The short answer: yes. You get to satiate your sweet tooth, while still eating a relatively healthy snack; however, it is always recommended to look at the nutrition label to see if your low-calorie ice cream is really ‘healthy.’ I looked into Halo Top, Arctic Zero, So Delicious, and Enlightened. The results were overall trending toward the healthier side.

Halo Top was packed with less sugar, less fat, and more protein, but less calories. Halo top does not use sugarlose, a harmful chemical also known as sweet-n-low, in their ice creams, making this snack a relatively healthy alternative to normal ice cream. Enlightened also had similar results: more protein, less fat and sugar, and less calories. This brand also did not use chemicals such as sugarlose, making it another healthy alternative to a normal ice cream. Arctic Zero followed in Enlightened and Halo Top’s trend of having healthier nutrition labels than its counterparts such as Ben & Jerry’s and Häagan Dazs; however, So Delicious did not have similar results. Despite each pint having the same number of calories as Halo Top, Enlightened, and Arctic Zero, it was packed with a staggering amount of sugar and a heaping amount of saturated fats. This brand actually produces some of the best tasting low-calorie alternatives, but this great taste comes at the cost of the buyer’s health, as each pint has ten grams over the recommended amount of sugar a person should eat in one day. Overall, however, it still did have less calories, so for someone who is wanting to cut back on needless calories, all four of these options are great replacements for regular ice cream.

The taste of these pints is also a plus. Despite not tasting as delicious as its unhealthier rivals, they are still enjoyable to eat. There is a variety of flavors to choose from, and they all have different textures and tastes. All four of the brands mentioned are creamy and taste similar to the real thing. Sometimes, it is actually difficult to discern whether it is low calorie ice cream or the real deal.

Despite all of these great things, there is one downside. Since the entire pint is only around 280-400 calories, people feel it is ok to eat an entire pint of ice cream. Eating an entire pint of ice cream and feeling guilt free may be a plus, but this can lead to binge eating and buyers overindulging; however, this can easily be stopped as long as the buyer tries to portion out their food to avoid this issue.

Overall, low calorie ice creams are a trend that will probably stick around for a long time. It is healthier than normal ice cream and it allows people to indulge without feeling the guilt of eating a days-worth of calories in one sitting. To make sure you are actually getting a healthier treat, it is always recommended to look at the nutrition label, to avoid consuming something filled with chemicals that are harmful to our bodies. Most of these low calorie brands, however, are low calorie because they remove the unhealthy saturated fats and excess sugar. Next time you stick your spoon into a pint of ice cream, maybe try a lower calorie option and see if you think it is worth it.