Angels and Devils: Ice Cream Pints

A summer without ice cream is like a car without wheels – pretty much pointless. Over the next two weeks, I’ll let you know which ice creams deliver taste without destroying your figure, and which are simply frozen, sugary evil.

Let it be known that I am not listing “sugar-free” ice cream because I find it to taste pretty horrible. After all, what is the point of eating sugar-free and fat-free ice cream? If you’re looking for a treat that doesn’t contain sugar or fat, open up a can of tuna!

Before I start naming names, some general nutrition tips for your next ice cream pint purchase:

* Always read the nutrition label on the back, paying special attention to the number of servings. Each pint contains 4 servings. In other words, if you and a friend down a pint, you would each have to multiply the values on the label by 2 to get an accurate reflection of what you ate.

* Be careful with flavors that mix in brownies, caramel bits, and cookie pieces – all of which contribute additional calories, unhealthy fats, and sugar.

* Serve yourself a scoop in a bowl and then put the container back in the freezer. Sitting down with a pint and telling yourself, “just three spoonfuls!” is a recipe for disaster.

The following brands and flavors get a small bites “Thumbs Up” for their low calorie and fat numbers:

• Edy’s Slow Churned Light Vanilla

100 calories

3.5 grams fat, 2 grams saturated fat

11 grams sugar

(per 1/2 cup serving)

• Edy’s Slow Churned Light Fudge Tracks

120 calories

4 grams fat, 2.5 grams saturated fat

13 grams sugar

(per ½ cup serving)

• Edy’s Slow Churned Light Mint Chocolate Chip

120 calories

4.5 grams fat, 3 grams saturated fat

13 grams sugar

(per 1/2 cup serving)

• Soy Delicious Chocolate Peanut Butter

150 calories

5 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat

12 grams sugar

(per ½ cup serving)

On the other end of the spectrum, these brands and flavors get a red flag for their apparent guerilla attack on our health.

• Ben & Jerry’s Peanut Butter Cup

380 calories

26 grams fat, 13 grams saturated fat

25 grams sugar

(per ½ cup serving)

• Ben & Jerry’s Chubby Hubby

330 calories

21 grams fat, 12 grams saturated fat

24 grams sugar

• Haagen Dazs Vanilla Chocolate Chip/Butter Pecan/Cookie Dough

310 calories

20 grams fat, 12 grams saturated fat

22 grams sugar