Ice cream is a delightful sweet handle any time of year, whether you’re digging into a gallon from the freezer or getting a cylinder from the neighborhood scoop store. Finding a good ice cream does look challenging for those with diabetes who have to control their blood sugar levels. ” Dessert can absolutely be part of a healthy eating pattern, even if you have diabetes”, says Jessica Ball, M. S., RD, Eating Well’s nutrition editor. This listing is useful because it ensures that you’re choosing healthy alternatives on nutrition labels. Second, keep saturated fat in search. ” Generally, we recommend that diabetes-friendly sweets have no more than 2 grams of saturated fat, but since snow cream is made from cheese, which is usually significantly higher in saturated fat, we selected snow products with up to 3 g per serving”, explains Ball. This smallest boost gives consumers more choices while still supporting a heart-healthy manner of eating. The added sugars in a solution is another factor to think about. As Ball information,” Most Americans eat very much added sugar. That does n’t mean you can never enjoy sweet foods, but it’s a nutrient worth limiting when you can”. With that in mind, we capped our merchandise at 12 g added sugars. We also set the caloric intake to 200 and the total carbohydrate count to 25 g, as per Ball’s recommendation,” choosing goodies that are lower in extra sugar, full carbohydrate, and calories can help keep your blood glucose levels more consistent.” We conducted a blind taste test with more than 15 products that met our diet standards, including flavors like chocolate, caramel, and fruit, to help you find the safest ice cream brands for diabetes. We tried each ice cream as is and made notes about the taste, texture and appearance. One of our favorite brands, Edy’s, was a winner in multiple categories. Read on for a complete list of the top ice creams that are healthy. The Test Alex Loh To narrow the field, we researched and read the labels of more than 150 products, and selected the ones that fit the following nutrition requirements: ≤200 calories, ≤5 g total fat, ≤3 g saturated fat, &lt, 240 milligrams sodium, ≤25 g carbohydrates and ≤12 g added sugar. We also looked for a range of flavors, including vanilla, chocolate, birthday cake, cookies and cream, fruit, mint chocolate chip and chocolate. For the taste test, a blind tasting was set up with five testers. Each ice cream was tested fresh straight from the container. We took notes regarding the taste, appearance and texture of each product. Best Vanilla Ice Cream: Halo Top Vanilla Bean Courtesy of Brand It’s impossible to beat a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and Halo Top Vanilla Bean was no exception. Many testers liked the ice cream because it had visible flecks of vanilla bean. The vanilla shined well in those visuals, which were effective in flavor. Although some testers found the flavor to be a little cloying as a result of the sugar-alpha erythritol, it was still a tasty bite. Another highlight of Halo Top’s pint was the texture, which was creamy and smooth. While eating ice cream may seem like a given, the texture became a crucial distinction when compared to other products in the category, which were described as icy and chalky. The palatable texture also led to a good mouthfeel, according to one tester. With high praise in appearance, texture and flavor, it’s easy to see why our testers loved this product—and you will, too. Nutrition info for Halo Top Vanilla Bean, per 2/3-cup serving 100 calories, 2 g total fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 90 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrates, 6 g fiber, 7 g total sugar, 3 g added sugar, 8 g sugar alcohol, 6 g protein Best Cookies &amp, Cream Ice Cream: Nick’s Cookies and Kräm Courtesy of Brand Cookies and cream ice cream often features small swirls of cookie bits folded into vanilla ice cream—Nick’s is not that. The vanilla base of the Swedish-based ice cream brand contains larger chunks of cookie crumbles, which gives the ice cream a fantastic texture. This ice cream is a delectable winner among the majority of our testers because one said,” I like the chunks,” and another said,” I like the chunks.” As a bonus, Nick’s ice cream uses zero added sugar, and instead uses the sugar alcohol erythritol to provide sweetness. Niclas Luthman, Nick’s founder, was given the opportunity to use this phrase because it was a wise choice on the brand’s part when Nick was diagnosed with prediabetes and had to change his diet. Nutrition info for Nick’s Cookies and Kräm, per 2/3-cup serving 90 calories, 5 g total fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 150 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrates, 9 g fiber, 5 g total sugar, 0 g added sugar, 4 g sugar alcohol, 3 g protein Best Fruit-Flavored Ice Cream: Nick’s Strawbär Swirl Courtesy of Brand Nick’s Strawbär Swirl delivers a delightful experience for fruit ice cream lovers. This flavor captivates the senses with a vibrant aroma that resembles fresh strawberries thanks to its charming strawberry swirl. Our testers noted the swirl’s jammy consistency, adding a tangy burst that elevates the overall flavor profile. The texture is equally appealing, with a nice mouthfeel that enhances each scoop. One tester praised the “nice flavor” and how the swirl perfectly complements the creamy base. This scoop is the perfect addition to the popular strawberry ice cream because it’s a fun, flavorful variation. Nutrition info for Nick’s Strawbär Swirl, per 2/3-cup serving 90 calories, 5 g total fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 140 mg sodium, 22 g carbohydrates, 8 g fiber, 1 g total sugar, 0 g added sugar, 5 g sugar alcohol, 3 g protein Best Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream: Edy’s Slow Churned Mint Chocolate Chip Light Ice Cream Courtesy of Brand If you’re a fan of mint chocolate chip ice cream, you likely have strong feelings about its appearance—should it be white or green? Whichever color you prefer, you’re sure to be a fan of Edy’s Slow Churned Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. Our testers were most excited about the texture and flavor of the ice cream, with one customer saying it fulfilled all of their expectations despite the green color’s appealing appeal to some. Aside from the colorful appearance, its creamy texture was another highlight for our testers. One tester praised the smooth texture as the main factor in helping it achieve its top position in the category. And while appearance and texture are important, we ca n’t forget about flavor. The cool mint ice cream was highlighted by the chocolate chips, which were present throughout. Nutrition info for Edy’s Slow Churned Mint Chocolate Chip Light Ice Cream, per 2/3-cup serving 150 calories, 4 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 60 mg sodium, 24 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 16 g total sugar, 12 g added sugar, 0 g sugar alcohol, 3 g protein Best Chocolate Ice Cream: Edy’s Slow Churned Chocolate Light Ice Cream Courtesy of Brand Calling all chocolate lovers: Edy’s Slow Churned Chocolate Light Ice Cream is for you. According to their website, this ice cream is a part of the brand’s Slow Churned series, which contains one-third fewer calories and half the fat of regular ice cream. Despite these changes in nutrition, many of our testers found it similar to regular ice cream and could n’t note any differences in the smooth, creamy texture. In addition to texture, the flavor was a real highlight. Many of our testers were clear and impressed by the rich chocolate flavor, and many uttered the word “yum” in response. With this ice cream in your freezer, you’ll always have a healthy, delicious treat on hand. Nutrition info for Edy’s Slow Churned Chocolate Light Ice Cream, per 2/3-cup serving 130 calories, 4.5 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 50 mg sodium, 22 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 16 g total sugar, 11 g added sugar, 0 g sugar alcohol, 3 g protein Nutrition Parameters When selecting a diabetes-friendly ice cream, there are a few key things to consider on a nutrition label: saturated fat, carbohydrates and added sugar or sugar alcohol. The American Diabetes Association advises limiting your intake because too much can affect your cholesterol, which in turn can affect your risk for heart disease, which people with diabetes are at higher risk for. Saturated fat is naturally found in animal-based dairy products. Our registered dietitians suggested raising the saturated fat cap to 3 g for this test based on the saturated fat average found in our research, despite our general guidelines for diabetes-friendly nutrition parameters limiting saturated fat to 2 g per serving for desserts. While following a diabetes-friendly diet does mean managing your consumption of added sugar and other carbohydrates, it does n’t mean eliminating them entirely. After analyzing the data on products in the category, we created nutrition parameters to help with intake control. Each serving of ice cream had no more than 25 g of carbohydrates and 12 g of added sugar. Another thing to keep in mind when talking about sugar is the presence of sugar alcohols like erythritol and xylitol, as well as sugar substitutes like stevia and monk fruit. These foods are frequently used by food manufacturers as a low-calorie substitute for sugar, and they can often have an artificial aftertaste. While sugar alcohols can have an impact on glucose levels, it’s less of an impact than sugar has, so these sugar alcohols are often found in diabetes-friendly products. However, depending on the person, consuming large amounts of sugar alcohols may lead to digestive issues like gas and bloating, so be sure to enjoy these ice creams in moderation. Conclusion If you’re looking to keep things simple, Halo Top’s Vanilla Bean is a cool, creamy choice. Or Edy’s Slow Churned Mint Chocolate Chip Light Ice Cream will appeal to palates of all ages if you’re looking for a classic scoop-shop taste. Alex Loh, our expert, is Eating Well’s associate food editor. She has over two years of experience with the brand and is passionate about food and cooking. She has written more than 15 product guides and has tested hundreds of products, including chef’s knives, hot dogs and protein powders. For this article, she consulted with a registered dietitian and nutrition editor at Eating Well, Jessica Ball, M. S., RD, for her insights about nutrition. Registered dietitians and food editors were among the testers.

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