The lean mean ice cream

I am going to be honest.

Ice cream is bad for you.

Averaging over 200 calories per half cup, according to Calorie King, and made almost entirely of cream and sugar (which translates in to fat and more fat), it contains little nutritional value, aside from calcium.

And as American’s waistlines grow, so does the demand for the cream without the cals.

So, to please the chronic dieter, producers have responded with several low fat and/or low sugar options.

Most of them, however, are low taste too.

But weight watchers need not fret. Exceptions do exist to the no fat, not taste rule. Several companies have dreamed up distinctive and original “healthier” flavors to suit almost anyone’s ice cream fancies.

For starters, try soft serve. Generally made with non-or low fat milk, the classic small Dairy Queen cone has less than 150 calories. And if vanilla, chocolate or twist doesn’t suit your fancy, TCBY offers a variety of rotating soft serve flavors, from blueberry cheesecake to chocolate peanut butter.

If you’re a sucker for the scoop, all hope isn’t lost. Most creameries offer yogurts or low fat options, like Ben and Jerry’s Half Baked Yogurt or Coldstone’s “sinless” vanilla.

Sherbet, usually made without milk (and therefore generally fat free) is also a healthier alternative, according to several ice cream producers. Walrus Ice Cream, located in Old Town, offers a whole freezer selection of homemade sherbets and yogurts with unique flavors like honeydew and cinnamon chip.

So just because you’re trying to take off the pounds doesn’t mean you have to give up the pints. At least not entirely.

Just don’t eat the whole gallon.