Rating Diet Ice Creams
Rating Diet Ice Creams
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by Susan Woodward
Ponder for a moment life without ice cream. Yes, it’s hard to do. It feels a little like life without hot, bright sunshine, or life without the occasional big belly laugh.
“People like ice cream and they don’t want to be told they can’t have it,” sums up Linda Mendoza, a registered dietician with the Washington State Dairy Council.
Blunt but wise words.
It’s that awesome flavor (combined with the unique texture) that hooks us. Nutritional value is debatable. Sure, there’s a little calcium component, maybe some nuts or real fruit in the super premium stuff. But we all know a good ice cream when we taste it. That’s why, despite its serious fat content, even the obese amongst us resist giving it up.
What’s a person to do? Well, if you haven’t already, you could give so-called “diet” ice creams a go. Below we rate six of the best ones on the market.
First, a few words of warning – “low-fat” and “low-carb” ice creams usually require other additives to stabilize and sweeten the product, so they may not be as pure and healthy as their fully loaded cousins. Also note that the metrics included on the product label (and below) are based on half-cup portions. That’s roughly equal to the size of a tennis ball, or two pretty small scoops – not the whole carton, people!
OK, that said, here we go (rated least to most flavorful).
6. Breyer’s “Carb Smart” (Rocky Road)
Bold try, but too far from the taste of a real Rocky Roader to really enjoy. The ice cream looks (and feels) ultra-whipped. Contains Splenda, that relatively new, chemically altered sucrose that tastes sweet but isn’t absorbed by the body.
Calories: 140
Total Fat: 11 g
Cholesterol: 20 mg
Carbohydrates: 12 g
5. Healthy Choice Premium Low-Fat Ice Cream (Vanilla)
“It tastes like frozen cool whip!” exclaimed one of our taste testers. Great, if you like that kind of thing. Impressive low-fat figures.
Calories: 110
Total Fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 10 mg
Carbohydrates: 19 g
4. The “Skinny Cow” Low-Fat Ice Cream (Mint Chocolate Chip)
Kind of watery, closer to the texture of sorbet than ice cream, but worthy regardless.
Calories: 120
Total Fat: 2.5 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Carbohydrates: 23 g
3. Ben & Jerry’s “Carb Karma” (Chocolate)
Tastes like chocolate and is darn close to the real thing. Like its Breyer’s low-carb counterpart, this product contains no added sugar, using Splenda instead. Like B&J’s popular super premiums, “Carb Karma” isn’t shy about fat and calories.
Calories: 150
Total Fat: 12 g
Cholesterol: 55 mg
Carbohydrates: 11 g
2. Haagen-Dazs Low-Fat Frozen Yogurt & Sorbet (Vanilla Raspberry Swirl)
Yum! Now we’re talking. The raspberries don’t taste as fortified with sugar as regular sorbet but you know, this is a very satisfying ice-cream alternative.
Calories: 170
Total Fat: 2.5 g
Cholesterol: 25 mg
Carbohydrates: 32 g
1. Starbucks Low-Fat Latte
The ultimate proof that someone has finally got it right with diet ice cream. Never mind it’s a coffee manufacturer, this ice cream rocks! “The Starbucks low-fat latte tastes wonderful – and I’m an ice-cream lover!” attests Sylvia Klinger, a corporate nutrition consultant in Chicago, Ill. who develops recipes for food manufacturers. From the mouth of a pro!
Calories: 170
Total Fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 10 mg
Carbohydrates: 30 g
To recap, there are more varieties of low-fat and low-carb ice cream (and sorbet) in your local grocery store than ever. Some taste great, but if you read the labels, you’ll soon learn that “low fat” and “fat free” are a myth, and “low carb” simply means the product is artificially sweetened.
And remember, there’s always this possibility: “You don’t have to drive yourself crazy with everything low fat and low carb,” advises nutritionist Jonny Bowden, ironically the author of Living the Low-Carb Life. “Get the richest, most wholesome premium ice cream you can get, indulge in a serving, be done with it, and don’t do it too often.”
Call it responsible decadence.
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