OrganicBunny.com Eating

We All Scream For Ice Cream

There’s nothing quite like a cold scoop of frosty ice cream on a hot summer’s afternoon. But can organic and low-fat versions of summer’s favorite creamy dessert stand up to the traditionally made taste treats full of calories and cream? Some of our tasters viewed this one with skepticism, especially after our experience with organic chocolates, but we were all pleasantly surprised. Turns out that ice cream CAN be tasty AND good (or at least better) for you! The healthy and organic varieties scored well above our previous favorite Haagan Dazs. Dare we say, holy cow!

Methodology: after dinner, we got 5 tasters together, ranging in ages from 11 to 46. We asked them to sample a few bites of each variety, "clearing the palate" with a good swig of water in between. We tested 6 brands of plain chocolate ice cream (nothing with fudge swirls, nuts, or other mix-ins, which might unfairly influence our tasters’ opinions). Plain Jane is what we were going for here - pure, unadulterated chocolate ice cream. Answers shown on the report are an average of all five testers' reports. We think that we got a pretty good cross-section of opinions here, because some of our testers admitted that they prefer dark chocolate, some prefer milk chocolate, and some prefer plain old vanilla. So it seems like all types of opinions were represented.

We were a little disappointed that NONE of the companies mentioned that they used recycled packaging for their cartons. At least Stonyfield Farms uses "earth-friendly unbleached paper," but come on, man - if most varieties of pasta come in 100% recycled paperboard these days, why can't more ice cream manufacturers follow suit? Maybe it has to do with the freezing temperatures, but still, we'd recommend that these companies step up and get with the program!

Kudos do go to the parent companies of Stonyfield Farms and Soy Delicious, however, for their monetary contributions to earth-friendly causes.

Except for Dreyer’s, which only comes in the large 1.65 liter bucket, all the varieties were available in pint-sized portions as well as larger cartons, which is convenient for those with smaller appetites, or budgets, or freezers.

Most Healthy: Dreyer's Slow Churned Light Most Tasty: Dreyer's Slow Churned Light Lowest Price: Dreyer's Slow Churned Light

Winner for Most Healthy/Nutritious: Dreyer’s Slow Churned Light - we found it hard to believe that this variety was healthier than the organic types, AND the Soy Delicious brand, but lo and behold! It is! With half the calories and 1/3 the fat of regular ice cream, this is definitely our healthy pick - AND it's tasty, too! Keep on reading!

Winner for Most Tasty: Dreyer's Slow Churned Light - roll over, Haagan Dazs, there’s a new ice cream in town! This one elicited "yummy sounds" from just about everybody (especially since they didn’t know it was a "healthy" version)! Testers especially liked the smooth texture and chocolatey flavor. A notable runner-up, though, Stonyfield Farms Organic was also popular for its creamy taste - and the packaging, sporting the "cool" cow with the sunglasses, went over especially well with the kids.

Winner for Best Value: Dreyer's Slow Churned Light - widely available AND tasty, this one's generally a good value, too! They have a wide selection as well, from traditionally prepared "Grand" and "Slow Churned Rich & Creamy" types to the more healthy "Light," "Low Carb," "No Sugar Added," "No Sugar Added Fat Free," and "Frozen Yogurt" versions! We tried the "Slow Churned Light" and were pleasantly surprised that none of the taste was lost when ½ the calories and 1/3 the fat were shed. This is the first time we have had a runaway winner in all three categories. Way to go, guys!

Of course, there are lots more flavors out there than chocolate, so we encourage you to go out and try your favorite in an organic variety, then write us and tell us what you thought!