"Diet ice creams" have become a worldwide "health" fad that numerous people have come to love. As someone who had fallen into an eating disorder, I looked for all of the ways to satisfy my sweet tooth without engulfing a substantial amount of calories. I found that I could eat an entire pint of this "diet ice cream" for just about the same calories as one serving of Ben and Jerry's or a Dairy Queen Blizzard.
Something that I did not realize at the time was that although I was not eating nearly as many calories as I would if I were to eat real ice cream, I was consuming some odd ingredients. Looking at the ingredients in Ben and Jerry's Vanilla Ice Cream, I see the first few ingredients are "Cream, Skim Milk, Liquid Sugar (Sugar, Water)". The first few ingredients of a pint of Halo Top Vanilla Bean Ice Cream are "Milk and cream, eggs, erythritol".
I know what the first three ingredients in the B&J pint are, but I was confused about the erythritol in the Halo Top.
Erythritol
Erythritol is a sugar alcohol that is commonly used as a sugar alternative. With nearly zero calories, it would be seen as quite the "healthy", go-to sweetener. However, sugar alcohols can cause a number of side effects and health issues, such as gastrointestinal issues and they could even cause you to overeat. Sugar alcohols do not get metabolized by the body when consumed so the body does not use them as fuel. This will lead the body to feel unfilled and may cause the consumer to eat more food in order to fill the body.
My Experience
After eating a pint of Halo Top, I told myself I was satisfied, however, I never felt truly satisfied. And thinking about it, sometimes I would not eat the pint of ice cream by itself; I would top it with a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, peanut butter, Oreos, etc.
I also realized I was aiding the wrong thought processes. As someone who had gone through anorexia, recovery consisted of eating a lot more food, which was scary. I was especially scared of falling into binge eating because of the amount of food I needed to consume. Well, eating an entire pint of ice cream and not listening to my body for when I was satisfied was definitely not helping me and was actually promoting a binge eating behavior.
Not to mention, and this may be a TMI, but I definitely did not feel my hottest after eating Halo Top. I felt extremely bloated and made a few too many runs to the bathroom (sorry, but it's true).
Conclusions
Although "diet ice creams" contain less calories for an entire pint, I would rather have a serving of real ice cream. For me, real ice cream leaves me extremely satisfied and happy. I mean who can pass up a delicious cup of Coffee Oreo or Purple Cow ice cream from a homemade ice cream place like Meola's or a scoop of Edy's, B&J, Friendly's, or Hood?
Always remember that anything in moderation is completely, 100% good for you! Listen to your body to know when you are satisfied!
Dairy Free
If you're looking for a dairy free ice cream alternative, check out FoMu, B&J Dairy Free, or NadaMoo!