From racing driver to ice cream parlor, there’s only one stroke of the accelerator. A big fan of frosted desserts, Charles Leclerc now runs his own brand of… low-calorie ice creams. The idea is to be able to eat it without feeling guilty, and continue to slip into your now legendary red jumpsuit. “Ice cream takes me back to my childhood. On Sundays, we watched the car races as a family, and the ice cream was often there,” the sportsman confided to 20 Minutes on the occasion of the presentation of the brand’s latest addition in Milan.
At the LEC base, Charles Leclerc and Federico Grom were quickly joined by Guido Martinetti, the “ice magician” as he is nicknamed by his teams, and Nicolas Todt, manager of the racing driver. To meet the demands of athletes, they have multiplied attempts to develop a low-calorie ice cream, without compromising on taste. “I wanted to be able to eat it more often, but the ice cream had to be good, without too much fat or sugar. This is where Guido came into play,” explains Charles Leclerc. If the ice cream in question has nothing to envy of its competitors in terms of taste (yes, we tested it), such a proposal raises questions about its content.
Fiber rather than sugar
Why didn’t the others think of it? We can ask ourselves the question, and be skeptical of a recipe supposed to combine deliciousness and absence of sugar (for ice cream, at least). According to Charles Leclerc and Guido Martinetti, this is due to the addition of fiber, “which made it possible to reduce sugar and fat”. Ice creams specifically contain polydextrose, derived from corn, and inulin, derived from chicory. Ingredients that “provide texture and creaminess”, explains the “magician” behind the product.
The brand does not, however, sell itself as organic or natural. She also admits to using sweeteners. The latter, which can be found in certain light or sugar-free drinks, are used as substitutes for fat and sugar. If this makes it possible to reduce the calorie content without harming the tasting (some are flavor enhancers), such ice cream does not replace – obviously – a food naturally rich in fiber. It must be perceived, like any sweetness of this type, as a pleasure, so as not to develop or maintain an attraction to sweet flavors.
No more than 399 calories per jar
Beyond the ingredients used, the LEC brand has set itself a goal: never to exceed 399 calories per pot. Currently, the flavors offered range between 335 and 399 kcal for a 460 ml pot, or between 130 and 150 kcal per 100 grams. In three other well-known competitors, the values observed are around 250 kcal, or even up to 300 kcal, per 100 grams. A difference that is also found in the nutritional table. In more detail, Charles Leclerc’s ice cream contains three times less fat, half as much sugar, and more dietary fiber (around 9 grams compared to almost nothing for the others).
The brand thinks it can go even further: “There is a decisive element, these are the pieces inside the ice. These pieces contain little water, like chocolate for example, so we must rebalance the quantity of solid pieces to further lower this threshold of 399 calories,” assures Guido Martinetti. The latter also reveals its secret to obtaining a creamy texture capable of making you forget the low calorie content. “The key is to have very small air bubbles in the ice cream to make it creamy, full in the mouth when tasting,” he explains.
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Chocolate, vanilla, pistachio, caramel and hazelnuts make up the brand’s offering, which sets no limits when developing other flavors. “What I like is the contrast with what you feel in the mouth and the real caloric level,” confides Charles Leclerc, who is delighted to be able to indulge in this guilty pleasure. But still, in moderation.
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