Ice cream, ice cream, we all scream for ice cream; but what about the after effects? Non-organic dairy products (i.e. cream & milk) come from feedlot-raised dairy cows. That means growth hormones and hydrogenated fats, which leads to all sorts of trouble, including acne, cancer, heart disease and stroke. Still looking forward to that pint of Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia in your freezer? Probably not. So what's an ice cream lover to do? Try organic.
We got our hands on a four-pack of Alden's Organic Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Sandwiches ($4.39 at Giant Food) and are pleased to report... Ice cream is back on the menu. Best of all, it tastes really, really good. Perhaps not as tasty as the aforementioned Cherry Garcia; but I'll gladly trade you a few extra bites (and calories) for the following...
• No GMO's
• No Artificial Flavoring
• No Artificial Growth Hormones
• No Antibiotics
• No Carrageenan (an additive that's linked to inflammation)
• No High Fructose Corn Syrup
Before you get too excited, keep in mind Alden's Ice Cream Sandwiches still pack 170 calories into a single 3.5 ounce serving, not to mention five grams of to-die-for saturated fat (25% of your daily recommendation) 25mg of cholesterol and 14 grams of sugar. Eat the whole pack (like I did) and we're talking 680 calories, a full day's supply of saturated fat and 56 grams of sugar.
But who's kidding who? You want to know how it tastes, don't ya? Each sandwich measures 2.5" in diameter, with a soft chocolate cake exterior, and a generous 1" high mound of vanilla bean ice cream. The latter is super creamy without any of the sweetness you're probably used to; and the cake, soft to taste but firm enough to last the 20-30 seconds it took to devour (no melting in your hand, although it helps to eat as fast as I do.)
Given its' price (over a dollar per sandwich) you probably won't consume them as quickly as I did. That's a handy deterrent for overeaters (half-gallon containers have been known to vanish overnight.) I like the fact that they're not overly sweet as well.
Grade: B- (Expensive, but tasty enough to satisfy your ice cream cravings. Not to mention a heck of a lot better for you.)
