We all scream: Nearly 7 in 10 Americans have ice cream in the freezer ‘at all times’

NEW YORK — There are plenty of happy children enjoying their Fudgesicles, Push-Ups, and Flavor-Ices this summer. Almost half of Americans say they’re happy to let their kids be big spenders at the neighborhood ice cream truck this year.

A recent poll of 2,000 U.S. residents finds that 47 percent plan to let their children participate in this summertime activity more often than they got the chance themselves. Although a third of respondents (34%) bought their own truck-sourced treats several times or more each summer, another one in five (23%) didn’t grow up in an area frequented by ice cream trucks. Another 17 percent have never ordered from any kind of ice cream truck in their lives.

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Oatly, the survey also suggests that people eat more ice cream in the summer (45%) than during any other season. That’s despite its status as the most-loved dessert among survey respondents (82%) – so much so that 68 percent claimed to have ice cream in their freezer “at all times.” Although one in three come across these trucks much more frequently than they used to as kids, for many adults it just doesn’t have quite the same appeal.

Trucks (18%) even lost out to ice cream parlors (35%) and supermarkets (22%) as the best places to buy ice cream from. Almost half the poll (49%) even believe that their bodies “just can’t handle” the types of desserts made popular by ice cream trucks anymore.

How to tolerate lactose intolerance with ice cream

“So many people suffer from lactose intolerance, but that doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be able to enjoy one of everyone’s all-time favorite desserts,” says Julie House, Senior Director of Product Development at Oatly, in a statement. “Without having to sacrifice on taste or performance, dairy-free alternatives are an amazing option.”

When asked about the restrictions they’ve had to consider when eating, 23 percent of respondents cited a food allergy, while another 33 percent attributed it to changes in their body’s digestive tolerance. As a result, about 30 percent claimed to eat gluten-free foods every single day, followed by 17 percent who keep their diets strictly dairy-free.

In contrast, only one in seven (14%) have never tried any dairy-free options for themselves. Many even felt they could easily tell the difference between ice cream and frozen yogurt in a taste test (62%) – but less so that they could identify dairy from non-dairy desserts (52%).

Of those polled, 46 percent would be willing to try more non-dairy ice cream in their diets, and 49 percent would generally prefer to swap foods out for healthier alternatives rather than quit cold turkey. Fifty-nine percent even admit to thinking it’s OK to “cheat” in one aspect of their diet if they’re practicing consistently good habits in other respects.

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