I love ice cream! When I want a treat, ice cream is one of my favorites! But take a walk through the typical ice cream aisle and you’ll find a minefield of risky (and sometimes dangerous) additives mixed with factory farmed milk. I’m a firm believer that everyone should still enjoy treats from time to time, but don’t consider it a treat to poison myself with heart-wrecking trans fats, carcinogenic poisons like glyphosate, and additives linked to gut inflammation. I’ve learned that you can enjoy treats (even ice cream!) that won’t destroy your health and pack on the pounds, but you just need to know what to look for.
There are now some brands that seem healthier like Halo Top and Arctic Zero, and many people have been asking me if they are TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. I’ll get to them in a moment, but first let’s check out what you’ll find in the major ice cream brands.
If you see any of these additives in ice cream, do yourself a favor and put it back on the shelf…
Gut wrecking emulsifiers: Most ice creams are full of emulsifiers that have been shown to disrupt the good bacteria in your gut and can lead to disease and obesity. Companies use these because it’s cheaper than filling their product with 100% whole food ingredients. Of course the main ingredients in ice cream (cream and sugar) are also linked to obesity, but when you eat the real thing you feel more satisfied and are less likely to down an entire pint.
Some of the worst emulsifiers in ice cream…
- Carrageenan: Known to cause digestive problems and intestinal inflammation. It’s also linked to cancer.
- Cellulose gum: Cellulose additives are typically made from wood and have been linked to weight gain, inflammation and digestive problems.
- Polysorbate 80: This additive negatively impacts gut bacteria which can lead to weight gain, inflammation and digestive problems.
Artificial Colors: Whenever you see a color like Red 40, Red 3, Yellow 5, or Blue 1, these are derived from petroleum and linked to several health issues including allergies, cancer, and hyperactivity in children.
Mono and Diglycerides (or Partially Hydrogenated Oils): These contain trans fat which is strongly correlated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The CDC has linked trans fat to at least 20,000 heart attacks per year and the Institute of Medicine says there is no safe level to eat. This additive is often found in low-fat ice creams where they are trying to make up for what they took out, but you’ll find it in many others too!
Sugar Alcohols and Zero-Calorie Sweeteners: “No Sugar Added” and “Carb Smart” ice creams are packed sugar alcohols like maltitol syrup and sorbitol. These are associated with destroying gut heath, and a healthy gut is the key to good health and a slim waistline. Artificial sweeteners like sucralose (Splenda) and acesulfame potassium have been shown to contribute to weight gain by encouraging sugar cravings. When you eat something sweet – even when it has no calories – your brain is tricked into wanting more calories because your body is not getting enough energy (i.e. calories) to be satisfied. So you keep craving sweets, eating sweets, and gaining weight. They also come with serious health risks!
Artificial flavors: These synthetic flavors are made from proprietary chemicals to make fake food taste real. This is not a single ingredient – each flavor may contain of up to 100 ingredients, including synthetic chemicals, solvents and preservatives such as BHA, propylene glycol, MSG, parabens, and more.
These ice cream brands look healthier… BUT…
Natural Flavors: The only difference between natural and artificial flavors mentioned above, is that natural flavors are derived from things found in nature (such as beaver glands). Just like artificial flavors, they are created in a lab by a team of scientists and can contain up to 100 hidden ingredients. The bottom line: You have no idea what you are eating – and it might be propylene glycol, BHA, and parabens.
Soybean Oil: This unhealthy oil increases the risk of obesity, inflammation, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and autoimmune diseases. When it comes to organic Soymilk ice creams, an abundance of soy itself is not healthy in the diet as it can disrupt hormones and lead to disease. Soy also has an abundance of phytic acid that leaches calcium and other vital minerals from your body.
Cottonseed Oil: I was shocked to find cottonseed oil in LaLoo’s Capraccino Almond Fudge Ice Cream. This oil generally comes from GMO cotton crops that require an intense application of agricultural chemicals and have been called the “World’s Dirtiest Crop”. Residues from these pesticides can remain in cottonseed oil and cottonseeds are subjected to intensive chemical refining with toxic hexane, bleach, and deodorizers. I consider it one of the worst ingredients in food.
“Sugar” Instead of “Cane Sugar”: The majority of sugar in this country comes from GMO sugar beets and not from cane. These sugar beets are Roundup-Ready, which means they are sprayed with the herbicide Roundup (glyphosate) and don’t die. Whenever an ingredient list just says “sugar” instead of “cane sugar” that indicates it’s from GMO sugar beets. When my team contacted LaLoo’s Goat Milk Ice Cream they said their ingredients are “clean” and that they’re currently working on getting verified by the Non-GMO Project. But, unless you see that label on there, consider it unverified!
Conventional (not organic) Dairy: Some brands like Breyer’s, Tillamook and Häagen-Dazs have some flavors with cleaner ingredient lists with fewer additives, but they don’t use organic cream or milk. I outline all of the reasons to only choose organic dairy products in this post.
Häagen-Dazs has a non-GMO claim on their ice cream, but that doesn’t apply to the cream, milk, or eggs, in that the animals were likely raised on GMO feed. Their non-GMO claim is 3rd party verified by SGS and their standards don’t apply to animal feed – and a rep from Häagen-Dazs confirmed this with us. Ben and Jerry’s is another brand that uses non-GMO ingredients, but admits the cows are still fed GMO grains (but are trying to transition and hopefully will).
Why to avoid dairy from GMO-fed cows:
- Almost all non-organic dairy cows in this country are fed a diet of GMO grains on a factory farm. I call this “Monsanto Milk” because it is produced with a lot of GMOs which put more money in Monsanto’s pocket (and I don’t want to donate any money to them!).
- When cows eat GMOs, they are eating Roundup herbicide too. The primary ingredient in Roundup – glyphosate – has been found in the breast milk of lactating women. This suggests that glyphosate eaten by cows ends up in their milk too, but no one is testing it for residues. Glyphosate is linked to cancer.
- Testing has found other pesticides, antibiotics and drugs (sources: 1, 2) in conventional milk (including ones that are banned), and this is what you could be eating when you eat non-organic ice cream.
Organically raised cows are only permitted to eat organic non-GMO food and organic grass. Ultimately, you want to look for certified organic ice cream to avoid dairy raised with herbicide-laden GMOs, hormones, antibiotics and all the drugs that are prohibited on organic farms.
Let’s discuss HALO TOP Ice Cream…
I’ve gotten a lot of emails about Halo Top because they market themselves as a healthier alternative to regular ice cream that’s low-calorie, high-protein, and low-sugar… and they are REALLY POPULAR right now. This brand has a real “Health Halo” around it (haha), but I’m not buying it. They’ve done such a great job marketing it as healthy ice cream that some people are even treating it like a diet food and the founder says he eats it every morning… which sounds just crazy, but who wouldn’t like to have ice cream for breakfast, LOL. Here’s why that really isn’t a good idea (sorry guys!)…
- Halo Top does not use organic cream or milk, which means it is likely made with Monsanto Milk (from cows fed GMOs). Their ice creams also contain non-organic eggs, which likewise, probably comes from chickens fed a diet filled with GMOs and possibly other drugs.
“Email from Halo Top (May 2017): “We do use only non-GMO ingredients in Halo Top, and the cows from which we get our dairy ingredients are never treated with growth hormones (like rBST). We’re not yet at a point, though, where we can guarantee the makeup of the grain for the cows’ feed across the supply chain. Working on it though!”
- Halo Top uses natural flavors and won’t tell you what’s in them. While this is true for pretty much everyone who uses natural flavors because they are considered proprietary, a member of the Food Babe Army sent me the response they got from Halo Top:
“Hey Vani I felt like this was something that needed to be shared. Halo ice cream that I feel like has been pitching themselves as a healthier ice cream won’t disclose what their “natural flavoring” is. Thought you’d like to know their cop out response: Hi Alyssa! I inquired into the flavorings for you, and it turns out that apparently the flavorings industry is highly competitive, and the flavoring makers we work with keep their exact formula proprietary to themselves for competitive reasons. Even so, we of course require confirmation that the flavors are indeed all-natural, gluten-free, kosher, etc. I know it’s not exactly the answer you were looking for but I hope it helps a little!”
- Halo Top uses the sugar alcohol erythritol as its primary sweetener. As more people are recognizing and avoiding artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose, food companies are replacing it with erythritol… but that doesn’t mean it’s good for you. This additive can wreak havoc on healthy gut bacteria. This can lead to a whole host of diseases and if you’re trying to lose weight or stay slim, keeping your gut healthy is vital! Erythritol is also a powerful insecticide known to cause diarrhea, stomach upset, headache when consumed in “normal amounts”.
- Why add fiber to ice cream? This just makes it all too easy to think of Halo Top as some sort of health supplement, when in reality, ice cream shouldn’t be eaten every day (or for breakfast!) and we should be getting our fiber naturally from fruits, vegetables, beans, seeds, and not from processed fiber additives that were manufactured in a lab. The industry calls these “functional fibers” but they do not function in your body the same as fiber in real food.
Is Arctic Zero Healthier?
Arctic Zero is another “healthy” ice cream that really isn’t. They claim their whey comes from a “GMO-free region” but that doesn’t guarantee how the cows are fed:
Email from Arctic Zero (May 2017): “We have no control over what the cows are fed, but please know we get all our whey protein from a GMO-free region. Our whey protein is GMO-free certified before added to our product and our final product is tested for GMO and it is GMO-free. Please know that our whey protein is not produced from genetically modified organisms, and does not consists of, or contain genetically modified organisms. Therefore, our whey protein is certified GMO-free”.
Arctic Zero is not 100% organic, the whey isn’t from organic cows, and it also contains processed “functional fiber” additives and not-so-natural flavors, so I don’t consider this a good choice.
When shopping for ice cream, ask yourself these questions:
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Is it certified organic?
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Is it flavored naturally with vanilla bean, lemon, cinnamon, cocoa, etc.? Or, did they take a shortcut with “natural flavors”?
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Is it made entirely with whole food ingredients? Or, does it contain additives you don’t have in your kitchen like carrageenan, yellow #5, erythritol, and mono and diglycerides?
If a product doesn’t meet that test, seek out a better brand (there are several!) Here are some of my favorites…
NOTE: Not every flavor by these brands is perfect and you still need to read the ingredient list to make sure you know what you are eating.
- Three Twins Organic Ice Cream – This is my favorite store-bought organic ice cream and they have a lot of flavors to choose from. A few of them contain natural flavors, but most are flavored naturally with real ingredients like banana, vanilla extract, cinnamon, peppermint extract, etc. – Just check the ingredient list!
- Luna & Larry’s Coconut Bliss – This organic dairy-free and vegan ice cream is absolutely delicious. NOTE: contains organic agave syrup.
- Straus Organic Ice Cream – Choose one without natural flavors like Vanilla Bean, Mint Chocolate Chip or Raspberry.
- Alden’s Organic Ice Cream – Know that they do use guar gum, locust bean gum and xantham gum, so not exactly the best choice but they are widely available to most people.
- Local Organic and Grass Fed Ice Cream – Your local farmers market or natural food stores may carry ice cream made from grass-fed cows on small family farms in your area. Seek these out.
- Homemade Coconut Milk Ice Cream – Three different flavors and no refined sugar!
- Homemade Banana Ice Cream – Just add frozen bite-sized pieces of a very ripe banana to a powerful blender or food processor and puree until it comes to a creamy consistency. This may take a few minutes. It’s that easy and really satisfies an ice cream craving! You can try adding coconut milk, nut butter, cinnamon, cocoa, or vanilla to change it up. Just blend these in after you puree the bananas well.
What’s your favorite ice cream brand? Tell me in the comments!
Share this post with all of your ice cream loving friends and enjoy a (healthier) bowl of ice cream with them soon!
Xo,
Vani
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Years ago, when Breyer’s was bought out, they even stopped calling it “ice cream”. You have to look closely at the front panel, but it says “frozen dairy dessert”.
Yes, that is true. They do, however, still have ice cream that has limited ingredients and is much better for you then the “frozen dessert”
https://www.graeters.com/
Vanilla Ice Cream Ingredients…
Cream, milk, cane sugar, skim milk, eggs, vanilla bean, vanilla extract, carob bean gum, guar gum.
I had to laugh when I saw your link as I live in Cincinnati and Graeters was definitely my favorite but it’s not organic so I gave it up years and years ago. Wish it were organic! Now, they do have a low sugar brand in about three flavors but it’s still, sadly, not organic.
Awesome article ! knowledge is power.
yes , i do agree ! Its a very good pertinent information for ou good health ! Having knowledge to what you’re eating,– is a good prevention for not getting sick and away from the Doctors !
I’m so happy to read your ice cream post, but I checked out many of the brands u recommend and so many of them had soybean oil, palm Kendal oil, safflower oil, and soy lecithin, which is that bad or is that ok?? There were a few plain flavors which I’m so happy to know about, BUT why does the company say they r totally organic and then one flavor like Madagascar vanilla seems fine, but then the next four flavors I looked at have terrible stuff in them?? So frustrating…even the good companies can’t seem to COMMIT to all good ingredients… I’m feeling so so discouraged lately bc I feel like you can barely go out to eat anywhere, I go to a place called puree juice bar in Bethesda Maryland which is amazing but their whey protein has agave in it, which I don’t think is good for you, I’m rambling but it’s just depressing, you don’t wanna be the odd mom out and not let your kids get ice cream with with everyone…there’s not enough good choices out there Togo out to eat….we have le pain near us which I would love for u to investigate, are the all organic restaurants REALLY all organic?? I picked up one of their bags of madelines and it had preservatives listed in ingredients and I got the manager involved and he said he wrote to corporate for me and they said it’s all organic but I don’t trust them now?? Help!!
Carol-
My advice to you is to just breathe. If you or your child has an allergy or intolerance to an additive- stay away from it like the plague. Otherwise, be kind to yourself in all of this. No one is perfect. I say that it is most sustainable and least stressful to make the best choice you can make in each moment. Your health depends on many things including what you eat, how you sleep, your daily stress levels, how much exercise and movement you get during the day as well as our regular dose of love and companionship. I say this to remind you that it is ok to not be 100% pure in every single thing you eat. Be kind to yourself and do the best you can!
I love this. Thanks for that.
So good! Thank you!
Hi, Caroline – I think it’s hard to eat 100% healthy all the time, and that’s especially true when you go out to eat. I live in Columbia, Md not far from you and I’ve noticed that it’s hard to find many genuinely healthy, organic restaurants in Maryland (and the US Mid-Atlantic region). There doesn’t even seem to be a juice bar near me. I just do the best I can, and I do wish there were more truly healthy restaurants nearby.
Great Sage in Clarksville, MD ( close to Routes 108 and 32), is a nice vegan restaurant, with healthier food choices. There is a Roots market in the same shopping center.
Vani, I love what you do, and thank you for it. I just want to say, that the research on soy, not unhealthy soy derivatives that we find in do many processed products, actually has found the reverse of what you had shared here. Research in the past 7 years has shown that it is actually protective against breast cancer, and helps both pre-menopausal and menopausal women fair much better with hormonal issues. Soybean oil and all oil is unhealthy – whether raw or cooked. Oil is inflammatory as it irritates, aggravates, and inflames our arteries. In fact, it slows our blood considerably – so less nutrients and oxygen to our major organs. Basically, it
compromises our arteries, shreds our protective endothelial cells, jars plaque, and causes heart attacks. I hope you will take the time and look further into this. Continued success….
I am a vegan I agree with you. Also dairy cows after they are done being artificially raped and milked to death are not sent to a retirement home but to slaughterhouse! Go vegan and save these animals, eat cocunut milk ice cream anything be better than making them suffer for our taste buds.
Thank you!!!
In FL, we have been enjoying certified Organic ice cream in 3 flavors from Publix Grocery stores. They’re a wonderful private company (very gererous too) and they’re Organics division is growing every day!
Publix has stores in 6 south eastern states.
This sounds incredibly weird, but I love blending frozen cauliflower with a bit of raw cacao powder, monkfruit, sometimes banana, and a splash of almond milk to make ice cream. It’s amazing!
I only buy organic ice cream, and the only two organics that I can find in local grocery stores are Alden’s and Greenwise. One exception to organic is Turkey Hill All Natural ice cream. I remember Breyer’s dropping their organic ice cream years ago – that was the only ice cream that I bought. I stopped buying their brand immediately. Greenwise is not on your list. Have to watch for cottonseed oil in Turkey Hill.
Great article! Thank you! I too am a fan of Turkey Hill All Natural. Ingredients listed are: Nonfat milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, vanilla bean and that’s it!
I guess it is beet sugar since cane is not in there, but its pretty close to healthy, isn’t it?
I owned and operated a Baskin Robbins for a while-its good but not heathy at all.
Bud
Bud, sugar beets are GMO… not good at all.
Is Magnolia ice cream included in your list as healthy ice cream? Thank you very much!
Vixen kitchen is pretty clean?
I have read many negative things about dairy ( saturated fat, hormones, depletes calcium, linked to asthma, acne, skin rash, the mistreatment of animals and environmental effect) This make dairy not ideal. I have also read organic dairy/ grass fed produces even more waste and is worst for environment. So shouldn’t we avoid dairy and ice cream products
altogether. Are you concerned at all about these negative effects.
I agree that’s why I am a vegan!
Dairy from grass-fed cows is actually healthy and nourishing. Grass-fed cows are environmentally sound because their urine and manure go back into the soil to nourish the soil and they are moved from pasture to pasture to maintain the health of the grass. Grass-fed is Natures way of maintaining the health of the planet. There is no buildup of waste that must be stored or that washes into nearby rivers and streams.
I have found it so important to check who is funding the person doing the research or writing (“I have read”). So much of the anti-organic, anti-grass-fed literature is being funded directly or indirectly by the corporations who have a vested interest in the chemicals, GMOs, etc. Usually it is Big Ag, Big Food, Big Pharma and Big Media (advertising dollars) against consumer organizations and small farmers.
Our raw vegan mini cheesecakes are a great alternative frozen dessert, taste just like ice cream! Made from sprouted organic cashews and sweetened with only raw unrefined organic agave, check it out at veganheavenlydelights.com. Free from soy ,dairy,gluten, refined sugars,and grains! Soon to be in a store near you, but in 29 stores in Florida!
Yes ! Thank you !
Hi,
I’m from United Kingdom.
So we don’t have all these ice creams u list.
I eat ice cream every day
(throat cancer) Has eliminated lots of foods I can’t eat or taste.
We have Carte dore & Kellys.
& I eat a lot of Magnum white chocolate lollys.
Have u any knowledge of these ?
Olivia ?
Read the ingredients and you can see. All the common ingredients are discussed here, so each brand should not have to be specifically stated as “avoid” or “better choice”.
Turkey Hill All Natural. So worth the extra cost above their regular. And the flavor list is growing as well. I have to mention, growing up Breyer’s was the “poster child” for all natural, pure ingredients. Sadly, they are now among the worst!
Awesome article…thank you for all of the thorough details. I would agree with you that Nice Cream is the best! If anyone is looking for great Nice Cream recipes Chocolate Covered Katie has a whole slew of them that I love.
I like Trader Joe’s Mint Chip. It probably has some chemicals. I like that’s it’s white, which I guess means the green in mint has been a food color. Not that I knew that when I was younger.
I also like Strauss Farm Vanilla Chip Ice Cream.
Do you have comments about these 2 ice cream Ingredients?
As far as I am concerned, the answer is yes, only one healthy ice cream brand. Straus from Northern California is the only one I have found. I can get four flavors in Texas (vanilla, misc boring flavors like cookie dough) but for a real treat go to a local grocery store in CA to get exotics like coffee or strawberry. If you forget to eat it, LOL, this ice cream will keep a very long time in your freezer and not get all gummy because there is no gum. Remember you have only one body, stop eating modern hybrid wheat, even organic, and you will not need so much food. A half cup of Strauss ice cream will be plenty.
Thanks Food Babe for all your research so that we can eat a more healthy food. We make our own ice cream from all organic products but know many people don’t have the time to do this so your list of healthy ice creams is so important. Keep up the good work. I love reading your posts.
Vanni is right about cotton. GMO cotton has caused widespread problems since introduced in India. A disaster of magnitude with massive suffering.
Hi there,
How can you say milk, cream, sugar, flour, and more sugar as the top three ingredients are “healthy?” (On Three Twin’s website that was the ingredient list in one of their flavors.) Especially when you have brands like Nadamoo and Coconut Bliss that should make the top two slots.
Here is a good research-based site that would compliment your overall message: https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/dairy/
Thanks for all that you do,
Megan
I agree! Nadamoo is the best. Love them.
I totally agree with the NadaMoo reference. Best non-GMO verified coconut milk “ice cream” on the market.
I’ve been hearing so much about Halo Top from friend of mine and I went to buy some and check out the label as well and noted that it is not healthy and people tend to “over eat” when they think something is healthy. Just like when snackwells were introduced. People boought those cookies in droves and ate packages at time thinking it was healthy. There’s nothing healthy about food that isn’t real food. I just did a video on my FB page on how to make “Ice cream” in 5 minutes. A healthy version. I also wrote a blog about ice cream because I love it so much and found better solutions to anything on the shelf in a grocery store! Thanks for your research! http://grengahealth.com/blog/ice-cream-make-part-healthy-diet/
Aldi’s has a brand of ice cream called “Specially Selected” that has the fewest ingredients of any ice cream I’ve ever seen. I think there are only two flavors, chocolate and vanilla, and they’re both delicious. Ingredient list of the vanilla ice cream is: cream, skim milk, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla extract. It doesn’t say organic, but to me a short list of wholesome ingredients is preferable to a long list of weird stuff, even if it’s labeled organic, especially since some food items actually are organic but the producers have not gone through the expensive process that allows them to put “organic” on the label. Aldi’s also carries a less expensive brand with more ingredients, but Specially Selected is still cheaper than most ice cream in other stores.
Gail,
If you have Publix in your market, try their store brand Organic Vanilla. It’s all organic.
Thanks for article. This is why I only ate one I could make w/ organic cream and simple organic ingredients, usually using stevia to sweeten. Now that I have to choose between an on grid home w/ a smart meter attached and living off grid w/ low EMF solar, the freezer has gone out the window. So it has been at least a couple years since I been off ice-cream. Just not worth the huge health issues of having one of those meters. Yeah I miss ice-cream, but not that much. Also trying to move off dairy anyway.
This is some great info! Thank you for clarifying and spelling it all out, I appreciate it!!!
I live in Austin, Texas and we switched to Nada Moo over a year ago. It is made here in Austin and is very popular. It contains all organic ingredients, is made from coconut milk, therefore dairy free and comes in about 12 different flavors. I have since tried to eat regular, less junky ice cream a few times and I just can’t get past the first spoon full. Yuck!
Great info. I shared it with my kids last night. At age 6 and age 9, they are organic warriors who will trade halloween candy for 86% Dark Chocolate
We enjoy Alden’s Organic as well as Publix Organic Vanilla (Greenwise)
We went over each ingredient on the label together and it appears Publix deserves kudos for getting it right.
Tonight, we topped with organic wild blueberries as an extra special treat.
I recently decided the best way to enjoy ice cream is to make my own. So, I splurged on a KitchenAid attachment and now make my own: organic grass-fed cream, organic grass-fed milk, pasture-raised eggs, sugar (which I made from boiling down local maple syrup!), and sea salt. It is maple-flavored due to the sugar I use. YUM!
Artic Ice is horrible it tastes mainly like its first ingredient: water. No flavor or creaminess….nothing dessert like about it.
Nobody needs to eat tree gum. When I was little these ingredients were not put in ice cream. I won’t even eat ice cream anymore because I feel sick afterward for days.
Vani, I read where the FDA approved meat to be called organic if they were fed organic food in the last 3 months before processing..is this true..that the organic cows and chickens will eat GMO feed for their whole lives other than the last 3 months and then are labeled organic? I have been buying organic chicken at Costco and the size of the chicken breasts are so large it is truly disturbing..that can’t be real whole chicken. I have written to the company and they sent me their policy list but…
have you heard about anything like this?
Hi Cheryl! Check out this post on organic regulations and meat products: https://foodbabe.com/2017/03/20/is-organic-food-a-scam/
And also this one specifically on organic dairy – https://foodbabe.com/2014/10/29/organic-milk/
Beautiful article thanks
Omg so informative and devastating!
I love Ice cream! I might have to invest in an ice cream maker because your pistachio ice cream sounds delish!
I had been buying a lot of the “healthy” so I thought Ice creams out there…now I’m stuck ;(
I buy Alden’s organic vanilla ice cream but am always concerned about the soy lecithin ingredient in it. Isn’t all soy bad for you no matter what form? Ty for the very informative break down of what to buy and not to by…am sending on to fam/friends…when little on my G’ma’s farm we used to have an old hand crank ice cream maker. That was the best ice cream EVER. No hormones, no pesticides, no GMO cows, they roamed the pastures, as did our chickens, and pigs and were never fed Monsanto junk. Oh those were the days ….
What about Blue Bell ice cream? Any thoughts on it?
Betterwith Ice Cream
This is an infuriating post, clearly geared towards making certain (i.e. favored) brands look better than others. If you want to do a REAL comparison, why wouldn’t you choose one flavor of each brand to see who has the most natural vanilla or strawberry or chocolate. Obviously Breyer’s Thin Mint flavor is going to have hella additives because it contains… Thin Mints. But compare Breyer’s Natural Vanilla (ingredients: fresh cream, sugar, milk, and Rainforest Alliance Certified vanilla beans. Made with non-GMO sourced ingredients) and your argument loses quite a bit of steam.
I’m not saying you don’t have a solid larger point here – and there may be other issues with how even natural Breyer’s sources its ingredients, particularly cream. But please hold yourself to higher standards — or you’re not doing your readers, your site or yourself any favors.
Breyers Natural Vanilla has Tara Bean Gum (stabilizer), it has ‘natural flavor’ (which the good ones dont, they have real vanilla, and most importantly its not organic. So the cows are eating GMO grain. Breyers natural isnt anywhere near the top ones on her list. Straus and Three Twins vanilla bean.
Nobody needs to eat secretions from animals ! First off please stop eating animals. coconut bliss is the best, limited ingredients AND cruelty free. Thank you and the animals will thank you.
I can vouch that Straus is the absolute tops in ice cream. I found it by accident 4 years ago in the organic freezer section of a pretty major grocery store (so not a TJs or WFs). It is simply exceptional. Absolutely no additives or stabilizers, completely organic, and it digests so well! Top of the top on Straus. I only have access to Vanilla Bean and Chocolate but both are all killer no filler!
Hi. Even though, it is not organic, you should try Turkey Hills Natural Ice Cream. It is really good.
I tried Aldens once. Those three gums really ruin the taste of the ice cream.
Publix Organic Ice cream under the “greenwise” brand is really good, I hope it is the real deal!
I’ve been vegan for years. Been making my own ice cream for years. Frozen bananas small chunks, frozen fruit. Blueberries are really good, a dash of maple syrup, a dash of vanilla, about 1/2 cup hemp or coconut milk. I’m lucky enough to have a Vita Mix that was given to me. This is the best stuff on a hot summer night.
You ask why they add fiber to ice cream? So they can then subtract it from the carbs and claim to be low carb! 🙁 This is a perfect example of how food makers misuse things in order to get our $$$, by trickery.
Here my 13 year old daughter-Nina, Certified Nutrition Coach and Certified Raw and Plant Based Chef-created video for her concept / business (work in progress Nina’s Organic Cupcakes) – explaining the issues surrounding Artificial Dyes-so common in most foods you buy /eat…. https://vimeo.com/outsmartcafe/whyorganiccupcakes
Halo makes me mad because they are extremely expensive and yet using junk ingredients :O
In order to purée frozen bananas for banana “ice cream” you need to add liquid to your blender.
Humboldt Ice Cream
has thickeners
mcconnells DOUBLE PEANUT BUTTER CHIP is my favorite, and your thoughts?
Talenti is now unilever owned and full of chemicals…. SOOO DISAPPOINTED!!!!
Halo Top reduces the calories in their ice cream by whipping air into it, so you get less. Hold a pint of Haagen Dazs in one hand and a pint of Halo Top in the other and you can feel the difference in the weight. One of the differences between a premium ice cream and a cheap one is the cheap one always has air whipped in. With Halo Top, you are paying a premium price for what is essentially a cheap ice cream because of all the air in it.
Nah, I don’t believe most of your recommendations, yes u did mention few good products and thank u for doing this, but it’s cherry picking to me. It’s like you pick your favorite brands and not as critical as u treat the other brands.when you ask why adding fiber to ice cream that’s silly because that means u don’t really know how to cook, fiber is added to ice cream to add creamy texture and it’s natural from chicory root. It’s more natural than all gums that u approve as healthy when gums are known to affect your gut, giving side effects such as nauseating, allergic, stomachache, etc even if it’s made from natural resources (crushing the bean). Pure ice cream isn’t smooth, shiny, soft, and stay in their shape, also will takes time to thaw from the freezer. If your ice cream is scoopable right after you take it from fridge, and not easy to melt, silky, smooth, the producers use hidden nasty ingredients they don’t write on the list.
Well, 3 Twins just shut down their business and Strauss no longer shows ice cream available. The Julie’s link goes to Alden’s which, as you said, is loaded with gums and is almost $10 for less than a half gallon.