Ice Cream Sandwiches - Which 'which is Best?

Living in Phoenix taught me a variety of summer survival tactics, one of which being the regular consumption of ice cream. True, such a tactic does not benefit one's figure, but it does benefit one's peace of mind. When the temperatures push you to the brink of screaming and clawing and begging for that elusive cool breeze, nothing medicates like ice cream. Or, as I soon discovered, ice cream sandwiches. The beauty of the ice cream sandwich is that it is portioned out for you already. No need to "estimate" your serving size with a big ol' blunt ice cream scoop, where it's almost certain that you'll scoop twice the recommended amount, if not more. Why not an ice cream sandwich, the frozen, creamy equivalent of an Oreo or whoopee pie? Consider the following:

Kroger Ice Cream Sammies - I have lauded Kroger products before, and shall do so once again. As the cheapest ice cream sandwich around, the Kroger Sammie is also one of the best. These are basic ice cream sandwiches, the kind you pined for at your local pool's snack bar as your mother shook her head, "No." The Sammie's nutritional content (if you can call it that) is a compromise, sitting somewhere between the ultra low-fat sandwiches and the full-strength, abstain-from-eating-the-rest-of-the-day variety. 180 calories per bar, and 7 grams of fat, all wrapped like a present in unassuming white paper. The cookie - choose from traditional chocolate or "Very Vanilla" - is neither too dry nor too cakey. And while the creamy vanilla center might lack that extra something you'll get from a higher caliber ice cream purveyor, it certainly satisfies this writer's sweet tooth. On a diet? Feeling modest? A "mini" Sammie will only set you back 110 calories and 4 grams of fat. I've frequently seen six-pack boxes of these for a dollar at Kroger.

Healthy Choice - A few years ago, Healthy Choice was everywhere. Now the company's ice cream products have become difficult to find. Not keeping pace with its frozen aisle competitors? Budget cuts? Different distributors? I can only speculate. Whatever the case, it's a shame, because Healthy Choice makes a pretty darn good ice cream sandwich. As one who gives up chocolate during each Lenten season, I was especially happy to discover the Caramel Swirl sandwiches as an alternative to the original. Nutritionally, Healthy Choice sandwiches are slightly better than the Sammies, with just 130-150 calories and 2 grams of fat a piece. From the flavor perspective, the Healthy Choice bars fall a little lower on the scale, perhaps because they cut corners in the Fat Department. The cookie is a bit chalkier, and the ice cream icier rather than creamier, as usually is the case in low-fat ice cream.

Skinny Cow - I see these in the frozen aisle and marvel at the thick centers of perfectly ridged ice cream, the crinkle-cut cookies, and the promise of all this sugary "stuff" for just 2 grams of fat. Then I buy a pack, struggle to open the plastic clam shell lid, remove a sandwich, bite into it, and wish I had chosen one of the two aforementioned brands. It's not that Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches are bad; they're just a little disappointing. Not as creamy as I'd like. Not as flavorful. They benefit from sitting on the kitchen counter for about ten minutes to let the ice crystals mellow.

Klondike Slim-a-Bear Bars - This is similar to the Skinny Cow in appearance. Round ice cream sandwiches, what a concept! At a frugal 100 calories, they also will do the least amount of damage to your waistline. I would describe these bars as above average, perhaps on par with the Skinny Cow, but not to the standard of Healthy Choice or Kroger.

As with all reviews, I am limited by what I have and have not tried. I've seen those boxes of Fat Boy ice cream sandwiches, but I can't bring myself to break 200 with the caloric investment. I also have noticed a new line of ice cream sandwiches from Breyer's, but have yet to sample them. Bottom line: the freezer aisle has a solid stash summer heat cure-alls.