Smart Option Low Fat Ice Cream and Baked Lays

I realized I had somewhat strayed from my original intent for this blog which was to give reviews and suggestions for low fat/healthy foods that still taste good. Well here is a few I have discovered recently.

Smart Option Low Fat Ice Cream:

Smart Option is a Food Lion private label brand, so apologies if you don't live in the Southeast, but most stores probably have a similar product. This ice cream is even lower in fat than the Kroger ice cream I reviewed as one of my first blogs. I've seen it in Vanilla, Chocolate and Neapolitan flavors. It also only costs 1.99 for 1.75 quarts.

For a serving of a half cup, this ice cream contains 100 calories, 1.5g fat (1g sat.) 19g carbs, 14 g sugar and 2g protein. I know when I make a bowl of ice cream, it's probably 3 servings, but the serving to serving comparison is still helpful. Compared to a normal ice cream which might have 10-12g fat per serving.. or a premium which would probably be much higher. Also, this ice cream has a slight grainy or icy texture, but you're going to lose that creaminess as you remove the fat. There's not a lot you can do about that. Flavor-wise it tastes just like normal ice cream, and on a hot day (like the 90s we've had recently here in North Carolina) nothing is better than ice cream.

One interesting thing I noticed when I was reading the label. On the front of the box it says "artificially flavored Vanilla, Chocolate and Strawberry flavored low fat ice cream" and yes, "artificial flavors" is listed in the ingredients, but so is Chocolate Base, Strawberry Puree and Natural Strawberry flavor. So it's not all artificial. I guess one artificial flavor and it has to be labeled as "Artificially flavored"

Baked Lays:

I love potato chips.. they have always been one of my weaknesses. For me "can't eat just one" is not a single Lays chip.. it's can't eat one.. bag. I take a small bag of chips with me to work on the days I make a sandwich, but I try not to sit at the TV eating from the bag since that's when you hit the bottom of the bag without realizing you just ate the whole thing.

Recently our young cousins (quadruplets) came over for a visit before Easter and they brought with them some snacks. Ironically along with the fudge rounds, oreos and Spongebob push pops, they also had a bag of baked Lays. I like normal chips and I'm not a big fan of the "shaped chips" that are made from potato flakes or powder. I've never likes pringles or Lays Stax or anything like that. I figured I would give them a try, and while they don't taste anything like a normal chip.. they aren't half bad and they don't taste "fake". They also don't use fat substitutes like Olestra, which is a very good thing.

I got a bag and I've been taking them to work instead of my normal chips and they aren't too bad. They give me something to eat along side my sandwich and satisfied that "crunchy-salty" craving.

The good news? For a 1 oz serving you get 120 cal, 2g fat (0 sat/0 trans), 180 mg sodium, 23g carbs, 2g fiber, 2g sugar, 2g protein. They compare that to 10g fat for normal chips, so that's 80% less fat. Not too bad for something that still slightly resembles a potato chip (Pringles are just weird). I have it on a good source (my wife) that Baked Cheetos are basically styrofoam (not good) but Baked Doritos are awesome. I don't like Doritos, but if you do give them a try.