Warming Up to Arctic Zero #MomsMeet #Sponsored

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Moms Meet. 
I received complimentary product for the purpose of review, but all opinions are honest and they are my own.
Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links.

Two things I want to say before I start: First, we are huge ice cream fans. Huge...as in we plan stops on road trips based on what towns have good ice cream parlors. It doesn't matter if it's the middle of winter or it's ten o'clock at night, we'll stop for ice cream if there's a good spot!

Second, I have tried Arctic Zero Fit Frozen Dessert Pints before and was not completely sold on the idea. But when the opportunity arose - through my association with Moms Meet - to try Arctic Zero again, I agreed. 

About Arctic Zero...

Based in San Diego, California, Greg Holtman was inspired to create Arctic Zero for his mom, a Type 1 diabetic. His family has always loved desserts and sweets, but most options contained artificial sweeteners and ingredients. With Arctic Zero, he aimed to craft an indulgent dessert that was low on the glycemic scale, lactose-free, GMO-free, and kosher. Most flavors are also gluten-free.

It's low in sugar because it's sweetened naturally by monk fruit. Monk fruit is part of the gourd family and grows on vines. Rarely found in the wild, it's named for the monks who have been cultivating this fruit in China since the 13th century.

It's lactose-free because it's produced using only rBST-free whey protein. It's GMO-free and contains no artificial ingredients. Additionally, each pint provides 3 to 4 grams of protein per serving.

At between $4 to $5 per pint, it's comparable to other frozen desserts. You can find Arctic Zero at selected Target® stores as well as other natural and traditional grocers across the country. Check our your local Albertsons, Kroger, Publix. Sprouts Farmers Market, Safeway, Walmart, and Whole Foods Market. Or use the store locator here.

Our Experience...

A box arrived on my porch with a lot of 'free's on it: GMO-free, lactose-free, guilt-free, compromise-free, and more. All three of my boys, meaning my husband and our two sons, were dubious. "Do you think it's flavor-free, too?" quipped my husband. Hey, give it a chance! I bellowed.

We unpacked the pints, the bowl, the scoop, and the literature. The coloring book was claimed by my younger son; my older son grabbed the instruction card. "Mom," he read, "we need to let the pints thaw before scooping them." How long? "Ten to fifteen minutes," he answered.

We pulled the pints out, took a quick walk up the hill, and watched the sunset into the Pacific. Then, we scooped, tasted, discussed, tasted again, and commented. I think that the thawing part was crucial. When I've had Arctic Zero before, I neglected to do that. And, really, the texture was odd. But, when we followed the instructions this time around, we enjoyed these.

Thawing Instructions

Thaw the pints before enjoying otherwise they will be too hard to scoop. Microwave each pint for 30 seconds or let the pints sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. 

Thoughts

For this tasting, round two with the product, we followed the thawing instructions to the letter. Then we tried six different flavors. We tried some of the 'creamy' flavors, meaning they were smooth; we tried some of the 'chunky' flavors, meaning there were chunks in the mix. We tasted: Rocky Road Trip, Peanut Butter Swirl, Cake Batter, Cherry Chocolate Chunk, Cookie Shake and Salted Caramel. Hands down, the flavor that bubbled to the top of everyone's list was Cake Batter. So, when I talk numbers, I'm using that one as my example.

Here's our quick list...

Pro: You can eat the entire pint, relatively guilt-free. The. Entire. Pint. The Cake Batter pint read 35 calories per serving, so 150 calories for the entire pint.

Pro: You can recognize - and pronounce - every single ingredient. One of the things I've been training my family to do is to read labels on any foods in a package. Our rule of thumb is pretty simple - if you can't pronounce it or don't recognize it, don't buy it! The Cake Batter includes Water, Whey, Sugar, Chicory Root, Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum, Annatto, Salt, and Monk Fruit.

Con: The flavors aren't particularly sophisticated.  If you prefer more daring flavor combinations - I recently tried a Geranium ice cream made with rose geranium, pistachio, and cardamom and Mint-Eucalyptus Fudge is one of my all-time favorites - then this brand might not be particularly satisfying.

Con: While they use the word 'creamy' to describe some of their flavors, they aren't really creamy. They might be smooth, versus icy, but they don't leave that luscious, milky feeling in your mouth when you eat them.

So, if you're looking for a cool, refreshing, slightly sweet after-dinner treat, this could fit the bill. If you are interested in a relatively guilt-free dessert, this could fit the bill. If you need an 'ice cream' that's lactose-free, this fits the bill. If you need something gluten-free you can find one here. And if you want to dig your spoon into a pint and eat all the way to the bottom by yourself, this is a really good option.

I'm not going to say that this is a dessert I'd choose all the time, but we're definitely warming to the Arctic Zero line as an occasional sweet treat. Just be sure to let them thaw properly.

You may find Arctic Zero...
on the website

on Facebook

on Twitter

on Instagram

*Disclosure: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agree to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of this product.