Vegan ice cream vs regular ice cream calories

Q: Does vegan ice cream have less calories than Dairy ice cream?

Its lower in calories. This is so because plant-based milk alternatives tend to be lower in calories than dairy sources. Furthermore, it contains less sugar than its other more common counterparts. Finally, many vegan options are made with water as the primary ingredient reducing the calorie content.

Vegans and the dairy-averse were thrilled when Ben & Jerry's announced Wednesday that it's rolling out a line of nondairy "frozen desserts."

Table of Contents Show

Is vegan ice cream healthier than regular ice cream?
Is vegan ice cream better for weight loss?
Does vegan ice cream have less calories than Dairy ice cream?
Why is vegan ice cream so high in calories?

"For years, nondairy fans have been forced to watch ice cream consumers with envy and were unable to participate in a truly indulgent frozen dessert experience," the company said in a press release. "Now the tables have turned."

The new line features two beloved Ben & Jerry's flavors in nondairy form—Chunky Monkey and Chocolate Fudge Brownie—as well as two exclusive new flavors, Coffee Caramel Fudge and P.B. & Cookies.

The company promises that the new desserts will have a similar taste and consistency to regular ice cream, but there is a noticeable difference on the label (aside from being dairy-free): The new ice creams are lower in fat and calories, and, in some cases, have less sugar than their "regular" counterparts.

Take Chocolate Fudge Brownie, for example. Per serving, the vegan version has 200 calories, 11 grams of fat, 23 grams of carbs, and 16 grams of sugar. Its dairy version, on the other hand, contains 260 calories, 12 grams of fat, 34 grams of carbs, and 27 grams of sugar.

Does that make the new vegan desserts healthier than their regular ice cream cousins? Yes...ish.

Registered dietitian-nutritionist Karen Ansel, coauthor of The Calendar Diet: A Month by Month Guide to Losing Weight While Living Your Life, notes that they do provide "small calorie savings."

New York City registered dietitian Jessica Cording says that some of the ingredients in the new ice creams, such as pea protein and coconut oil, are also good to see. "I appreciate that they're using more real-food ingredients and, in some cases, the sugar count is a lot lower," she says.

But experts also agree that their overall calorie and fat contents don't exactly make them a health food. "This new Ben & Jerry's ice cream line is great for vegans with strong ethical beliefs but for non-vegans who are just trying to watch their calorie, fat, and sugar intake you won't find much luck here" says certified dietitian-nutritionist Lisa Moskovitz, RD, CEO of NY Nutrition Group. Why? Most of the desserts contain more than 250 calories and 25 grams of sugar for a tiny serving, she notes, which won't exactly do wonders for waistline.

But why do the new versions have slightly less calories and fat than their regular counterparts? It's due to the replacement of cow's milk, which naturally contains higher amounts of fat and calories than almond milk and butter.

"One cup of whole cow's milk clocks in about 150 calories, eight grams of fat and five grams of saturated fat," says Moskovitz. "On the other hand one cup of regular plain almond milk is almost a third of the calories, and has only 2.5 grams of fat and zero saturated fat."

So if you're going to have ice cream and want to save a little on calories, reaching for the vegan version might not be the worst thing, says Ansel. "An ice cream that uses almond milk instead of cream, like the Ben & Jerry's new nondairy ice creams, can be a slightly better bet," she says. "But you really need to read the labels to know for sure."

If you have ice cream infrequently, Cording recommends reaching for whatever will leave you feeling the most satisfied. But if you're a regular ice cream-eater, she says it's worth adding the vegan version into your rotation once in a while to save a little on fat and calories. However, she points out, "200 calories in a vegan dessert is still more than 150 calories in a non-vegan ice cream from another company."

Ben & Jerry's says its new desserts will be available in stores in mid-February.

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If you follow a dairy-free lifestyle, you no longer need to suffer from FOMO (fear of missing out) when it comes to enjoying a scoop of ice cream. Whether you're a part-time flexitarian, lactose intolerant, or a strict vegan, grab your spoon because it's now easy to find oodles of non-dairy options that lack animal products—but not flavor.

Just keep in mind that not all non-dairy frozen desserts are healthier than regular ice cream. Some options can be higher in saturated fat and calories, too. That might be something you want to consider if you are looking for a lighter option.

It also doesn't make sense to choose something you don't enjoy because it's lower in calories and then eat the whole container when you could have been satisfied with less of the real thing.

Health food stores and other retailers can have upward of 30 different dairy-free dessert options, a number which likely will continue to increase, according to a July 2022 report by KBV, a global market research company that covers the industry.

The report shows that the non-dairy frozen dessert market is expected to grow to $8.7 billion by 2028. Here are some reasons why:

Climate change, environmental, and ethical concerns
The popularity of vegetarian, flexitarian, vegan, and dairy-free diets
Health reasons, including a desire to reduce animal protein intake

Choosing non-dairy ice cream can offer some health benefits that include saving you calories, sugar, and saturated fat, which can contribute to high cholesterol. In other cases, though, the plant-based versions have more of the above.

That may seem counterintuitive, but it comes down to the ingredients, including the plant-based milk they contain.

Dairy-less frozen desserts replace milk and cream with alternatives like coconut, soy, oat, cashew, or almond milk. Many other ingredients remain the same between the dairy and dairy-free versions. And, just like dairy ice cream, non-dairy ice cream can vary widely in terms of sugar, fat, and calorie content.

Some brands contain coconut milk, for example. Coconut is popular among manufacturers because its saturated fat makes for decadent, creamy vegan frozen desserts. That said, it can pack in more saturated fat than a dairy version of your favorite frozen treat.

It's also relatively high in calories. Some coconut-based brands can have more than 240 calories, 11 grams of saturated fat, and 19 grams of sugar per half-cup serving, depending on the ingredients.

For context, Breyer's "traditional" dairy-based vanilla ice cream has 170 calories per 2/3 cup serving, 6 grams of saturated fat, and 19 grams of sugar. Cosmic Bliss' coconut-based Madagascar vanilla bean has 250 calories per 2/3 cup serving, 18 grams of saturated fat, and 13 grams of sugar.

If you are concerned about any of the above, consider reaching for a frozen confection made with a different type of plant-based milk. Pints made with milk from almond, soy, cashew, or other nuts tend to be lower in saturated fat and calories than those made with coconut cream or milk.

Keep in mind that the nutritional content will depend on the flavor and what ingredients have been added.

If you're looking for something lighter and with fewer calories per serving, opt for brands such as So Delicious, Almond Dream, and Halo Top.

Many of these brands tend to use sugar alcohols and natural non-nutritive sweeteners like Stevia to keep sugar and calories low. (Note: These might not be suitable for people looking to avoid these types of ingredients.)

So Delicious and Almond DREAM have lighter nut-based choices, and Halo Top has some of the most low-calorie choices in the category. Halo Top's dairy-free options, for instance, weigh in at 70 to 90 calories, with low saturated fat counts and less than 8 grams of sugar per half-cup serving.

If you are concerned about calories, sugar, or fat, the easiest way to choose your scoop wisely is to do a quick comparison of the nutrition facts boxes on the packages. That said, choose the one you love the taste of and enjoy it.

More people are turning to non-dairy versions of ice cream and other frozen desserts. They're choosing to go plant-based for several reasons, including environmental and ethical concerns, the health benefits of plant-based diets, and other reasons such as lactose intolerance.

If you want to reduce your saturated fat intake, compare labels or choose a smaller serving size. If you wish to add nutrition, top it with berries and nuts for added fiber, healthy fat, and protein.

Whatever you decide, put your ice cream in a fun dish or bowl and enjoy it!

Is vegan ice cream healthier than regular ice cream?

Is vegan ice cream healthy? When compared to dairy-based ice cream, there are potential health benefits to plant-based alternatives. Chief amongst them are lower saturated fat levels and zero cholesterol. LDL cholesterol contributes to heart and circulatory diseases.

Is vegan ice cream better for weight loss?

Some brands of vegan ice cream contain fewer calories than versions made with dairy products. This can help you maintain a healthy weight. And if you're looking to lose weight, choosing vegan ice cream instead of a dairy version may help give you the caloric deficit you need to drop a few pounds.

Does vegan ice cream have less calories than Dairy ice cream?

It's lower in calories. This is so because plant-based milk alternatives tend to be lower in calories than dairy sources. Furthermore, it contains less sugar than its other more common counterparts. Finally, many vegan options are made with water as the primary ingredient reducing the calorie content.

Why is vegan ice cream so high in calories?

The most preferred choice of dairy-free milk by manufacturers is coconut milk since it contains a love of saturated fats, giving the ice cream a creamy texture and flavor. What is this? However, this also means that it may be higher in calories than ice cream made with other dairy-free kinds of milk.