Complete Ice Cream Guide
Comprehensive analysis of 60617 ice cream products from 181 brands. Compare premium vs budget options, understand additives, and find better frozen desserts.
60617
Products Analyzed
181
Brands
10.7
Avg Processing Score
3.0/10
Avg Nutrition Score
Ice Cream by Processing Level
Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed
Level 1
Minimally Processed46
Simple ingredients: cream, milk, sugar, natural flavors.
Processing Level: 2 out of 4 - Processed
Level 2
Processed5763
Added stabilizers, emulsifiers, or natural additives.
Processing Level: 3 out of 4 - Highly Processed
Level 3
Highly Processed14609
Multiple stabilizers, artificial flavors, or colors.
Processing Level: 4 out of 4 - Ultra-Processed
Level 4
Ultra-Processed40199
Highly processed with many artificial ingredients.
Healthiest Ice Cream Options
Top-rated ice cream with minimal processing and better nutrition
How to Choose Better Ice Cream
✓What to Look For
- •Simple ingredients: Premium ice cream has 5-7 ingredients - cream, milk, sugar, eggs, vanilla
- •Premium brands: Brands like Häagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry's typically use fewer, higher-quality ingredients
- •Minimal stabilizers: Look for products with fewer additives like guar gum or carrageenan
- •Natural flavors: Real vanilla, cocoa, or fruit rather than artificial flavors
- •Check serving sizes: Compare sugar and calorie content per serving across brands
✗Red Flags to Avoid
- •Many stabilizers: Long lists of stabilizers and emulsifiers indicate lower quality
- •Artificial flavors: Synthetic flavoring instead of real ingredients
- •Artificial colors: Added colors like Red 40, Yellow 5, or caramel coloring
- •High fructose corn syrup: Indicates lower quality and higher processing
- •Excessive air content: Budget brands often have high overrun (air pumped in) for lower quality