When that ice cream craving hits, and you’re on the go, fast food is often the quickest option. While “healthy” and “fast food ice cream” might seem like the opposite, some choices are relatively better than others when it comes to calories, fat, and sugar. Check out 10 of the healthier fast food ice creams out there.
10. McDonald’s Vanilla Cone
Nothing is better than the good old McDonald’s Vanilla Cone! It’s simply a creamy and crunchy cone without it being too high in calories. It’s a perfect portion-controlled dessert that you can order without consuming too much junk. However, they’re not good for people who don’t consume dairy.
9. Wendy’s Jr. Classic Chocolate Frosty
Craving for a chocolate ice cream? You can get a junior-size Wendy’s Frosty in chocolate flavor. While chocolate ice cream was never considered a healthy snack, it’s a low-calorie fast food option as long as you consume it in small sizes.
8. Dairy Queen’s Kid-sized Vanilla Cone
Like McDonald’s Vanilla Cone, Dairy Queen also has their own option. It’s just a kid-sized version, so imagine all of the calories you can save from the ice cream and cone combined! It has an overall calorie count of just 160 and four grams of sugar.
7. Chick-fil-A’s Icedream Drop
Another low-calorie fast food dessert is Chick-fil-A’s classic Icedream Drop. It has fewer calories than the 200 calories of McDonald’s Vanilla Cone. Just make sure not to add syrups and toppings, as it will increase sugar and fat content.
6. Dairy Queen’s Non-Dairy Dilly Bar
Looking for a fast food ice cream that skips the dairy? Head over to Dairy Queen, as they’re offering a special Dilly Bar that’s not only non-dairy but also gluten-free and plant-based. However, they’re not always in every Dairy Queen location that there is, making them a bit difficult to find.
5. Burger King’s Soft Serve Cup
Looking for an ice cream with even fewer calories? Try Burger King’s Soft Serve Cup. This creamy soft serve features only 180 calories and just 5 grams of total fat content. Just make sure you don’t add any syrup or toppings to your Soft Serve to ensure that your cup stays healthy.
4. Cold Stone Creamery’s Berry Berry Berry Good
Looking for a fruity ice cream that’s not like your usual plain vanilla? Head over to Cold Stone Creamery to get their Berry Berry Berry Good treat! It features a Sweet Cream Ice Cream with a combination of all three strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries.
3. Culver’s Vanilla Custard (No Mix-ins)
Culver’s Vanilla Custard ensures that they use real dairy, including fresh ingredients, compared with other fast food ice cream options on the list. Just make sure that you’re not adding any mix-ins or flavors since they’re considered as added sugar and fat content.
2. Handel’s Vegan Mixed Berry Sorbet
What’s a healthy fast food ice cream list without Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream’s vegan options? This flavor features a mix of strawberry, blueberry, and and raspberry sorbet. There are even more flavors to choose from, like Mango, Mixed Berry, and Pomegranate, among others.
1. Baskin-Robbins’ Lemon Sorbet
Another sorbet option is Baskin-Robbins’ Lemon-flavored option. Sorbets are made out of fruit juice with little to no dairy at all. They’re also lower in calories than your traditional ice cream, not to mention the added vitamin C from lemons!