Choosing a favourite ice cream based on personal preference alone is easy enough…but what if you had to make a case to save your favourite flavour of ice-cream from eternal oblivion? You might need to put some stronger arguments together than “it’s the most delicious flavour”!
This activity requires a little research and works well if there are several siblings (or even a group of friends on Zoom or similar). Of course, the topic doesn’t have to be ice cream – you can adapt it to encompass any topic you like – the best country to live in, the best type of cuisine, the most important subject to study at school – anything you like! Give them an hour to put their ideas together, then re-convene to hear the arguments.
Each participant must put together an argument that includes persuasive reasons to “save” their chosen flavour / category .
For example, if I chose chocolate ice cream (which I definitely would), my ‘ten good reasons’ might be something like this:
1. Chocolate releases a substance called the bromine that arouses euphoric feelings an indication of being in love – not only does it taste amazing, but it makes you feel good.
2. The anti-oxidant potential in chocolate has a wide range of health benefits. The higher the dark chocolate content in chocolate, the better, as dark chocolate has less sugar and fat.
3. Menstrual cramps can be relieved by chocolate due to high amounts of magnesium in it – what other flavour of ice cream can offer this relief?
4. Cacao, one of the primary raw materials in making chocolate has a rich source of antioxidants used to fight cancer and rich in useful vitamins and minerals.
5. Chocolate is and is far more versatile than other flavours. Chocolate can be used in more forms than other flavours – as a solid, as a sauce, as sprinkles, in chunks…
6. As many as 22% of all new ice cream products launched in the UK in the past 12 months were chocolate flavoured, making it the clear winner in terms of preferred flavour for the UK market.
7. the popularity of chocolate as a flavour in new product development has been rising steadily over the past few years increasing from just 15% of all UK new ice cream products in 2013/2014 to 22% in 2015/2016.
8. Some studies have suggested chocolate could prevent memory decline. Scientists at Harvard Medical School have suggested that drinking two cups of hot chocolate a day could help keep the brain healthy and reduce memory decline in older people.
9. One study, published in The Journal of Nutrition, suggests that chocolate consumption might help reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, also known as “bad cholesterol.”
10. Canadian scientists, in a study involving 44,489 individuals, found that people who ate one serving of chocolate were 22 percent less likely to experience a stroke than those who did not. Also, those who had about two ounces of chocolate a week were 46 percent less likely to die from a stroke.