When navigating the frozen dessert aisle, choosing an ice cream that aligns with health goals can be challenging. Registered dietitian Kylie King has analyzed popular supermarket vanilla ice creams, evaluating them based on serving size, added sugar, saturated fat, and ingredient simplicity.
King’s analysis, shared with the Daily Mail, highlighted Breyers Natural Vanilla as the best overall option, earning a 4/5 score. She cited its short ingredient list—milk, cream, sugar, tara gum, and natural flavor—along with moderate nutritional content as key factors. A 2/3 cup serving contains 170 calories, 9g of fat (6g saturated), and 19g of total sugars, with 14g being added sugar.
While acknowledging that no traditional ice cream is a health food, King noted that some options are more balanced than others. "The 'healthiest' one really depends on what someone is prioritizing," she said. For instance, Halo Top Vanilla Bean, scoring 3/5, is the lowest in calories at 90 per serving, with 2g of fat and 4g of added sugar. However, King pointed out that its ingredient list is the most heavily formulated, relying on soluble corn fiber, erythritol, and other sugar alcohols, which can cause digestive issues for some.
Premium options like Haagen-Dazs Vanilla Ice Cream and Van Leeuwen Vanilla Bean Ice Cream both received a 3.5/5. Haagen-Dazs offers a simple five-ingredient list (cream, skim milk, cane sugar, egg yolks, vanilla extract) but is the richest, with 320 calories, 21g of fat (13g saturated), and 18g of added sugar per 2/3 cup serving. Van Leeuwen presents a similar nutritional profile and quality ingredients but is also high in calories and saturated fat.
Edy's Vanilla Ice Cream, rated 3/5, offers a lighter calorie count at 160 per serving but contains a longer ingredient list, including corn syrup and coconut oil, which contributes to its 6g of fat (4g saturated) and 14g of added sugar.
At the bottom of King's ranking was Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream (2/5). Despite moderate calories at 220 per serving, its ingredient list includes high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, and a blend of gums and additives, placing it lower on the list for nutritional balance and ingredient simplicity.