Our Jack puts Wheyhey’s frozen offerings to the test and finds that, on the main part, ‘protein ice cream’ lives up to the hype. Hype you say? Read on…
What Is It?
Whey protein ice-cream.
High protein, low carb, low fat, lower calorie and relatively close in taste/texture to ‘real’ ice cream.
Unless I’ve missed something, WheyHey may have just invented the ‘protein ice cream’ category. There is a real future in what they’re doing, and there will soon be imitators, mark my words…
In a word
Genius
How much does it cost?
Circa £6.50 for 500ml
Circa £2.50 for 150ml
Where is it available?
Ocado, MuscleFood
The Good
Healthier:
In one 150ml serving you’ll receive a whopping 21g of whey protein isolate and less than 1g of sugar! And it’s only 150 calories.
It’s gluten free (as is most ice cream to be honest).
I hear lots about dieters using it to deal with their sweet cravings. Cue about a million people who’ll tell you “it feels like cheating but it isn’t”
Tastes pretty damn good:
Especially for what it is, and how much better it is for you than conventional ice cream.
The Bad
Costly:
It is expensive. Actually comparable in price to premium ice cream like Ben And Jerry’s. It’s expensive, however, because the ingredients are, on the main part, legit
Milk based:
If you have milk and lactose related food intolerances, whey might cause you trouble (I do – and so I don’t eat huge portions of WheyHey, the 150ml tub is perfect). There’s also a little cream in there, adding some credence to the use of the word ‘ice cream’.
Strange melting behaviour:
And not because of the taste (because the taste is on the main part pretty damn good). No it’s the texture, it seems to melt quite erratically (hard for ages and then SUDDEN melting) and you often end up ruining the container as you try to get at it.
The 150ml tubs come equipped with little spoons, but these spoons are kinda useless.
Other stuff to note:
Texture:
It is pretty similar to ice cream, but different enough to cause some controversy amongst the purists/fascists. I’ve heard the texture described as ‘gloopy’ and ‘like PVA glue’. It’s not necessarily bad, just different. My friend Jay described it as ‘dense’ – which is a good way to put it. I like it!
The consistency is different, especially on melting – as I said, it melts quite…abruptly, for lack of a better phrase.
The Flavours
At the time of writing there were four flavours of WheyHey. I’ve tried them all and here’s my personal verdict on each…
Vanilla Protein Ice Cream
Verdict: Most favourite. Creamy vanilla goodness. How the FUCK is this good for me? *mind blown*
Banoffee Protein Ice Cream
Verdict: Least favourite. There’s a slightly off note that reminds me of Calpol. I eat it anyway, because there are no brakes on the gainz train.
Strawberry Protein Ice Cream
Verdict: Somewhat unremarkable in taste – but still pretty good, (and still pretty good for you!). It kinda reminds me of a sorbet, though a little creamier! Perhaps 80% ice cream, 20% sorbet…?
Chocolate Protein Ice Cream
Verdict: Second favourite. More towards dark chocolate than milk chocolate, you can taste the cocoa. Still sweet enough for me but not really on the level of milk chocolate decadence much of the UK public will be accustomed to in their ice cream.
Conclusion:
Many will compare WheyHey to the likes of Ben & Jerry’s or Haagen Dazs – but they are most certainly NOT the same. Apples and oranges comes to mind…
WheyHey is a protein ice cream, the other two? The more traditional ‘luxury’ ice cream. No, WheyHey is never going to taste entirely like a cream and sugar laden indulgence – because it isn’t one of these things!
Should you try it?
Short answer: yes.
If you’re a total ice cream connoisseur not too bothered about the milk and sugar you consume, WheyHey might not be for you. However if you’re a regular person looking to replace some/all of your ice cream and willing to sacrifice the ‘authentic’ ice cream experience for something (probably) quite similar in taste and (definitely) a HELL of a lot better for you – try some.
And if you’re a fitness enthusiast (who’s neither vegan nor lactose intolerant) you should ABSOLUTELY give this a try! No brainer.
Personally: WheyHey is expensive and I don’t have much of a sweet tooth so this isn’t a necessity for me (lets be honest, at what point is ice cream, whatever form, a necessity for anyone?). I do however eat it occasionally and enjoy it every time I do.
Well done WheyHey!
PS: You can read our Q&A profile with WheyHey’s hilarious founders, Damian & Greg, here
