Halo Top. Yay or Nay?

kpoe1981

My store has quite few flavors and I'm thinking about getting a couple to try. The Lemon Cake and the Caramel Macchiato. Do you think they are worth it? What flavors did you like or didn't?

MikePTY

My wife likes them. I have heard that some flavors are better than others.

Marcieb21

I have enjoyed them. I haven’t tried those specific flavors though.

apullum

Halo Top is my least favorite of the “light” ice creams. I like Enlightened or Breyers Delights better.

Lynatea

I prefer the Outshine frozen yogurt bars. 90 calories.🙂

lemurcat2

Back when I was experimenting with the low cal ice creams I preferred Enlightened. No harm in trying and seeing if you like the Halo Top, however.

kshama2001

I experimented with various brands and flavors of low cal ice creams and concluded they were not for me, but to each their own.

I concluded that if I wanted something reminiscent of ice cream, but with less calories, low fat Greek vanilla ice cream with fruit that I add was a better fit for me.

estherdragonbat

Haven't bought the pints since they revamped the packaging to show 2.5 servings per package; I find it frustrating enough getting a gram weight (many entries in the database and I'm in Canada and find that the calorie information doesn't always line up with the US info) when the label gives me mls. I'm sticking to regular single-serve ice cream treats like bars and sandwiches.

That being said, I tried some HT strawberry cheesecake bars and found them pretty good.

Alexziz

The peanut butter lolly is lush

amusedmonkey

Nope. Fat is what makes ice cream, in my opinion. I have tried a few kinds and arrived at that conclusion because it always feels like something's missing. I feel like I'm wasting my calories when I don't spend them well. McFlurry is a good middle ground at only 6% fat (the lower end of full fat variety) if I want something lighter, but not any lighter than that. 5% less enjoyment for fewer calories is worth it, but 50% less enjoyment is not.

cwolfman13

Not a fan. I experimented here and there with the low calorie ice cream but decided for the amount of ice cream I eat (maybe once per month) I'd just go with the real deal and what I like. I don't actually keep ice cream in the house very often...it's usually something we go out for or get while we're out doing something fun with the fam.

gothchiq

It's really good IMHO. I only stopped buying it because I became diabetic.

AnnPT77

Many here rave about HT, but I tried several flavors, and found them curiously unsatisfying: Not worth even their low calories. (The didn't taste bad, nor do I react badly to the sugar alcohols. They're just majorly meh.)

Personally, I'd rather eat regular ice cream less often, have frozen fruit mixed with nonfat plain Greek yogurt and chocolate PB2 (peanut butter powder), or eat a Yasso Greek Yogurt Bar (especially fuge, brownie, or salted caramel).

zyxst

I read rave reviews of HT on here. When it finally came to Canada, I took a closer look and found out it's about the same calories per serving as ice cream, but more expensive.

And yeah, I did originally think the calories were for the WHOLE pint, not per serving.

AnnPT77

zyxst wrote: »

I read rave reviews of HT on here. When it finally came to Canada, I took a closer look and found out it's about the same calories per serving as ice cream, but more expensive.

And yeah, I did originally think the calories were for the WHOLE pint, not per serving.

Interesting.

Here in the US, a whole pint (at 240-360 calories for the pint, most flavors I've seen below 300) is in the ballpark of a 1/2C serving of most premium full-fat real-sugar ice cream (250 and up, usually).

Still not worth eating the HT, IMO, though.

angel7472

I tried HT and wasn't thrilled. For 250-300 calories I can have a Drumstick ice cream and enjoy it way more than the HT.

Luke_rabbit

I haven't tried any because I can't tolerate the ingredients (stevia specifically). If you know all of the ingredients are okay for you, give one a try.

kimny72

If what you like about ice cream is mostly the sweet, then Halo Top might hit the spot. If like me what you really enjoy is the luxurious creaminess, it probably won't.

Also just a heads up- many people love that they can fit the whole pint in their calories. HT uses sugar alcohols, and too much can cause digestive distress for some people. When I tried HT and some of the other low cal ice creams,. I started with half a pint and ended up painfully bloated. And I figured if I could only eat less than half a pint anyway, I might as well just eat the real thing. So the first time you eat it, I'd suggest eating no more than half just in case you're sensitive to it!

amusedmonkey

kimny72 wrote: »

If what you like about ice cream is mostly the sweet, then Halo Top might hit the spot. If like me what you really enjoy is the luxurious creaminess, it probably won't.

Also just a heads up- many people love that they can fit the whole pint in their calories. HT uses sugar alcohols, and too much can cause digestive distress for some people. When I tried HT and some of the other low cal ice creams,. I started with half a pint and ended up painfully bloated. And I figured if I could only eat less than half a pint anyway, I might as well just eat the real thing. So the first time you eat it, I'd suggest eating no more than half just in case you're sensitive to it!

Google says it weighs about 250 grams and has ~300 calories. McFlurry is about 400 calories for 250 grams, only 100 calories difference but it actually tastes like ice cream. I'm personally satisfied with a single serving of ice cream, but for those who don't like halo top (or find it expensive) maybe it's worth finding a cheap ice cream they like, budget an extra 100 calories, and go to town. Fat is expensive, so cheap full fat ice creams tend to have less of it.

psychod787

muh.......

kimny72

amusedmonkey wrote: »

kimny72 wrote: »

If what you like about ice cream is mostly the sweet, then Halo Top might hit the spot. If like me what you really enjoy is the luxurious creaminess, it probably won't.

Also just a heads up- many people love that they can fit the whole pint in their calories. HT uses sugar alcohols, and too much can cause digestive distress for some people. When I tried HT and some of the other low cal ice creams,. I started with half a pint and ended up painfully bloated. And I figured if I could only eat less than half a pint anyway, I might as well just eat the real thing. So the first time you eat it, I'd suggest eating no more than half just in case you're sensitive to it!

Google says it weighs about 250 grams and has ~300 calories. McFlurry is about 400 calories for 250 grams, only 100 calories difference but it actually tastes like ice cream. I'm personally satisfied with a single serving of ice cream, but for those who don't like halo top (or find it expensive) maybe it's worth finding a cheap ice cream they like, budget an extra 100 calories, and go to town. Fat is expensive, so cheap full fat ice creams tend to have less of it.

Yeah, I'm not a volume eater so I usually don't find it difficult to find creative ways to limit myself to a single serving of ice cream. There are a couple of flavors of "slow churned" ice cream available in the supermarket that I can stock up on sale and a reasonable (to me) serving is under 200 cals and to me much more satisfying than a larger serving of HT.

Having said that, I've had a few bad days in my time that ended with hoovering down a 1000 calorie pint of Ben & Jerry's

nighthawk584

I love peach flavor Halo Top but prefer Enlightened Sea Salt Caramel at about the same amount of calories. It's more expensive per pint though.

Katmary71

I can't stand Halo Top, partially because some flavors are made with coconut milk. ! I love Chilly Cow brown butter caramel bars and the mint is pretty good, Breyer's Deights cookies and cream is good, and I like Enlightened Salted Caramel, Triple Chocolate, Peanut butter chocolate, and Caramel Oatmeal Cookie though I think the latter and triple chocolate are discontinued as I found them at Grocery Outlet.

Of course regular ice cream is better, I just had Baskin Robbins peanut butter ice cream in an ice cream cake and forgot how good fat is, though it really ate into my calories!

robingmurphy

The Lemon Top is yummy. Good substitute for ice cream for lower calories. Isn't as likely to trigger overeating for me.

fuzzylop_

Katmary71 wrote: »

I can't stand Halo Top, partially because some flavors are made with coconut milk.

I believe only the specific vegan varieties are made with coconut milk (the rest have skim milk). The easy way to tell the difference is writing on the side of the lid means it's vegan, and a solid colored edge is non-vegan.

mytyglotz

I am of the population who complain of digestive discomfort after consuming Halo Top, or other "light" ice creams - I've noticed this after even the recommended serving of 1/2 - 3/4 cup. However, I realize not everyone experiences gastrointestinal distress or food sensitivities - so, like other Pals have said, I think that if it satiates you and you are able to exercise moderation (and your bank account can support the treat, too) then enjoy the Halo Top!!

This might be steering a bit off topic, but it's come to mind as I've been typing my response:
I think a person's relationship with food also plays a role; for someone who has the "all or nothing" mindset, "light" ice creams that tout the calories per pint might reinforce some unhealthy habits (i.e. just because there are fewer calories per pint and the label tells you to "stop when you hit the botton", you don't need to finish it all in one sitting. For someone like me, eating the whole pint would only result in a lot of bloat, discomfort, and regret (mostly because I feel physically icky afterward). Not to say anyone should feel this way EVER - I've just learned that that's how I react and only feel it's fair to be honest about that). Perhaps it's because I've consumed quite a bit of those "light" ice creams in the past and have suffered the consequences in my gut, so the pleasure I get from them simply isn't as pronounced, but Halo Top, Enlightened - or really any ice cream or decadent type of treat - don't appeal to me. Fruits like apples, grapes, and watermelon, though - now THOSE sound tasty to me!!

Just from my stroll down the frozen aisles of the grocery stores, I've noticed they offer quite a few flavors, and have seemed to expand their line at an impressive rate!! I think vanilla bean and chocolate are always crowd-pleasers. When I consumed Halo Top and comparable brands (e.g. Enlightened, Arctic Zero), some flavors were a bit too sweet for my liking. And I've read some reviews from other consumers expressing dissatisfaction with texture and consistency with particular flavors, but I really think it varies from person to person and brand to brand - especially when manufacturers reformulate their products. I digress; I guess I am not being much help - I am sorry to ramble on.

The takeaway from all of that ^ is:
- I personally don't recommend or would limit Halo Top and other "light" ice creams, as they are highly processed and disagree with my digestive system,
- Flavors might vary in consistency, texture, and overall enjoyment depending on your personal preferences (e.g. you like the fruity/citrusy stuff (e.g. lemon cake, rainbow swirl, strawberry, chocolate covered banana, blueberry crumble, key lime pie), bittersweet (e.g black cherry), cooling (e.g. mint chip), or richer/sweeter (e.g. chocolate chip cookie dough, birthday cake, candy bar, cookies & cream, red velvet, s'mores), earthy/nutty (e.g. pistachio), spicy (e.g. gingerbread house, oatmeal cookie, pumpkin pie)-- like I said, there are SO many flavors.
You might also want to consider the texture/consistency: if you like a "crunch", you might enjoy flavors with the mix-ins like chocolate almond crunch.

*WOw. I typed too much. I am so very sorry. I need to work on being concise.
I hope I was at least a little helpful. I am extremely impressed if anyone read everything up to this point - even if only the first paragraph!!*

sulwen314

I love it, personally. I can't eat dairy, so I'm used to coconut milk versions of ice cream anyway, and I think some of the vegan flavors are very good. I particularly like the cookie dough, candy bar, and salted caramel flavors. I actually like that it's not AMAZINGLY delicious. It's good enough that it satisfies my dessert craving, and not SO good that I want to binge on it. A very happy medium for me. I've never had any GI distress after eating it either, even a whole pint.

RelCanonical

I like Halo Top, but find that I tend to prefer other brands of "light" ice cream. I usually reach for Breyers, or Market Pantry if I'm in Target.

janejellyroll

I've had most of the vegan ones. They range from "pretty good" to "pretty terrible." The Candy Bar and the Oatmeal Cookie are probably the best ones, IMO.

quiksylver296

I use HT when I need a hit of protein at the end of the day.

Flavors I like:
Peanut Butter and Jelly
Gingerbread House
Caramel Macchiato
Sea Salt Caramel
Strawberry
Pumpkin Pie


Flavors I had to throw in the trash because they were so bad:
Pancakes and Waffles
Blueberry Crumble
Rainbow Swirl (aka Play-doh)

kpoe1981

quiksylver296 wrote: »

I use HT when I need a hit of protein at the end of the day.

Flavors I like:
Peanut Butter and Jelly
Gingerbread House
Caramel Macchiato
Sea Salt Caramel
Strawberry
Pumpkin Pie


Flavors I had to throw in the trash because they were so bad:
Pancakes and Waffles
Blueberry Crumble
Rainbow Swirl (aka Play-doh)

Lol Aka Play-doh! I'll be sure to skip that one