I scream, you scream...

[Elisabethsew 50]

Here's an article comparing different kinds of low fat, low calorie icecreams. What's you favorite?

Is there anything more satisfying in the summer than ice cream? Cool, decadent, delicious, indulgent — the list of adjectives could go on forever. But, if you’re watching your weight, satisfying the ice cream crave can carry a tiny — to enormous — burden of dietary guilt. The good news for your conscience is that ice cream manufacturers have begun to roll out lines of diet-friendly ice creams to attract consumers watching their waistlines. Low-carb, low-fat, Weight Watchers – there's an ice cream that claims to fit into your diet, no matter what that might be.

But does choosing a lighter ice cream really make a difference to your diet? It is, after all, still ice cream. Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, and American Dietetic Association spokesperson, says, "Yes."

“Generally speaking, a 1/2-cup serving of regular ice cream has about 270 calories and 18 grams of fat, whereas a lighter version may only have about 100 calories and anywhere from 0 to 3.5 grams of fat,” she says. That’s a huge difference when you’re counting calories.

What’s the key to finding the right one? Blatner stressed the importance of reading labels. Here’s how to decode diet ice cream speak: “Low Calorie” means it has 40 calories or less per serving. “Low Fat” contains 3 grams of fat or less per serving. “No Sugar Added” signals a reduction in calories from sugar only, not from fat, Protein or other carbohydrates. The interchangeble labels “Lite” and “Light” are a little more complicated as they can signify being light on either fat or calories — or both. The FDA says that to be “Light” the fat must be reduced by at least half from the original and the calories reduced by at least one-third.

Of course none of the nutritional stuff really matters if it it doesn’t satisfy your taste buds. When we want ice cream we want, well, ice cream. We want a treat and nothing else will do. So how do the top diet ice creams measure up? Here’s the scoop on how good — and good for you — they are.

Edy’s Slow-Churned Light vanilla chocolate: Weighing in at half the fat and one-third the calories of its regular counterpart, it was a very convincing decadent alternative. "It tastes like full-fat," said Natalie. "Delicious." Mark agreed, saying, "It tastes like real ice cream." The flavor was mild, but creamy and satisfying, with just the right amount of sweetness. For me, the flaw was in its texture: It was a little too liquidy. I didn’t get that frosty feeling in my mouth –no chance of brain-freeze with this brand! But that was a minor problem I was willing to overlook. Generally speaking, it tasted great, and will only cost you 100 calories — the lowest calorie count of the bunch. Plus, it has only a modest amount of fat, containing 3.5 grams per serving (1/2-cup).

Grade: A-

Starbucks No Sugar Added coffee Fudge Brownie: The camp was divided on this one. The word "weird" was used more than once. Rich said that it felt, "powdery" while Dori declared that "it was over-compensating." Upon first tasting it, I felt a strong appreciation for both the chewy fudge and the intense coffee flavors. A couple of other tasters agreed with me. But after a second bite, I reconsidered. The Splenda was too present. Jennifer nailed it when she said, "It’s creamy and rich, but it has a diet taste." Trevor, who liked the flavor, admitted that he only liked it because the super-sweetness was "masked by the coffee." It was similarly masked by the fudge chunks and ultimately left a long-lived and funny aftertaste. And while there are only 4 grams of sugar, there’s a whopping (for diet food) 11 grams of fat and 190 calories. But I still kind of liked it.

Grade: B

Breyer’s CarbSmart Vanilla: This flavor was a resounding failure during our taste test. Trevor said, "It tastes fake." Annabelle added (I thought very aptly), that the ice cream felt and tasted like cotton. "Fake, fake, fake," said Dori. "The Pamela Anderson of ice cream," she said. I found it plain, like a dumbed-down version of real ice cream — or even real vanilla. It was the frostiest one, but in the battle between frost and taste, I take taste. And Breyer’s loses on that count. While it does contain only 10 grams of carbohydrates, and 110 calories, the fat count is unimpressive at 8 grams per serving.

Grade: Grade: D

Häagen-Dazs Light Dulce de Leche Caramel: This ice cream took the prize. It was light and fluffy; sweet but not overly so. The caramel was amazing. This was the consensus: Jennifer called it "Delicious." Annabelle gushed, "It’s not too strong and not too sweet." Mark designated it the best on the spot. I thought it was almost too creamy: the extra smoothness betrayed it as light. I know –such a nitpick, right? My nutritional nitpick: This ice cream is really not that light. A 1/2-cup serving size is loaded with 220 calories and 8 grams of fat. It also boasts the biggest sugar count of them all — 25 grams! This is decadent and wonderful, and, sure, I recommend it. But don’t think of it as guilt-free: At most, it’s guilt-light.

Grade: A-

Ice Cream Bars:

Left to our own devices, we’ll probably eat ice cream in much higher quantities than the recommended 1/2-cup serving size. But Latner had this suggestion for ice cream lovers worried about their weight: "Purchase individually portion-controlled treats that contain 150 calories or less each," she said. That way, the measuring is done for you, she says. In light of this sage and, let's face it, perceptive advice, we looked at two options on the classic incarnation of single-serve ice cream: the ice cream bar.

Skinny Cow Low Fat Cookies & Cream Ice Cream Bar: I love Skinny Cow. I have long loved them in their low-carb form and I now have had the opportunity to appreciate them under the mantle of low-fat. The strength of Skinny Cow is in the texture. It’s smooth and thick. It feels like you’re eating dessert. I also happen to love the little pebbly flecks of chocolate cookie in the vanilla. Dori agreed with me: "Nice and light," she said. "Satisfying." But it wasn’t a universal success. "It’s got a weird aftertaste," said Rich. "Like you just inhaled really strong perfume." Trevor said it tasted as fake as the Breyer’s. In general, most seemed to enjoy it but were underwhelmed. It is, however, genuinely low fat: only 1.5 grams. And it only sets you back 120 calories. However, if you’re counting carbs, note that it contains 23 grams per serving. But if you’re going for a low-fat diet, this is the option for you.

Grade: B+

Weight Watchers Giant Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream Bar</STRONG>: If you’re on Weight Watchers, or any diet for that matter, and can’t find the much tastier Skinny Cow ice cream bars, then I reluctantly say, go for this. After all, it’s only 1 point in Weight Watchers speak. But, I found it flavorless and unsatisfying. It tasted more like an alien’s poorly conceived idea of chocolate than actual chocolate. I barely remembered that I had tasted it at all and it certainly didn’t give any illusion of a real dessert. The texture was mushy. "It’s like baby food," Rich said. "It has a fake after-taste," said Dori. Yeah, it’s low in fat: 1 gram. But it’s not going to satisfy any cravings and it’s going to saddle you with 25 grams of carbohydrates. It’s also pretty average among this group’s calorie count: 110. The verdict: Not worth it.

Grade: D

[Jachut 487]

*shudder* I absolutely loathe ice cream, loathe it *shudder*

[the best me 6]

Interesting! I'm still a fan of the WW Giant Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Bar. 2 points...140 calories, 5g fat, 26g carbs(15 sugars), and 3 protiens. I have no trouble working that in. Thanks Elisabeth!

[Dody 0]

I am having a lot of trouble staying away from Mayfields Blueberry Cream Pie ice cream which I describe as heaven in a box. My dr. says don't give up everything I crave and I can have a couple teaspoons...not a good idea it makes me want more. I simply can't really enjoy a couple teaspoons of it...it's addictive. I'll have to try the Eddy's brand. Funny I didn't give a darn about ice cream till I came to Tennessee and discovered Mayfields. I'm very lucky that when I finally go home we don't carry this brand out west....so I should be safe from this pitfall.

[Leona06 0]

I love Skinny Cow Fudge bars and the WW fudge bars! I think that taste is subjective and shouldnt be graded in opinions.

BTY TASTEE DELIGHT is the MOST amazing ice cream ever. The only stores I know that have them are in NYC and the ice cream is about 50-100 calories per CUP and have NO fat. I can't wait to go back to school because even skinny people who don't watch calories go in for tastee delight - its THAT good! and perfect for a treat after a performance

[Leila 0]

I've totally nixed frozen treats for the time being just post banding in June, and travelling in an RV. My plan though once we have moved back into a place with a real kitchen is to invest in an ice cream maker. I think Jack has the right idea completely. I want to make italian ices -fat free- and sweetened with stevia for 0 cal treats. Then also some fat free frozen yogurt and fruit blends sweetened with stevia. Basically take some of the foods and beverages I'm already eating and transform them into frozen delights!!!! Argh! I wish we had room for an ice cream maker in the camper!!!! LOL! Just another thing to look forward to!