Your Favorite 'Healthy' Ice Cream May Be Lying To You. Here's How
One of the best and most satisfying treats in the world? A cup of ice cream, of course. Such a versatile dessert! It's there for you when you're recovering from a breakup and need something to cheer you up, and it's also a great choice for celebratory occasions, like a dinner party with your closest friends and family members.
Well, there's one thing, though. As more consumers get health-conscious, they can't help but look for options that are lower in calories and sugar but still great in terms of flavors. Maybe you're a vegan consumer who prefers to avoid dairy and can't eat most generic ice cream brands. Or perhaps you're diabetic and need to follow a sugar-free diet. Thankfully, there are plenty of options for those who prefer alternatives and still want to be able to feast on their ice cream bowls.
As reported by Eat This, Not That!, several low-calorie ice cream brands are currently dominating the market such as Edy's Slow Churned, Breyers Natural Vanilla, Enlightened Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, and more. However, don't get too excited yet. There's one thing that you must be mindful of when choosing low-calorie ice cream. Here are the details.
Pay attention to your ice cream's nutritional facts
Sometimes, things really are too good to be true. According to a HuffPost piece, you've got to be observant when you're shopping for low-calorie ice cream. You see, different low-calorie ice cream brands will give you varied nutritional profiles. For example, if you choose to buy something like Halo Top, you'll be amazed to know that a whole pint is less than 400 calories. Which is the dream.
Nutritionist Jamie Hickey explained to HuffPost that it pays to check nutritional information when you're shopping for ice cream instead of blindly buying something because it claims to be low in calories. He said, "There has been a new push for ice cream brands to make a product that has less calories and more protein, and Halo Top is a prime example of this; the serving size is the entire pint and the calories range from 280 to 380, depending on the ingredients." As Hickey puts it, this means you can eat half of a Halo Top pint and only consume about 150 calories. However, other brands may divide these calories into several servings in a single pint, with each serving hovering around 250 calories.
Also, per Reddit users, these ice cream brands aren't wallet-friendly in the least. One pint of Halo Top can set you back $5. A solid recommendation is to make ice cream at home — something that can help you monitor the ingredients and enjoy your treat as well. A win-win!