Dairy desserts are extremely popular all over the world. In fact, according to Answers.com, ice cream is the most popular dessert in the United States. The most popular flavors, listed in descending order are: vanilla, chocolate, neapolitan, strawberry and cookies n’ cream. (Source: NPD National Eating Trends Services)

While consumers do not select dairy desserts for their nutrient content, they do contain significant nutrients. The nutrients for ice cream and sherbet listed in the table below are for non-premium varieties. Nutrient values for low-fat ice cream are also listed. If you select a premium ice cream or a specialty ice cream (e.g. made with artificial sweeteners), consult the Nutrition Facts side panel of the product for the nutrient analysis. The table below also contains the nutrient analysis for pudding and custard made with low-fat milk. All of the dairy desserts listed are for a one-half cup serving.

You will find a wide variety of dairy desserts recipes on the Meals Matter website. Note: most of these recipes are contributed by users and do not contain nutrient analysis.

Desserts (1/2 cup, prepared with milk)	Pudding low-fat milk	Custard low-fat milk	Ice Cream, Vanilla	Low-fat Ice Cream	Sherbet
Calories	149	148	132	92	127
Protein (g)	4.6	5.5	2.3	2.5	1.2
Carbohydrate (g)	27.8	23.6	15.5	15	27.3
Fat (g)	2.8	3.7	7.3	2.8	1.7
Saturated Fat (g)	1.6	1.9	4.5	1.7	1
Cholesterol (mg)	9	74	29	9	4
Sodium (mg)	418	200	53	56	24
Vit A (RE)	56	74	77	31	19.5
Vit A % RDA	6	7	8	3	19
Vit C (mg)	1	1	0	1	1
Vit C % RDA	2	2	0	2	2
Folate (mcg)	6	10	3	4	7
Folate % RDA	3	5	1	2	3
Calcium (mg)	153	197	85	92	44
Calcium % RDA	13	15	7	8	4
Magnesium (mg)	27	26	9	10	7
Magnesium % RDA	6	6	2	2	2
Zinc (mg)	0.62	0.70	0.45	0.29	0.65
Zinc % RDA	4	5	3	2	4
Phosphorus (mg)	353	176	69	72	34
Phosphorus % RDA	28	14	5	6	3
Iron (mg)	0.22	0.34	0.06	0.07	0.15
Iron % RDA	-	-	-	-	-