to enjoy ice cream, no matter what your favourite way is to eat it. Whether you’re adding it to a hot pudding or simply enjoying it on its own in a cone – and taking your time over the eating – there are lots of benefits to indulging in ice cream during the winter months.