I Tested Protein-Packed Healthy Ice Creams — These 6 Are Quite the Treat

For those who need a gluten- or lactose-free ice cream option, this is certainly a great option. At only 35 calories per serving and featuring both protein and fiber, it's actually on the healthy side.

Texture: It was more icy than creamy; kind of gritty.

Taste: It reminded me slightly of a fudgesicle.

Nutrition: I have to give it to this pint! Arctic Zero is killing it at just 35 calories per serving and 150 calories per pint. It contains only 5 grams of sugar and no fat, but packs on the protein at 3 grams. It's also, as previously mentioned, GMO, lactose, and gluten-free.

Score: ⭐️⭐️

I liked this one, but while the package promised you could dig in right away, my experience was different. I had to wait more than a few minutes for it to melt enough so I could get my spoon into the pint.

Texture: It was pretty creamy, but had a slight aftertaste — it might have been Stevia.

Taste: It tastes just like the classic Rocky Road! The marshmallows are good (though not vegetarian) and there was an excellent crunch of nut here and there. The chocolate was also very rich.

Nutrition: This ice cream is just 100 calories per serving and 370 calories per pint. Per serving, it has 10 grams of sugar, 3 grams of fat, and 6 grams of protein, but it contains milk and gluten, and says nothing about being organic or GMO free.

Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really wish Ben & Jerry's had more flavors for its healthy ice creams, because this tasted so close to the real full-fat thing. I loved the texture, and that I could dig right in without waiting 15 minutes for it to melt down. It kept true to what you'd expect from the brand, but that taste comes at a price — this pint is not nearly as healthy as some of the other options.

Texture: This pint was pretty perfect. It looks and tastes creamy.

Taste: For a healthy ice cream, this was almost too sweet. The cookie crunch part was delicious!

Health: If you're counting calories, it isn't super bad at 140 calories per serving. You'll want to stick to that one serving, because the whole pint clocks in at 560 calories. It's also one of the worst on sugar levels at 15 grams with 4.5 grams of fat, and weak in the protein department with just 3 grams.

Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Now, if Breyers is your go-to ice cream brand, there's a good chance you'll like its healthy protein version. Unfortunately, it doesn't rank very high in health, but it gets extra points for tasting like the real deal.

Texture: It's not super creamy, but neither are the rest of Breyers's regular offerings, so no shockers here.

Taste: It was very sugary, but since it only contains 9 grams, my guess is it's the addition of Stevia.

Nutrition: It's 110 calories per serving and 330 calories per pint, so on the higher end of things. It also contains only 7 grams of protein per serving (20 grams if you eat the whole pint).

Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The original healthy ice cream is still a favorite of mine. Candy Bar is one of Halo Top's newest flavors, and I can't recommend it enough.

Texture: Halo Top is creamy, soft, and smooth (after you wait the recommended time).

Taste: This flavor tastes kind of like a Snickers bars. There are bits of peanuts and swirls of caramel that are hard to resist.

Nutrition: This one is one of the best in this list. Halo Top Candy Bar has 90 calories per serving and 360 calories a pint. It has 7 grams of sugar, 3.5 grams of fat, and 5 grams of protein. Though it can't touch the Arctic Zone pint on the health scale, it tastes way better — and ice cream is still meant to be a treat, right?

Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Holy cow, let me tell you about this Chilly Cow ice cream: Just wow! This stuff is good. It comes in a pack of two little cups so there's no serving-size guesswork, and even if you ate both, your calorie intake would equal to a pint of Halo Top. This brand will have a permanent spot in my freezer.

Texture: It looks good and tastes even better. It's super creamy!

Taste: Chilly Cow is so good! It's not too sweet, and you even get a little salt from the caramel to balance out the brown butter sweetness of this flavor.

Nutrition: OK, after enjoying the delicious taste of this ice cream, I looked at the nutrition info only to find it has lots of sugar (17 grams per serving to be exact, ugh!), but also the most protein per serving on this list. It equals to 180 calories per cup (and 360 calories if you eat both), and has 4 grams of fat and 12 grams of protein. It still has 60 percent less sugar than most leading ice creams (according to the packaging), so I'm making it my number one.

Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️