Monday, October 4, 2010

Foodie Fashionista: Lo-cal ice cream



On Friday, I learned about Arctic Zero. I was told that it's a super low-calorie ice cream, available at Whole Foods. How low-cal? Try 150 calories per pint - that's right, PER PINT. Well, I had to stop at Whole Foods to pick up some produce anyway so I just had to try this seemingly mythical creation.

I'm of the mindset that a great meal is (almost) always topped off with something sweet. I actually advocate having dessert because you change tracks. New York Housewife Bethenny Frankel agrees, saying in her book Naturally Thin that if you stop eating one delicious food and have a bite of another, totally different food, you stop yourself from overindulging. Keeping small, sweet treats around, like Weight Watchers Minibars or Fudgsicles, satisfies my cravings for something sweet and also stops me from going back for seconds or polishing off an entire Subway foot-long.

That said, I don't want to waste all of my day's calories on a giant piece of chocolate cake. I can indulge my sweet tooth without overindulging. So I am always on the hunt for tasty, light treats, like the aforementioned minibars, sugar-free Jello pudding, Fudgsicles, Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches, etc. Food manufacturers are recognizing the consumer desire for smaller portions - which is why you see 1/2 cup servings of Ben and Jerry's in the frozen section now. But don't be tempted - Ben and Jerry's is still Ben and Jerry's and has a ton of fat and calories - even in super small portions. Luckily for us, Arctic Zero is there to take its place.

And luckily for me, they had it at my local Whole Foods. The myth materialized before my eyes I couldn't help myself (they were on sale!) and bought all three available flavors: chocolate, vanilla maple and strawberry banana.

The chocolate flavor is great if you are a chocolate fan like myself. However, I'd liken it to watered-down frozen yogurt. It will definitely satisfy your chocolate craving, but it's not going to beat Edy's Slow Churned double chocolate.

The strawberry banana was my least favorite. It tastes like an artificial fruit-flavored candy. I actually think if you blended it with some ice and real fruit, it would make a great smoothie though.

The vanilla maple was my favorite, which pleasantly surprised me. As we all know, there are two kinds of people in the world: those who like chocolate and those who like vanilla. I always fell into the former category, but this ice cream might make me a convert! A strong vanilla flavor with a touch of warm maple syrup-y sweetness, this would be AMAZING with some nuts on top.

Arctic Zero, for what it is, is unbelievably brilliant. It tastes good, and it gets the job done. I am now on the hunt for the coffee and pumpkin spice versions. Let me know if you can find them!!

No comments:

Post a Comment