Are Snow Cones Bad For You?
Short answer
Traditional snow cones topped with store-bought or commercial syrups contain zero nutritional value, are filled with sugar, and may have unwanted additives. Snow cones should only be consumed on special occasions.
Harmful to your health. Very few, if any, benefits are present. Things in this category should be avoided as much as possible.
View Full Grading System
Category 'A'
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Side effects are rare. Things rated an 'A+' are typically necessary for survival (for example, water).
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. A few harmful qualities may be associated, but only under certain circumstances such as an allergic reaction.
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Harmful qualities may be associated, but aren't usually serious.
It is important to note that even the best things in life can become bad in immoderate amounts. So, although something may be rated an 'A+', overconsumption/overdoing can bring unwanted effects.
Category 'B'
Very beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B+' may have a few harmful qualities to pay attention to.
Overall beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B' may have some harmful qualities to pay attention to.
More beneficial to your health than not. However, harmful qualities are most likely associated and shouldn't be overlooked.
The main difference between category 'A' and category 'B' is the harmful qualities typically present in 'B' items. Serious side effects are usually uncommon, but are still possible and should be taken note of.
Category 'C'
Both beneficial and harmful qualities associated. Things rated a 'C+' are typically a bit more on the beneficial side. Still, moderation is important.
A fairly even ratio of beneficial and harmful qualities. Moderation is important. Very general topics that can lean towards both sides of the spectrum will be placed here as well. Rice, for example, can be good or bad depending on the type.
More harmful than beneficial. Side effects are common, especially when consumed/done excessively. Moderation is very important.
Category 'C' usually denotes to both good and bad qualities. When it comes to this category, it is important to keep this word in mind: moderation.
Category 'D'
Harmful to your health. Although benefits may be associated, the bad most likely outweighs the good. Moderation is very important.
Harmful to your health. A few benefits may be associated, but the bad outweighs the good. Moderation is extremely important.
Harmful to your health. Very few, if any, benefits are present. Things in this category should be avoided as much as possible.
Category 'D' is typically for things that are more harmful than beneficial. While consuming/doing something unhealthy once in a blue moon shouldn't hurt, we definitely recommend eliminating 'D' items as a regular part of your routine/diet.
Category 'F'
Category 'F' is for things that fail to bring anything beneficial to the table, and are very harmful to your health. We recommend completely avoiding anything in this category. Long-term side effects of 'F' items are usually very serious.
Category 'N'
'N' stands for neutral. Things placed into this category are generally (a) neither good nor bad for you, or (b) lack the necessary evidence to reach any conclusions.
Long answer
Generally speaking, snow cones are just empty calories. Consisting of mostly ice with a bit of sugary syrup on top, a normal snow cone has no nutritional value whatsoever. Nutrients can be added, however, by making your own homemade versions.
The calorie count depends completely on if you get syrup with or without sugar. One ounce of syrup with sugar will bring you about 90 calories, whereas sugar-free syrup has just 3.5 calories per ounce. If you are having syrup with the sugar, then just two ounces will contain 41 grams of sugar. This is quite a bit - if you have diabetes or are hyperglycemic, then you will probably want to avoid eating a sugar-laced snow cone.
The syrups can be made from just about anything imaginable, so giving hard and fast rules as to how good or bad a snow cone is for you is nigh impossible. Besides sugar, some syrups may contain high fructose corn syrup and sodium benzoate (as a preservative), both of which come with their own laundry list of side effects. Specifically, sodium benzoate has been shown to produce trace amounts of benzene - which is a known carcinogen. Furthermore, citric acid, artificial flavors, and artificial colors, including FD&C Blue #1, may be a cause for concern, especially hyperactive children, as it can worsen the condition. While these additives are only present in very small amounts, if you are living an additive-free life, you will want to avoid snow cone syrup that you don’t make yourself. Otherwise, we highly recommend eat snow cones only on special occasions. Real problems can definitely arise when snow cones become a part of your diet.
Possible short-term side effects
- hyperactivity (especially children)
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blood sugar spike
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headache
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nausea
Possible long-term side effects
- diabetes
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weight gain
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increased triglyceride levels
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increased cholesterol
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metabolic syndrome
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cancer
Ingredients to be aware of
Healthier alternatives
- snow cone made with fresh fruit
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snow cone with berry syrup
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fresh fruit smoothie
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Written by Jeff Volling
Published on: 12-29-2015
Last updated: 12-10-2016
Thank you for your feedback!
Written by Jeff Volling
Published on: 12-29-2015
Last updated: 12-10-2016
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