Product review: best nutritious frozen dessert
I’m going to be reviewing my favorite products in the coming weeks, things people ask me about that I recommend–with links on where to get them, where possible. Today you just have to know about the BEST, HIGH-NUTRITION FROZEN NON-DAIRY DESSERT for ice cream lovers.
I’ve been under a lot of stress lately because of a major life event/change. So friends have been showing up on my porch, treats in hand. (They know me, though, so they’re healthful treats!) Yesterday was my favorite–”ice cream” made from coconut milk!
In the name of science, today I went to my local health food store and bought both brands to compare. WOW, this stuff is so amazing. And now I must brace myself that local GSG.com readers will make a run for it and it will disappear from The Good Earth–like the young coconuts from my Asian place, and the sweet potato sticks from Costco (now discontinued). Good thing I love you guys. (I’d stock up in advance of the run, if my freezer weren’t newly packed with beet greens and peaches and bottles of homemade pesto!)
This coconut-milk ice cream is the best in terms of nutrition, because it’s just organic coconut milk, organic agave, and cocoa–short, simple ingredient list. Much better than soy frozen desserts or even Rice Dream (still processed).
PURELY DECADENT by Turtle Mountain. It’s the better option in two ways: it’s cheaper by about $1, and lower in calories. (Eat the whole pint? Only 600 calories compared to 840 for the other brand.) Please note that you should buy the ones that say “Made With Coconut Milk”–this company also makes a soy-based frozen dessert with about 4x as many ingredients.
COCONUT BLISS. It’s the better option in two ways: it uses organic, free-trade chocolate (rather than the other brand’s alkali-extracted cocoa), and it’s creamier.
Yes, I did eat the whole pint yesterday. And today, I ate half of both pints. (I had to sacrifice. For science, you understand.) No heavy, bloated, undigested feeling like I would get if I ate ice cream.
Anybody have a favorite nutrition product you’ve discovered that you’re excited about? Share!
Posted in: Reviews, Whole Food
I like to have Larabars in my purse or car in case i get hungry and can’t get to any good raw food. This bar is fruit and nuts. Usually dates and different nuts. This is what Larabar has to say about their product. They have many flavors and are delicious! Here is their website: http://www.larabar.com
Super Target, whole foods and health stores sell them.
LÄRABAR is a delicious blend of unsweetened fruits, nuts and spices – energy in its purest form. Made from 100% whole food, each flavor contains no more than six ingredients. Pure and simple, just as nature intended.
1 SERVING OF FRUIT * NO ADDED SUGAR * UNPROCESSED
RAW * NON- GMO * GLUTEN FREE * DAIRY FREE * SOY FREE
VEGAN * KOSHER
LÄRABAR REAL.
Sweet with no added sweeteners. Sustaining with no added fillers, supplements or flavorings. LÄRABAR is what your body needs – real, whole food loaded with nature’s own minerals and vitamins.
LÄRABAR RIGHT.
All of the vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, good carbohydrates and healthy fats are derived exclusively from the whole, raw food used to make LÄRABAR.
LÄRABAR RAW.
Uncooked and Unprocessed. The essential enzymes, which are necessary for the digestion and utilization of nutrients, remain completely intact in their most natural, powerful state. A diet abundant in raw, unprocessed foods is important for health and longevity.
I met Lara about five years ago. I used to lease a biophotonic scanner (developed at the University of Utah) and travel all over the U.S. with it. I was scanning people for their carotenoid antioxidant level, in a chiropractor’s office in Denver all day.
Lara is lovely and was the high score of the day–above the 99th percentile. She practices what she preaches and is a raw foodie, an enthusiastic promoter of delicious whole foods. I was so disappointed when cases of Larabars (one of my favorites, too) were pulled from Costco after being offered there for a short time. My favorite is “Cherry Pie,” which is mostly sour cherries and walnuts, yum. It is NOT easy to offer packaged, mass-marketed whole foods that have integrity, because the shelf life is so short. Kudos to Lara for her energy, commitment, and passion.
–Robyn
I’ve recently discovered Lara bars too and I love them.
But more importantly, I am now worried about you Robyn. I hope you are okay and that the life change was not a terrible one…or at least that it has a happy outcome?
Jill, thank you so much–I’m moved by your kindness. It’s not a happy change, and it makes my focus on health that much more important. (It is not a health problem I’m dealing with, incidentally.) We have a tendency to care less about nutrition when something else in life goes wrong–and that’s just when we need the support most. When I can get to a place to be able to talk about it, I’m sure I’ll do a little “self-disclosure” here. 🙂
Robyn
Where can you find Lara bars at? They sound great! Also, I wanted to say that I buy pesto at Costco in the refrigerated section. I’m not sure if its cheaper or healthier than homemade but it’s easier and makes a great whole wheat pasta with peppers and sun dried tomatoes delish!
Hi! I read your site every day, but the first time I’m commenting. I love the Purely Decadent Coconut Milk Ice Cream. It’s the only kind I’ve found in my area. I was able to try 3 flavors: Coconut, Chocolate, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. I love the first 2 flavors, but I don’t care for the Cookie Dough. I could taste the processed ingredients. And I agree with you Robin, I don’t feel bloated from eating it. I love the Lara Bars, too! I like them all, but Cherry Pie and the Cashew Cookie are my favorites!
I want to thank you, Robin! You were my inspiration to the healthy road I’m on. My boyfriend ordered a Blendtec, and I found your site, and purchased your recipes. I started with your green smoothies, and started adding more salads. Our bodies kept craving better and better foods. Now, a year later, we eat mostly raw, plant based food. I use a little cheese on my salads, like a condiment, and a maybe, once a week, I have a decaf coffee, with cream. We have fish about once or twice a month. We want to keep flesh to about 5% of our diets, like you quote from The China Study. I have lost about 25 pounds almost effortlessly, and I have never felt better. Thanks for keeping your site so great!!
Tammy
The cookie dough one isn’t the coconut milk stuff. It’s the same brand, right next to the good stuff, but it has a bazillion ingredients, not all of them good. (It’s cookie dough, right, so clearly a lot of bad stuff has to go into that.) I believe that one is soy based. So be careful when you go to buy them, everyone–the soy stuff is right next to the ones made with coconut milk.
By the way, I tried the chocolate and dark chocolate from those two brands I reviewed, and the taste was about the same except that the one was much creamier. Chocolate’s the only thing I tried. The coconut-milk product has only a few, basic flavors. (Oreos, for instance, no matter how many ingredients are “organic,” are just not going to land in any frozen dessert with only whole-food ingredients.)
Tammy, I’m so glad you said that. When the focus is on health, the pounds come off without deprivation or real “effort!” Congrats to you!
Robyn
I knew you would say that! Way ahead of ya: http://oceanskater.blogspot.com/2008/08/i-texted-roy-today-to-say-good-health.html
Ha ha! You’re always ahead of me, Brenna! You, Katie, Elaine, Heather, and others. I would love to have you guys in my town–or at least get to meet y’all! Wanna take over this site when I’m on vacation? 😉
Robyn
Re weight loss – I have lost about 20 lbs in the last 3.5 months – totally effortlessly!!! And I eat a lot (raw of course). Plus I havent started to work out seriously. Used to be a jock – marathon runner, instructor at the Y etc. and somehow packed it on over the last 15 years. Maybe daily swims in the local pond helps. And staying away from potatoes, bread and pasta. Havent touched tea or coffee in the last few months either. Love Larabars – bought a giant box of them from Costco recently. yummy snacks.
Enough about me – I too am worried about our Robyn. My brain is doing somersaults. I wish we could be a source of comfort to you, Robyn. I will zip up and wait until you are ready. Until then I wish you and your family well.
🙂 I wish I lived closer to you so I could get in on all those co-op deals! And since I’m still eating dairy & soy (& corn & wheat & nut) free for my nursling, I’m always on the prowl for fun treats! I’ve tried the coconut milk yogurt, too, and it’s yum! Great for smoothies 🙂 I’ve also been making my own coconut milk ice cream in the ice cream maker. See my blog for recipes 🙂
One more way you’re ahead of me, because I was going to figure out how to make that coconut-milk ice cream from scratch! (I think I’m too lazy to use an ice cream maker, though.)
Watch the blog, ’cause in the next couple of days, I’ll announce that the raw almond group buy I’m about to do is open to the whole U.S.!
You could try this ice-cream-maker-free method that a friend of mine swears by: http://sci-toys.com/scitoys/scitoys/thermo/ice_cream/ice_cream.html
And I think I laughed out loud when you said you were too lazy to use an ice cream maker! Isn’t the ice cream maker the lazy man’s solution? Mine’s electric 🙂 I snagged it for $2.50 at a church yard sale!
Aww, I’m feeling the love. I’ll give it a whirl in the next day or two in the blendtec and see what I can come up with; it may be as simple as freezing the coconut milk into cubes and adding them with the agave and cocoa powder…