There’s nothing better than a melty vanilla ice cream cone on a warm summer day or a great cup of your favorite mint chocolate chip with your closest friends. But what about when ice cream turns into a casual dessert after a lunch, or a half-pint of indulgence every time you get home from a crazy night out? All the fat and calories are going to affect your health.
Some genius out there created frozen yogurt to decrease the adverse effects of ice cream, but even without most of the fat, the dairy and sugar are still there. Even homemade popsicles are full of sugar, and nut-milk ice creams still have tons of calories.
The newest solution: fit ice cream. These pints are usually made of some form of protein, ice and flavoring. Being the extremely interested person that I am, I taste-tested some of the brands (and nearly all of the flavors), so that you don’t have to.
Arctic Zero
When I first tried Salted Caramel Arctic Zero, I was in heaven. I hit the motherload. Some divine spirit had most definitely delivered this stuff to me. How could these pints be only 150 calories and full of just ice, whey protein and some monk fruit? Unfortunately, the other 150 calorie pint flavors are not as delicious. Vanilla Maple and Cookie Shake are pretty decent, but I would get the Salted Caramel whenever you can. The brand also makes “Chunky” pints, which come in at about 300 calories and hence deplete the possibility of eating a pint in a single sitting. All pints have some form of add-ins like Cookie Dough, Key Lime Pie and Cool Mint Chip. I would most definitely give Arctic Zero a try, but make sure to leave it out for 15 minutes or so. The wait time lets the ice cream get super melty and creamy. You can order the pints online or check out where they are sold (usually grocery stores and Whole Foods). Ordering online can be a little pricey, with six pints costing about $50.
Halo Top Creamery
Always on top with @halotopcreamery ?#fatpplproblems A photo posted by @fatpplproblems on Nov 6, 2015 at 1:23pm PST
I did not think it could get any better than Arctic Zero, but Halo Top is genuinely amazing. The vanilla bean flavor tastes like real vanilla bean ice cream and I genuinely prefer it to Ben and Jerry’s.
The pints come in at about 240 calories and contain stevia as a sweetener. You can check where the pints are sold on their site and your best bet is usually any Whole Foods location. They do not provide pricing online.
Wink Frozen Desserts
When I heard there were 100-calorie pints made of pea protein, I had to order them on their website. This is definitely good for what it is. They are a bit icy and take a while to thaw out, but you can seriously eat a pint with zero guilt.
There is also no worry about allergens because Wink is free of nuts, dairy, gluten and completely vegan. This is the perfect treat for a new vegan to share with family and friends to show that you do not have to change all of your habits. I would go for the Cinnamon Bun and Vanilla Bean flavors, but they all taste a bit similar.
Unfortunately, ordering ice cream online is costly. The cheapest way to order Wink is the 100 calorie pack, which includes 6 pints for $48 and includes shipping. But when you don’t feel terrible after eating it, it’s worth it.