Enjoy Ice Cream Again
Chances are, if you are following the low FODMAP diet and/or have IBS that lactose is an issue for you. More and more established companies are paying attention and Breyers has come out with both a Chocolate and a Vanilla Lactose Free Ice Cream.
Check out the vanilla in our Ice Cream Sandwiches.
This is the manufacturer’s statement on the products:
Now you CAN enjoy a Breyers® moment, even if you’re “not supposed to”. Breyers® has whipped up a Lactose Free alternative* that has all the delicious taste that made us famous…½ the fat and ⅓ fewer calories than regular ice cream…Enjoy!
*99% Lactose Free
Can You Eat It?
Let’s take a look at the ingredients and talk about whether this 99% lactose-free ice cream can work with our low FODMAP diet.
First, the Ingredients:
Breyers Vanilla Lactose Free Ice Cream: Skim Milk, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Cream, Whey, Less Than 2% Of: Vegetable Gums (Carob Bean, Guar, Tara), Mono And Diglycerides, Natural Flavor, Lactase Enzyme, Vitamin A Palmitate, Carrageenan
Breyers Chocolate Lactose Free Ice Cream: Skim Milk, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Cream, Dutch Cocoa (processed with alkalai), Whey, Less Than 2% Of: Vegetable Gums (Carob Bean, Guar, Tara), Mono And Diglycerides, Salt, Lactase Enzyme, Vitamin A Palmitate, Natural Flavor, Carrageenan
A few items jump out. On the plus side, we know that when milk and/or cream are treated with lactase enzyme that they are rendered almost completely lactose free. The corn syrup is fine; it is not high fructose corn syrup, which is different. Gums have been shown to be okay for FODMAPers, and they are in very small amounts here, but we hadn’t heard of “Tara”.
According to Breyers, Tara is “a white or beige, nearly odorless powder made from Caesalpinia spinosa seeds. It used as a thickener and stabilizer for foods”.
While we are at it, their definition of Natural Flavor is “flavors from natural sources that add taste and aroma to food. Natural flavors are derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof.”
So, while this product is made by a longstanding and well-known brand the label isn’t as clean as it could be. That said, if you are hankering for vanilla or chocolate ice cream why not try it in a small amount, maybe 2 to 4 tablespoons, and see how you do. It was fine for those of us who tried it, but what counts is how your body reacts.
You might also be interested in our article, What Does Lactose-Free Milk Taste Like?
What’s With the 99%? And What About the Lower Calories and Fat?
We called Breyers and asked why the ice cream was considered 99% lactose-free and not 100%. We know from speaking to other companies that make lactose-free milks that they consider their products to be 100% lactose-free. So what is it in this ice cream that the lactase enzyme apparently doesn’t completely affect?
Brand representatives stated that,
“Whey protein isolate” contains less than 1 percent lactose. Which is why we don’t make the claim on that product of being 100% lactose free. If you need a 100 % lactose free product, the products you are looking for have DAIRY FREE on the container.”
Please note that it took 2 calls and four emails for them to answer the question and it isn’t even well addressed. After this many queries we gave up, which frankly was disappointing. Breyers is owned by Unilver and we expected more from their customer service.
As far as the “½ the fat and ⅓ fewer calories than regular ice cream” this is due to the formulation, which has more milk, less cream and gums that provide body so the formula doesn’t rely on cream, which is high in fat.
Our Take on Breyers Lactose Free Ice Cream
If you want chocolate or vanilla ice cream and want to try a lactose-free version, why not give these a try. As always, proceed with caution when adding a new foodstuff.
The texture was creamy, and the flavors were good, if not exceptional, but we did find the texture to be a bit too soft. This ice cream melts very quickly. Not a good choice for a cone.
Where to Buy: Currently available at select stores that carry the Breyers brand.
Price at Time of Review (2/2018): Price in our local stores for the 48-ounce containers averaged about $4.50 USD
MORE Ice Cream Info!
We have a general article for you – All About Low FODMAP Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts that we think you will love. Get links to recipes and also to dozens of low FODMAP prepared products, both dairy based and dairy-free.
Love, love, love Breyers Lactose-Free Chocolate Ice Cream! While it does melt more quickly than expected, it develops a very smooth, velvety feel on the tongue. Yep, this stuff is addictive … especially because it caused no tummy ill effects!
YAY so happy that you found a low FODMAP treat that you love!
I have been eating the Breyer’s Lactose Free Chocolate ice cream. It has made my lactose intolerance symptoms worse, much worse, and I am ready to throw away two containers I have in my freezer. The taste is wonderful, but it just doesn’t work for me.
So sorry to hear that, but thank you for letting us know. Although the gums in the Breyers product are low FODMAP, some folks do have a sensitivity to them. Have you noticed that to be true with other foods? Might be something to look at.
If it has mono and diglycerides added to it why is it still considered Low FODMAP?
Hi K, these are not the same as monosaccharides and disaccharides, which are the “D” and “M” of FODMAPs. These are emulsifiers that are found in very small amounts.
We purchased our first Lactose Free Ice Cream , placed in the freezer and a few hours later we thought our freezer may not be working properly .The Lactose Free Ice Rem just didn’t seem to have have the same frozen texture as the regular Ice Cream. It was as if it was a Soft Ice cream and tasted different. There was also a problem of placing a normal scoop size in the cone.
Do the enzymes that are added in the Lactose Free process change the freeze point of the mixture.
Hi W, you could write to Breyer’s to ask about the possible change in freeze point. I found their ice cream to be softer than conventional and it did melt quickly. I did point out in the review that it was “Not a good choice for a cone.” I guess you had the same experience!
My husband tried the vanilla lactose free for the first time today. It absolutely tore his stomach up. Fortunately we had pills he could take to combat his misery!
Sorry to hear that. Just for general brushing up, check this out. It might be some help. It is an article on TIMING
The Ice Cream vanilla flavor tore up my stomach big time I was in the bathroom for a couple of hrs and still is sensitive I didn’t have any prob the first few times I bought them Tonight was a nightmare I thought I found something that was going to work-unfortunately not😢I cannot have
a product with even one % of lactose
I am so sorry to hear that. Perhaps you should always have a Lactaid caplet handy? Here are the ones we recommend that are low FODMAP.
This ice cream was really not good at all. I actually threw it away after eating about a quarter of a cup. It is pumped up with air, and has so many fake chemical flavors. No vanilla bean flakes. Vanilla is not even an ingredient. I’m not talking artificial sweeteners because it is plenty sweet enough with regular sugars. Just not a good product at all, IMHO.
Thank you for taking the time to write. It is true that they use natural flavors and “vanilla extract” is not one of them.
I don’t buy this. It’s pretty much “imitation ice cream” in my book. If you were to test a mouthful of this and a mouthful of a super-premium ice cream, say, vanilla Haagen-Dazs, you wouldn’t find there’s any contest at all. Breyers version sacrifices texture, creaminess, and vanilla flavor [!!!] What is the point of vanilla ice cream that doesn’t taste of lovely vanilla?
Oddly enough, I have also found super-premium ice creams have fewer ingredients and do not bother my digestion. [I can even skip the lactaid if I keep to a serving,] but generally I take it anyway, because I’d rather not prove it wrong.
Recently we bought one of the bigger sized containers at lower cost ice creams [A Michigan produced cherry laden, in honor of my DH from MI!] and I suffered for two whole days. I’m never buying new stuff again…well, uhm,..
maybe I’d try the ones in this Good Housekeeping article, with a dose of Lactaid: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-products/g32366339/best-ice-cream-brands/