Denmark’s food agency translates weekly treat guideline into ice cream portions

The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration has clarified how its recommendation of five handfuls of sweet treats per week translates into ice cream portions, DR reports.

For a 5-year-old child, one small ice pop (60g, ~80 calories) counts as a single handful. A 9-year-old’s portion is two small scoops of ice cream in a cup (130g, ~130 calories).

A 15-year-old’s handful equals one medium chocolate-coated ice pop (65g, ~167 calories). For a 23-year-old man, it is one large chocolate-coated ice pop (70g, ~215 calories), while a 50-year-old man’s portion is three scoops of ice cream (285g total, ~191 calories).

The agency notes that Danes on average consume four times the recommended amount of sweet treats—20 handfuls weekly—counting ice cream alongside candy, chips, and sugary drinks.

Kirstine Hartvig Mahler, unit manager at the agency, advises balancing occasional summer indulgences by reducing other sweet snacks. She emphasizes that long-term dietary habits matter more than temporary relaxations.