While I have been disappointed by many low carb foods in the past, new "good for you" foods that taste great are coming down the pipeline, and Alpine Ice certainly fits the bill. Not only does it have lower carbs, but it also has no dairy, no soy, no gluten or eggs. It is also certified Vegan and low fat. (Not that I care about these last facts.) You can give this to just about anyone on any type of diet. I bet this ice cream (with no cream) would be great for people who have had gastric bypass or lap band surgery too.
It wasn't developed for low carbers; we just happen to be a lucky ancillary market. It was developed for cancer patients and is suitable for diabetics.
The Zone doctor, Dr. Barry Sears, was an advisor, and even has a great quote on their website:
I feel that Mountain Herbal Foods ushers in a new era of "guiltless pleasures."
These are foods that you believe you should feel guilty about eating because they have such great taste, yet they are manufactured to deliver incredibly high level of nutrients known to improve health and wellness.
Life can't get much better than that.
I tried this at a local ice cream store in Marblehead, MA -- Terry's Ice Cream Shop on School Street. Terry's has two flavors: Lavender Sunrise and Green Tee Herbena. I tried both of them with a mini teaspoon and decided to get a bowl of the Lavender Sunrise. For some reason, this dessert seemed like it should come from the Orient and not "handmade in small batches in the Berkshires of New England." The taste was light and refreshing, and it was further enhanced by the knowledge that this stuff truly was good for you AND ONLY 45 calories! About half an apple! (Read here why calories do count.)
Besides lots of herbs, teas, etc., Alpine ice contains inulin and erythritol instead of maltitol, and long-time readers of this site know that these ingredients are the best ingredients to have in a product.
Distribution is limited at this moment, but I'm sure if there is demand, something can be done. I suggest printing out this page and bringing it to your local health food/low carb market. Many low carb stores also cater to the gluten-free and dairy-free customers, and this certainly fits the bill.
If you look at the label, the fact that this is low carb doesn't jump out at you because they haven't broken out the sugar alcohols. (I think they should, of course.) Mountain Herbal clarified the sugar alcohol content and trans fat in an email, so the complete nutritional label should be as follows:
| Alpine Ice Lavender Sunrise | |
| Serving Size | 1/2 cup (about 80 grams) |
| Calories | 45 |
| Total Fat | 0g |
| Saturated Fat | 0g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Sodium | 10mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 20g |
| Dietary Fiber | 8g |
| Sugar | 3g |
| Sugar Alcohol | 6.6g |
| Protein | 0g |
| Ingredients | Ingredients: Tea (Water, Lavender*, |
Now, according to the folks at Mountain Herbal, I really should try the Bolder Berry, which is available now, and with the ingredient list filled with berries, I can't wait to try it.
217 humphrey street
marblehead, ma 01945
t: 781.639.1192 f: 781.639.4356
info@mtnherbal.com
That sounds delicious! My husband and I do South Beach and we've been pretty pleased with Breyers No Sugar Added ice creams, as well as their low-carb line, both of which are sweetened with Splenda, of course.
Posted by: nilblogette | August 25, 2005 at 11:08 AM