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Texas ice cream brand Blue Bell teases new protein dessert
Blue Bell Pro has 33 grams of protein or more per serving.
The famous Brenham, Texas-made ice cream brand Blue Bell is flexing a new product line. This time it's not a new flavor but a new nutritional wonder: a "high-protein frozen dairy dessert."
Called Blue Bell Pro, it certainly does cross the high-protein threshold, supplying 33-35 grams per serving depending on the flavor. That's more than an Ensure meal replacement shake or a cup of cottage cheese, which influencers can't stop putting in every recipe.
One glaring issue for ice cream-lovers: what is a frozen dairy dessert? Other Blue Bell flavors are labeled as ice cream, but this product line apparently doesn't meet the Food and Drug Administration's qualifications for ice cream. It would need to be at least 10 percent milkfat by weight to make the cut.
The new line, announced via social media, appears to have five flavors: vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, coffee, and salted caramel.
The recipe is also gluten-free, has 25-27 grams of carbs per serving, and has zero grams of added sugar. Although Blue Bell hasn't released the full nutrition information for Blue Bell Pro, it already sells one "no sugar added country vanilla" ice cream, which contains polydextrose, Splenda Brand sucralose, and other sweeteners.
Most commenters are excited to get something extra in their bowl of ice cream, but the top comment by many likes looks past the protein hype: "I’ll be sticking with the original type of bluebell flavors. If you want ice cream, just eat ice cream and enjoy it!" Another commenter is more blunt about taking a fun treat too seriously, asking, "do you think eating protein ice cream will make you in shape[?]"
Of course, there are more straightforward ways to get more protein in your diet, and it is possible to have too much.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the average sedentary adult should eat 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, which would be 60 grams a day for someone who weighs 165 pounds. People who exercise regularly should instead eat 1.1-1.5 grams per kilogram of body weight (75-90 grams for the same 165-pound person), and heavy trainers should eat more. A cap of 150 grams would be "excessive" for this hypothetical person, even if they exercise a lot.
Blue Bell hasn't announced a release date yet for Blue Bell Pro.
