Summer is upon us, and any kind of frozen treat provides welcome relief from the heat. Here's information to help you choose the healthiest options.

Baskin-Robbins Rocky Road Ice Cream vs. French Vanilla Ice Cream

At 580 calories per cup (two scoops), the Rocky Road is richer than the French Vanilla, but only by 20 calories. Most Baskin-Robbins ice creams range from 240 to 320 calories per half cup, with Peanut Butter 'n Chocolate Ice Cream coming in at the high end. Keep in mind that most of the serving sizes listed on supermarket ice creams are a half cup; however, most people eat at least 1 to 1 1/2 cups — that's 500 to 750 calories.

Haagen-Dazs Vanilla & Almonds Ice Cream Bars vs. Good Humor Candy Center Crunch vs. Klondike Bar

The Haagen-Dazs bar is 320 calories, but most bars are high in calories, including the Starbucks Mud Pie Ice Cream Bar (350 calories for 3 1/4 ounces), and the Dove Dark Chocolate with Vanilla Ice Cream Bar (320 calories for 2 3/4 ounces). The 4-ounce Good Humor Candy Center Crunch is 310 calories. An Original Vanilla Klondike bar is 250 calories for 4.5 ounces. A Good Humor Chocolate ƒclair bar might be your best bet at 220 calories.

Edy's/Dryer's Berry Rainbow Sherbet vs. Ciao Bella Vanilla Gelato vs. Italian Ices

Sherbet, made with milk, fruit or fruit juice, stabilizers and sweeteners is typically lower in calories than ice cream. The Berry Rainbow Sherbet is 130 calories per half cup, and the Baskin-Robbins Wild 'N Reckless Sherbet is 160 calories per half cup.

Gelato is Italian ice cream served in a semi-frozen state, made mostly with milk (not cream), so it can sometimes be lower in calories than premium ice cream. For instance, Old-fashioned Cream Gelato from a famed Italian gelato maker, Grom, has 215 calories for a small (half cup). Ciao Bella Vanilla Gelato is 210 calories for half cup. Italian ices are probably your best bet at only 50 calories per half cup.

Ben & Jerry's Berried Treasure Sorbet vs. Chocolate Fudge Brownie Low Fat Frozen Yogurt vs. Chocolate Fudge Brownie Body & Soul

Sorbet, one of the lower-calorie frozen treats on the market, is similar to sherbet (often using fruit) but contains no dairy. Half a cup of the Ben & Jerry's Sorbet is 110 calories, whereas the low-fat frozen yogurt is 190 calories (still better than ice cream). In Body & Soul, Ben & Jerry's low-calorie line, the Chocolate Fudge Brownie is 180 calories per half cup.

Some of the best sorbets are Haagen-Dazs, which have 120 to 130 calories per half cup including the fantastic Brazilian Acai Berry Sorbet.

Starbucks Classic Coffee Ice Cream vs. Ben & Jerry's Organic Vanilla vs. Haagen-Dazs Light Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

At 230 calories per half cup, the Starbucks is actually lower in calories than other premium ice creams. Haagen-Dazs Light Dulce de Leche Ice Cream has 220 calories for the same amount, even though it's "light." Surprisingly, all the flavors in Ben & Jerry's organic line, at 240 calories per half cup, are lower than most of its regular ice creams.

Skinny Cow Fudge Bars vs. Original Fudgsicle vs. Popsicle

The Fudgsicle is only 100 calories per 2.5-ounce bar, and it also comes in a smaller size, which means fewer calories (60 for 1.65 ounces). That's really a Calorie Bargain. The Skinny Cow Fudge Bars are also 100 calories.

Get this: A classic Popsicle has only 45 calories in 1.65 ounces. A Creamsicle has 70 calories. And fruit bars are typically around 80 calories per bar — just make sure they have real fruit. PhillySwirl has a number of great-tasting, low-calorie products, including the Phudge Sundae and the Fudge Swirl Stix — 57 calories each.

Charles Stuart Platkin is a nutrition and public-health advocate, and author of "Breaking the FAT Pattern" (Plume, 2006). Sign up for the free Diet Detective newsletter at www.dietdetective.com.