HEALTHIER ICE CREAM - IS IT WORTH THE HYPE? (PLUS A PRINTABLE ICE CREAM TASTE TEST SCORECARD)

HAPPY SUMMER FRIENDS! 

Summertime is definitely my favorite season.  I love chilling out, maxing, relaxing all cool... and ice cream.  I.  Love.  Ice cream.  It's like the ultimate sweet summertime treat and I seriously look forward to it on a hot day. 

But, no matter my love affair with this indulgent food, there's no denying that it IS high in fat (especially un-heart-healthy saturated fat) and sugar.  (An average vanilla ice cream contains 45% of your day's worth of saturated fat and 7 teaspoons of sugar in 1 cup.  WOWZA.) 

So, I've decided to broaden my horizons in the name of nutrition to find out for myself if these "healthier" ice creams on the market are all they're made out to be.  Here were our findings... 

THE "HEALTHIER ICE CREAM" CONTENDERS

We evaluated each variety based on 4 main factors: 

1. Flavor
2. Texture
3. Price
4. Nutrition 

And gave an overall rating on a scale of 0 - 5. 
(0 = Wouldn't touch it if you paid me to; and 5 = UHMAZING!) 

Here's what our panel thought... 

ARCTIC ZERO ROCKY ROAD TRIP
This brand touts a lot of things -- "lactose-free", "gluten-free", "GMO-free", and "low-glycemic".

• 1/2 cup contains:
  • 75 calories
  • 1g of fat
  • 8g of sugar and
  • 3g of protein

And while sorbet-fans loved the texture of the frozen dessert and the marshmallows received raving reviews, overall this brand fell flat with a rating of 1. 

LALOO'S REDUCED-FAT GOAT MILK ICE CREAM - CAPRACCINO ALMOND FUDGE
This ice cream is a real dairy option for those looking for a product with less lactose than traditional ice cream.

• 1/2 cup contains:
  • 210 calories
  • 9g of fat
  • 24g of sugar and
  • 6 grams of protein

You can actually taste a bit of the twang you get with goat milk products and we all agreed the texture of this ice cream is most similar to real ice cream. Ratings came in at 3's and 4's! 

​HALO TOP COOKIES AND CREAM
Finally!  The infamous Halo Top!  I've been wanting to try this "low-sugar", "low-carb", "low-fat" ice cream that seems to be always sold out in stores.

• 1/2 cup contains:
  • 80 calories
  • 2.5g of fat
  • 6g sugar (plus 5g sugar alcohol) and
  • 5g protein

Despite their stellar sales, the panel only gave this variety a rating of 2-3... meh. 

SO DELICIOUS DAIRY-FREE COOKIE DOUGH
SO DELICIOUS offers several varieties of non-dairy frozen dessert.

• 1/2 cup contains:
  • 170 calories
  • 9g fat
  • 16g sugar and
  • 1g protein

Unfortunately, some of the panel does not like coconut, but others gave it a rating of 2-3. 

The winner of this healthier ice cream taste test... LaLoo's! 

I have to admit that was a little disappointed in these "healthier" ice cream alternatives so will likely stick with the real deal (and plan for it in my day), but glad I gave them a go. 

Want to conduct your own ice cream taste test?  Get your own printable scorecards below! 

Ice Cream Taste Test Scorecard - TheMealPlanningMethod.com
File Size:	31 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

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lindsey

P.S. I want to thank my esteemed panel of ice cream taste testers!  No individuals were harmed in the process of this eating experiment. :)