When I first heard that there was practically calorie-free ice cream back when Arctic Zero first came out, I was over the moon.
In fact, after a break-up, I marched to the store and spent an absurd $7 to purchase my first pint – determined to eat the entire thing in one serving because I COULD. There were only 150 calories in the whole container after all.
There were a few problems with this plan.
1) I was a poor graduate student and couldn’t afford to maintain an Arctic Zero dependent diet.
2) Emotional eating is a poor substitute for dealing with your feelings.
3) If I really wanted ice cream, I should have gotten some real damn ice cream.
4) Arctic Zero was actually pretty crappy.
Each time I ate it, I tried to convince myself it was a miracle cure for my sweet tooth but in reality I really didn’t like the taste OR texture of it – and it definitely wasn’t a substitute for real ice cream.
Since then, I’ve accepted that sometimes, when you want ice cream – you should go nuts on a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. Or show some self-restraint and get a single scoop of fancy ice cream.
But I do still have that hard to satisfy sweet tooth and sometimes it’s nice to have a frozen treat that’s not so loaded with calories. Here are some alternatives – for the love of God, please stop eating Arctic Zero and Wink!
1. Halo Top
This is bar far the best ice cream alternative I’ve found. If you give it a few minutes to soften up, it even gets a bit of a creamy consistency. And the flavors are so tasty – zero whey protein taste at all. I’ve tried their strawberry, chocolate and mint chip and loved them all equally.
Calories Per Pint: 240-280
Protein Per Pint: 24 grams
Flavors: 7
2. Enlightened
This high-protein ice cream company makes pints and bars and both have great flavor and consistency. I’ve tried the mint and sea salt caramel but next time I see their Frozen Hot Chocolate flavor at the store, I’m ready to pounce!
Calories Per Pint: 320-400
Calories Per Bar: 70-110
Protein Per Pint: 28 – 32 grams
Flavors: 7 pint varieties and 9 different bars!
3. Yasso Bars
I really, really love these frozen Greek yogurt bars. If they are on sale at the store, you better believe I’m scooping up a box. Yes, it’s greek yogurt and not ice cream but it’s incredibly creamy and the flavors don’t taste artificial. They aren’t pumping these with protein powder – and you can tell! They have a huge selection and recently started making the healthy version of a Twix or Snickers frozen ice cream bar (you know what I’m talking about, right?)
Calories Per Bar: 80-150
Flavors: 15!
4. Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches
I’m fairly certain that many people will chime in that Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches are loaded with sugar and artificial ingredients – but when it comes to taste and a real ice cream feel- Skinny Cow Ice Cream sandwiches and other products certainly do the trick while coming in at under 200 calories.
Calories Per Ice Cream Sandwich: 150 Calories
Flavors: Skinny Cow offers 6 kinds of Ice Cream Sandwiches, 4 cones, 5 bars and more!
