Holiday on Ice Cream Spotlight #HaloTop

Halo Top ice cream was provided for this review. All opinions are my own.

Globetrotting around the world with my tennis star mother during school holidays had its perks. Exposure to other cultures and perspectives was one. Tasting desserts and ice cream of other countries was another travel perk!

Portugal had the best ice cream bars (think American ice cream trucks of yesteryear.) Little figurines accompanied the ice cream bars. Like the trinkets found in Cracker Jacks and cereals once upon a time. (Health and Safety Standards took over childhood fun. Sigh.)

Mom was also the tennis pro at the Cambridge Tennis Club for a spell. Summers in Massachusetts also meant Brigham’s Ice Cream. Licking a Brigham’s pecan chip ice cream cone with chocolate jimmies was sheer heaven. (Sadly, they closed operations in 2013.) During the school year I lived with Dad, my stepmother and siblings in Tokyo. With the introduction of Häagen-Dazs into Japan, perhaps attitudes of young Japanese are changing. But, back in the day, Japanese ice cream was deprived of rich cream and fat. So, a scoop (or double-scoop!) was divine.

My ice cream indulgences came with mixed feelings.  Pleasure and guilt stood side by side. My guess is that Mom felt the same way. She loved ice cream, too. But as a professional tennis star, staying in shape was prime. So, through the years, like Mom, I’ve dabbled in diet ice creams. Halo Top is my latest try. It’s good. Better than most. But I cannot honestly say that it delivers the bliss of “regular” American ice cream. In this “mature” stage of life, I believe a bit of bliss now and then is deserved.

The Halo Top Birthday Cake Ice Cream I tried was true to its vanilla bean foundation. Might have been nice to have a few more sprinkles in the mix. In all fairness, maybe I would’ve formed a different opinion with a different flavor. See below for all the Halo Top flavors.

As Shakespeare’s Hamlet says, “There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.” 

Here are a few facts about Halo Top Ice Cream:

Sugar substitutes are used in Halo Top Ice Cream:

• Organic Stevia
• Erythritol which doesn’t spike the blood or raise insulin levels

Nutritional info about Halo Top Ice Cream:

• Significantly more protein (than other ice creams)
• Significantly less carbs
• Significantly less fat
• Less calories

Also, melted Halo Top Birthday Cake Ice Cream is perfect for Hello Kitty birthday cake. One pint of Halo Top ice cream, melted plus ¼ cup of whole fat milk produces a light, luscious vanilla cake. Topped with vanilla frosting, colorful sprinkles and Hello Kitty accouterment, birthday cake is a cheery way to celebrate today!

Halo Top Flavors:

• Red Velvet
• Oatmeal Cookie
• Pistachio
• Chocolate Almond Crunch
• Black Cherry
• Peanut Butter Cup
• Cookies & Cream
• Sea Salt Caramel
• S’Mores
• Mint Chip
• Chocolate Mocha Chip
• Birthday Cake
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
• Vanilla Bean
• Chocolate Strawberry
• Birthday Cake