Is Halo Top Good For You?
Healthier versions of sweet desserts, like ice cream, are popping up all over grocery store shelves. Halo Top is one of the leading brands, bolstering an impressive 25 flavors to choose from. They claim to be the first ice cream brand to offer fewer calories and sugar in addition to higher protein than traditional ice cream, via Halo Top. They have dairy-free options using coconut milk as the base, and keto options which contain 10 net carbs or less. But catchy marketing and health claims may be leading consumers astray. By viewing Halo Top as a health food, there's concern over consumers relying on Halo Top to provide nutritious benefits like added protein, via Time. However, the amount of protein you really need every day should be feasible through your meals. Experts also argue that protein sources ideally shouldn't come from dessert, but rather from more nutritious options like chicken and quinoa, via Time.
Additional concerns
Another concern, surprisingly, is the calorie content. Halo Top likes to focus on the fact that an entire pint of their ice cream is the equivalent of one serving of other full-fat ice creams on the market. Their pints range from 280-320 calories per pint. But this may actually encourage us to consume unhealthy portion sizes and overeat. Eating an entire pint of ice cream (healthy version or not) isn't a good idea, via Time. It's important to remember that these foods are still dessert and shouldn't replace meals, via Health.
How Halo Top is sweetened may also be of concern. It's important to remember that Halo Top still contains some amount of sugar, which can still lead to health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, via Healthline. While the sugar replacements in Halo Top, stevia and erythritol, can help you avoid a sugar crash, there's also potential for gastrointestinal distress if too much is consumed, via Healthline. At the end of the day, it's important to remember Halo Top is still a processed food, not to be confused with a healthy, nutritious whole food or meal replacement.