Chocolate-Banana Ice Cream

Continuing our look at creating healthy alternatives for your favorite comfort foods, this week we're tackling oh-so-hard-to-give-up ice cream. Staying away from the pint is one of the most challenging things for those transitioning to a more healthy way of eating, especially for those with a sweet tooth. But believe it or not, it's possible to replace your favorite frozen treats with something that's better for you, really simple to make, and actually tastes good.

As you probably guessed from the title of this post, the main ingredient of this tasty concoction is banana—frozen bananas specifically. In fact, not only is it the main ingredient but if you really like the taste of banana, it can also be the only ingredient. But it also works great as a base to add other flavors too.  As chocolate fans, we added some regular Hershey's cocoa powder to the recipe, which ups the yum factor while adding only 20 calories and no added sugar to the final product. You can add other fruits, or experiment with ingredients like ground cinnamon, fresh mint, or instant coffee to create your own unique, healthy flavors.

This banana ice cream is the perfect example to illustrate that eating better can not only be enjoyable but also easier and even cheaper than the alternative. One of the additional benefits of this recipe is that its a great way to use bananas that go ripe quicker than you can eat them. Instead of throwing them out, stick those brown bananas in the freezer (where they can stay for months), and use them next time you're craving a guilt-free dessert.