I scream, you scream...

   I think we, as Americans, have a crazy sweet tooth.  My mother used to say, “Momma needs some sugar”, meaning she wanted a hug and kiss.  Sweets get us through the most difficult of days.  They are something to look forward to after a meal.  We give them as symbols of our affection for another.  Once, when my stepdaughter was little, we took the kids out to dinner.  She ordered dessert.  When we explained to her that she had to have her main meal first, she replied with, "But I'm not hungry for the meal.  I'm hungry for dessert."  Who could blame her, really?  Even Harry Potter was given chocolates as a cure all for whatever was bothering him..."Here, have a chocolate."  I digress.  I'll discuss chocolates on a different day.  Today, I want to talk about my own personal sweet weakness.  It is and has always been ice cream.  

    As a little girl, my father would take me at least one a month to the nearest High’s Ice Cream parlor for a huge banana split.  It was for him, really, but I was allowed to go along and get my own (which I could never finish).  In some way, it made me feel special just to be included in my father’s sweet, cool decadent escape from reality.  Like most kids, I would have been happy with a scoop of chocolate that I could stir up into a pudding concoction.  Looking back, I think it was all about sitting on the swivel stool next my dad. 

   In high school, I actually had a part time job at High’s Ice Cream.  It lasted one day.  One by one, the store manager showed me how to make each dairy confection unique to the store.  There were no customers, so I asked, “What am I supposed to do after I show you I can make them...throw them out?”  She responded with, “There is no wasting here.  You have to eat them.”  I thought she was joking.  She was not.  So, I gently lay my scoop on the counter and told her no thank you.  Cocky as I was, I added that perhaps she should eat them.  Then I walked out.  I never went in to a High’s Ice Cream parlor again.  I somehow thought she’d remember me and force feed me one of those enormous tubs.  

   Even after that slightly traumatic experience, I still love ice cream.  As a matter of fact, I love going to Jo Jo’s on route one in nearby Dumfries, Virginia when its open (its seasonal).  And in Arizona, we actually considered buying stock in Cold Stone Creamery.  Ben and Jerry's is heaven if you are willing to wait in line.  And if have had them, you will never quite forget the famous "Dole Whip".  

    Unfortunately, for many of us, ice cream has become one of those foods you have to have in moderation…like the cake you only eat on birthdays.  And although time marches on, I would be the last one to say that you should give up ice cream entirely.  I know I won't.  Even my recently health conscious husband will grab his favorite “Skinny Cow” ice cream when he needs a treat.  Life is short, right? 

    So, in the interest of having fascinating things to read about on this every growing blog of mine, I decided to compare the healthier ice creams out there.  For the purposes of this comparison, I stuck with the ice cream sandwich.

Weight Watchers has a Giant Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich.  It is 140 calories, with 1.5 grams of total fat (.5 grams of saturated fat).  Each bar is 31 grams of carbohydrates, 15 grams of sugar, 4 grams of dietary fiber, and 4 grams of protein.  Each has a Weight Watchers points plus value of 4.

Breyers has an Extra Creamy Vanilla Fudge Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich.  It is 160 calories, with 4 grams of total fat (2 grams of saturated fat).  Each bar is 30 grams of carbohydrates, 16 grams of sugar, 2 grams of dietary fiber, and 3 grams of protein. 

Skinny Cow has a Low Fat Ice Cream Sandwich available in Vanilla and Vanilla Chocolate combo packages.  It is 140 calories, with 1.5 grams of total fat (1 gram saturated fat).  Each bar is 30 grams of carbohydrates, 15 grams of sugar, 3 grams of dietary fiber, and 4 grams of protein. 

Klondike (Formerly “Slim a bear”) has a Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich.  It is 100 calories, with 1.5 grams of total fat (.5 grams of saturated fat).  Each bar is 21 grams of carbohydrates, 10 grams of sugar, 2 grams of dietary fiber, and 2 grams of protein.     

None of the above has trans fat.  Each has six sandwiches per box.  If you are looking to cut back, yet still enjoy a cool creamy treat now and then, I recommend these low calorie ice creams.  They are tasted and approved by kids and husbands alike.  : )