Ice cream, the staple dessert for most American families. Ice cream, like any candy or sweets, appeals to our most juvenile desires. But like all good things, it’s riddled with fat and sugar. But it looks like things are changing. American’s eating habits have changed, everything needs to be gluten-free, vegan, high in protein, and low in calories. So, if you could take something like ice cream and market it as “healthy” you’ve struck gold.
How Halo Top Stole the Show
That’s exactly what Halo Top did. The popular healthy ice cream brand launched in Los Angeles, California five years ago. As soon as you enter their colorful, happy website in bold lettering you can read “Finally, Healthy Ice Cream. That Actually Tastes Like Ice Cream”. Since it's marketed as low-calorie, high in protein, and low in sugar it’s no surprise that Halo Top became the best-selling pint of ice-cream in Us-grocery stores. Over the summer, Halo Top out-sold Häagen-Dazs and Ben and Jerry’s. Not only has Halo Top released 24 flavors, they have also recently released non-dairy options. To summarize it's a whole pint of ice cream that ranges from 200-350 calories per pint.
Sounds Too Good To Be True, Right?
Well... it is. Halo Top relies heavily on whipping large amounts of air into their ice cream so it weighs about half the amount of a normal pint of ice cream. The other elements of Halo Top's ice cream are stevia and probiotic fibers that help cut out sugar and fat. The air and artificial sweeteners aren't even the biggest problem with Halo Top, it is the marketing strategy the brand has used. Halo Top encourages customers to eat a whole pint in one sitting, which no other ice cream company could get away with. The seals on the ice cream pints entice you to "Stop when you hit the bottom." and "Guilt-free zone. Keep digging." It's no shock Halo Top promotes this overindulgence because the more pints people eat, the more pints people buy. Even though the calorie count is low it's never healthy to eat an entire pint of ice cream.
What's The Scoop?
Eating the suggestive serving size of Ben and Jerry's (which is 1/2 a cup, 1/4 of a pint) is around 250 calories. You can still eat regular ice cream and not rack up the calories. It's even better if you follow the Halo Top serving sizes because you barely intake any calories and still get to enjoy ice cream. This is also is financially more responsible because making your pint last means spending less money on ice cream.
The Truth
I must confess I have indulged in a full pint of Halo Top ice cream, and I must say I still felt the shame that comes with realizing you made it to the bottom of an ice cream pint. It was hard not to when Halo Top is bullying you into it. Even though Halo Top has it's downsides, they keep coming out with unique flavors. Like everyone else, I'll continue to buy the low calorie ice cream, but I will not let the savvy marketing tactics deter me eating in moderation.