Summertime means the return of the corner ice cream stand and warm summer evenings when a dish of ice cream calls our name from the freezer. Yet we all know that a daily ice cream habit can derail our weight loss plans. Do you have favorite lower-calorie ice cream treats that fit into your meal plan? How do you handle family trips to the ice cream parlor?

Family trips to the ice cream parlor are particularly difficult for me, so I try to only take enough cash with me to feed the kids. That way, I'd have to deny one of them to get myself something, and I wouldn't do that.

I also like to have sugar-free popsicles in the summer, and occasionally frozen yogurt. But, I learned a trick a long time ago that does great for those "cold" summer munchies. Put some grapes in the freezer and let them freeze. When you take them out, they are like a frozen treat that's good for you. I love them!

That's a lot of willpower to go out for ice cream and not get any yourself! How do you keep from feeling deprived?

I love the frozen grape idea, and sometimes I use this with frozen strawberries as well.

I do miss having the ice cream, but I remind myself of why I'm doing it and the good I will feel down the line. Plus, I save that money from not buying it and put it towards a non-food goal down the road.

I don't like strawberries myself (I know, everyone tells me that is strange!), but my kids would probably love that. I will have to try it with them.