Which dessert is “better” for you?

With summer already in full swing, ice cream parlors across the country are serving cold and delicious treats in many flavors to customers of all ages.

But can ice cream be part of a healthy diet? And does a particular type of ice cream have a big impact on the nutritional value of the food?

Just in time for National Ice Cream Day on Sunday, July 21, Fox News Digital spoke to two experts to get to the bottom of these questions.

Ice cream “can absolutely be part of a healthy diet,” Dr. Chris Mohr, a Louisville, Kentucky-based fitness and nutrition consultant with Fortune Recommends Health, told Fox News Digital via email.

“Food is about much more than calories, sugar and fat,” he said.

“The key is moderation and balance,” he said. “Enjoying an occasional scoop can help control cravings for sweets, which could make it easier to stick to healthy eating goals.”

Keri Glassman, a New York-based nutritionist and founder of the Nutritious Life platform, told Fox News Digital that ice cream should be a “conscious indulgence.”

“Ice cream is a very satisfying treat because of its fat content,” she said.

“That said, you should be able to eat a bag and be done. Just be careful not to reach into a pint with a spoon.”

Glassman also told Fox News Digital that ice cream contains something called C15:0, an essential fatty acid.

“C15:0 is linked to slowing our biological age at the cellular level. It targets multiple longevity pathways, strengthens our cells against age-related deterioration, and supports our long-term cardiac, metabolic and liver health,” she said.

Is the type of ice cream important?

So, with this in mind, how important is the taste of the ice cream base?

Not much, said Mohr and Glassman.

“In terms of nutritional value, chocolate and vanilla ice cream are relatively similar,” Mohr said. “The more important factors to look for are the quality and ingredients used, as well as the ingredients in the ice cream, like candy, caramel and the like – which usually contain more calories, added sugar and saturated fat.”

Glassman agreed, saying that it’s not about things like “chocolate or vanilla,” but about “the type and quality of the ice cream.”

“You should check the ingredient list carefully. Look for products that consist primarily of real ingredients like cream, milk, cocoa and vanilla beans,” she said.

“Many ice cream products contain all kinds of unhealthy additives such as colorings and gums.”

One way to make ice cream consumption as healthy as possible is to look for “the highest quality ingredients,” says Glassman.

In addition, you can “add nutrient-rich toppings like some dark chocolate, chopped nuts or fresh fruit – and most importantly, enjoy it,” she said.

To make eating ice cream as healthy an experience as possible, Mohr suggested a different technique.

“To make your ice cream a little healthier, add fresh fruit or nuts on top – or better yet, on the bottom – and use the ice cream as a topping rather than a base,” he said.

“It’s a great way to increase the nutritional value while maintaining the ice cream flavor.”

Alternatively, someone who wants to save calories could try soft ice cream instead of the traditional hard ice cream variety.

“Soft serve ice cream often contains more air and may contain additional additives for texture, making it lower in calories per volume,” he said. “Hard serve ice cream is usually more calorie dense.”

However, Mohr added, “Both types can fit into a balanced diet when consumed in moderation. However, if you have concerns, check the nutritional information on the package. What you do most of the time is always more important than what you do sometimes – so both types can fit.”

Although both ice cream flavors are nutritionally similar, the experts told Fox News Digital that they personally prefer one or the other.

“I’ve always been a vanilla guy, but recently I’ve become a bigger fan of chocolate base,” Mohr said.

“However, large surveys have shown that vanilla is the more popular choice.”

Glassman described himself as “a chocolate person in general” – but not when it comes to ice cream.

“When it comes to ice cream, a real, high-quality vanilla bean is my favorite,” she said.