Is Halo Top Ice Cream Really That Much Healthier Than Haagen Dazs?

Ice cream is the dessert that I have the most trouble resisting, and I'm sure many of you are with me. And that can be a problem when it is right in front of us every day, staring us in the face. It goes without saying, then, that I was pretty hopeful when I heard about Halo Top Ice Cream, the supposed "healthy" brand of ice cream that seems to be rising in popularity among my peers.

Halo Top Creamery, originated in Los Angeles, California, prides itself on its low-calorie, low-fat, low-sugar, and high-protein ice cream. Oh, and it's all natural too! Their 17 flavors are all under 400 calories per pint: a typical ice cream serving is 1/2 cup, meaning that a serving of Halo Top has, at most, 100 calories.

Boasting less calories, sugar, fat, and carbs than leading ice cream brands, Halo Top offers a dessert option consumers can feel better about.

Want proof? Here is the nutrition information for Halo Top vanilla bean and Haagen Dazs vanilla pints, respectively.

Halo Top

Haagen Dazs

Notice that Halo Top vanilla bean has about 1/6 of the calories that the same amount of Haagen Dazs Vanilla has. Continuing down the label, Halo Top has less than 1/8 the fat that Haagen Dazs does. Just one serving of Haagen Dazs fulfills half of the recommended daily value of saturated fat, the fat associated with risk of cardiovascular disease and other health problems.

Finally, Halo Top contains significantly less carbohydrates than Haagen Dazs and just 2/3 the sugar. Why choose a fatty, sugary, and calorie-dense ice cream when a healthier, lighter option is available?

This lighter ice cream comes in more varieties than your typical vanilla bean. Here's the breakdown of the 17 unique flavors that Halo Top has to offer:

1. Vanilla Bean: classic, and only 240 calories per pint

2. Chocolate, 240 calories per pint

3. Lemon Cake, 240 calories per pint

4. Strawberry, 280 calories per pint

5. Mint Chip, 240 calories per pint

6. Chocolate Mocha Chip, 280 calories per pint

7. Birthday Cake, 280 calories per pint

8. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, 360 calories per pint

9. Peanut Butter Cup, 320 calories per pint

10. Cookies & Cream, 320 calories per pint

11. Sea Salt Caramel, 280 calories per pint

12. S'mores, 320 calories per pint

13. Pistachio, 240 calories per pint

14. Oatmeal Cookie, 280 calories per pint

15. Chocolate Almond Crunch, 280 calories per pint

16. Black Cherry, 280 calories per pint

Nutritional information for each flavor, as well as more about the company and its mission, can be found on Halo Top's website. With popularity growing and pints being sold at major grocery stores across the country, it seems that Halo Top has found its niche and is providing some "healthy" competition to other ice cream brands.