Smart Shopping for Low-Fat Ice Cream

Before you polish off an entire pint of low-fat ice cream because you think it's better than regular ice cream, put down that spoon. Not all low-fat ice creams are created equal. While all products labeled low-fat must contain three grams of total fat or less per serving based on FDA regulations, many are loaded with excess sugar (in the form of high fructose corn syrup) and calories.

What to Look for

To experience ultimate satisfaction from your low-fat ice cream indulgence, you must read labels and do a bit of old-fashioned taste testing. For example, Starbucks' Lowfat Latte Ice Cream tastes delicious but has 23 grams of sugar and 170 calories per serving. On the other hand, Breyer's 100 Calorie Cups have one gram of fat per serving and 14 grams of sugar for a guaranteed portion-controlled treat. Dreyer's/Edy's Slow Churned No Sugar Added Ice Cream is also only 100 calories per serving and contains 3g of fat. Through their patented slow-churn method, the ice cream has half the fat and one-third fewer calories. Finally, Skinny Cow makes a low-fat ice cream sandwich with no added sugars. It has two grams of fat per sandwich and four grams of sugar. Unfortunately, when you cut the fat in a product, you often end up with a great deal of additional unpronounceable additives. These Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches may be low in fat but also contain malitol and partially hydrogenated soybean oil.

Maybe this is why the most decadent and sinfully delicious brands, such as Haagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry's, do not offer low-fat versions of their products. Haagen-Daz's Light ice creams and Ben & Jerry's healthier Body & Soul versions of their popular flavors have roughly twice the amount of total fat per serving as low-fat ice creams.

Alternatively, products like It's Soy Delicious from Turtle Mountain offer non-dairy frozen desserts that are inherently low in total fat per serving, have no cholesterol and less than 15 grams of sugar per serving. Plus, they have chicory root extract, an all-natural pre-biotic fiber that aids in the development of healthy colon bacteria.

Common Pitfalls

After an unpleasant experience with low-fat vanilla, you may have given up on low-fat ice cream. Taste-testers felt it had a chalky, less smooth taste, according to a 1999 study by the University of Missouri. However, when they tested low-fat chocolate compared to regular chocolate, there was no discernable taste difference in ice creams.

In terms of fertility, consuming low-fat ice cream may actually contain more risks than benefits. According to a 2007 study published in "Human Reproduction," high-fat dairy improved fertility when compared to low-fat dairy. In addition, low-fat dairy consumption actually caused increased rates of ovulation-related infertility in women.