Erin Elizabeth
Diets and routine workouts can help millions shed pounds, but the victory can feel lost when it comes down to ice cream cravings that overtake our senses. Luckily, there are healthy ice cream brands for guilt-free snacking.
Of course, everyone experiences a sugar craving now and again. But, unfortunately, some of us have these yearnings more often.
Ice cream is timeless while capturing memories of happiness along with being absolutely refreshing.
So, it makes sense that it is the perfect treat to satisfy the appetite of the gnawing sweet tooth, but with high calories and sugar content, it can be dangerous when over-indulging.
However, thanks to some innovative geniuses, ice cream can be much healthier than you think.
Healthy Ice Cream Brands
Here are 11 healthier ice cream brands to try that taste like traditional ice cream without the negative side effects.
Halo Top
With doorstep delivery, Halo Top prides itself on being delicious light ice cream that tastes like ice cream.
With 25 flavors to choose from, only 280-380 calories are found in each pint.
In 2017, Halo Top became America’s number one selling ice cream, and Time Magazine named it a Top Invention of the Year.
The creamery’s unique flavors come in dairy, non-dairy, and Keto options.
The fruit sorbet selections are refreshing treats on a stick, which helped introduce their latest creation of perfect snack-sized chocolate-dipped ice cream Keto pops.
Enlightened
Founder Michael Shoretz created Enlightened after his father was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes.
Finding ingredients that taste good, have less sugar, and eliminate artificial ingredients became Shoretz’s personal mission.
Enlightened ice cream selections launched in 2012, changing how many of us approach dessert. The sweet treats can be found nationwide in stores containing 70% or less sugar than traditional brands.
In addition, they created a successful social media marketing campaign using astrological signs and compatible flavors, like Ice Cream Cake, which worked for those who appreciate the stars while looking to get enlightened.
The company has also launched other dessert options like cake, cookies, and cones to hold the delectable ice cream.
Breyers Delights
Since 1866, Breyers has been known as the natural ice cream that’s better for you and the family.
Breyers CarbSmart has taken over the discontinued line of Breyers Delights.
Just like its predecessor, CarbSmart is tasty ice cream with a multitude of health benefits, and now, with even more advantages since it offers dietary fiber in each serving.
For example, vanilla is creamy, flavorful, and provides the healthy big four; 4 grams of sugar, 4 grams of net carbs, and 4 grams of fiber for only 110 calories per serving.
Chocolate is more my thing – it’s only 3 grams of sugar, 5 grams of net carbs, and four grams of fiber, still only 110 calories.
Arctic Zero
In 2001, Greg Holtman bought an ice cream machine so he could invent something better.
Eventually, he came up with turning a protein shake, using the fava bean, into non-dairy ice cream.
Arctic Zero hit the shelves in 2009, starting a trend for a new market of ice cream.
Arctic Zero’s Hint of Mint is only 160 calories and 25 grams of sugar while offering 6 grams of protein per pint.
Each pint is three servings of goodness. Holtman vows that he is always trying to improve Arctic Zero, and he has his three young children as the first taste-testers on any new flavors. I wish I was one of them!
Ben & Jerry’s
In 1978, two guys took an ice cream-making class at Penn State and opened a shop at a converted gas station in Vermont.
There lay the humble beginnings of one of America’s most popular ice creams today.
As the demand grew along with the unique flavor names, Ben & Jerry’s learned how to change and adapt with the times.
Today they offer dairy-free ice cream in several flavors made with either almond milk or sunflower butter.
My favorite flavor, Crème Brûlée Cookie, is part of the sunflower butter collection.
The calories and sugar are higher than other healthy ice cream options, but all the ingredients are natural, and natural can be very good for us.
NadaMoo!
NadaMoo! isn’t just good for our bodies; it’s good for the environment.
The family-owned company makes sure there is no waste when it comes to creating delicious non-dairy ice cream.
The ice cream is produced from coconuts and agave. All the scraps have a secondary use to benefit the environment.
The flavors offered are primarily traditional. However, NadaMoo! provides some limited-time flavors like Pumpkin Pie.
The concern for healthy ice creams wasn’t so much on the calorie or sugar content, but on putting healthy ingredients into your body, while helping the earth.
Thanks to the mighty healing powers of coconut, it offers a higher potassium and calcium intake than other healthy ice creams on the market.
So Delicious Dairy Free
So Delicious Dairy Free includes almond, cashew, oat, soy, or coconut milk, depending on which product you choose.
Their most remarkable invention is Wondermilk, which is a combo of oat, soy, and coconut milk to make a creamy blend of dairy-free milk.
So Delicious offers milk, cheeses, and loads of sweet desserts on the right side of health.
Their version of ice cream is a perfect imitation of regular ice cream using Non-GMO ingredients and is certified vegan-friendly.
The salted caramel sundae cones are an ideal use of Wondermilk to satisfy my sweet cravings.
So Delicious prides itself on knowledge as power when it comes to allergies. They list all ingredients to make it safe for allergy sufferers.
Yasso
Known as the dessert unicorn, Yasso brings new meaning to frozen Greek yogurt.
Unlike most healthy frozen sweets on this list, Yasso is not dairy-free. In fact, it’s rich in dairy and live cultures. There are pints, cones, and treats on a stick.
In addition, Yasso has introduced three flavors of mochi; a rice dough-covered serving of frozen Greek yogurt.
A mango mochi is only 80 calories. It is packed with yogurt, real fruit, and non-fat milk with only 11 grams of sugar. For me, mochi is the perfect bite-size treat!
Yasso believes in health and activity. So not only are they giving the country great, healthy desserts, they give back to communities across the nation and inspire bodies to stay in motion.
Cado
You’ve heard, “eat your green vegetables”, and now you can get your daily serving through ice cream.
Cado is ice cream derived from avocados. Avocados are packed with nutrients and good fat, so creating ice cream from the healthy, naturally creamy veggie is ingenious.
In addition, Cado is gluten-free, soy-free, vegan-friendly, and Non-GMO. Nevertheless, the best part is that it’s velvety smooth, and it tastes like regular ice cream.
By the way, the ice cream isn’t green, despite its base ingredient. The Simply Lemon ice cream is a zest of creamy lemon at only 170 calories and 13 grams of sugar.
Edy’s Slow Churned Coffee
Edy’s Slow Churned Coffee ice cream is one of the most popular ice creams on the market.
Aside from tasting great, the bonus is that this dairy ice cream is a healthy choice. It is only 140 calories and 19 grams of total sugar per serving.
Its ingredients are natural, with low-fat milk, cream, and buttermilk. The smooth treat is usually half the fat of regular ice cream, so instead of 15 grams of fat in typical coffee flavors, Edy’s Slow Churned Coffee is only 4.5 grams of fat. That’s a huge difference.
My favorite part of Edy’s is that the ice cream always stays soft when it comes to dishing it out of the container.
Talenti
Talenti is Old World style gelatos and sorbets that bring the taste of Argentina to the nation.
Founder Josh Hochschuler learned how to create authentic gelatos while living in Buenos Aires. So when he returned to Texas in 2003, Talenti was born.
The healthy frozen goodness comes in a velvety gelato or creamy sorbet. The refreshing fruits of the dairy-free sorbets are like a taste of paradise. The Alphonso Mango is 160 calories per serving.
The gelato flavors have expanded to include Talenti’s Chef’s Collection.
The collection serves up special batches like Carmel Gingerbread, which is like a winter holiday wrapped up in delicious ice cream.
Check out our favorite Talenti flavors! Some Talenti flavors are healthier than others, so be sure to check out the nutrition facts.
Healthy Ice Cream Brands
- Halo Top
- Enlightened
- Breyers Delights
- Arctic Zero
- Ben & Jerry’s
- NadaMoo!
- So Delicious Dairy Free
- Yasso
- Cado
- Edy’s Slow Churned Coffee
- Talenti
Final Thoughts
So, there you have it! There are many healthy alternatives to traditional ice cream for those trying to get the sweetness without the extra calories.
Some ice cream on this list is made with natural milk, while others are creatively made from fruits, grains, or vegetables.
Technology on sweet frozen treats has expanded by leaps over the last several decades, inventing ways to deliver health while tasting like regular ice cream.
Whether you want something exotic like Ben & Jerry’s Netflix & Chill’d or a traditional flavor like Cado’s Vanilla Bean, grab a spoon and dig in on the healthiest brands of ice cream.
If you have a sweet tooth, check out the best macaron flavors to try!
