Dreyer's/Edy's Slow Churned Light Ice Cream Gives "A Reason to Smile"

With the middle of August upon us already, it's easy to look back and see that this summer was one for the record books. I won't venture a guess at how many days the thermometer read 90° or even 100°, but we sure spent quite a few of them attempting to beat the heat any way we could.

And what pairs more perfectly with a hot summer day than a delicious scoop of ice cold ice cream?

Nothing... unless it just so happens that the ice cream was somehow better for you, too! That's where Dreyer's/Edy's Slow Churned Light Ice Cream steps in — it has all the rich and creamy taste of regular ice cream, but half the fat and one-third fewer calories than regular ice cream; making indulging in this warm-weather treat enjoyable and guilt-free!

West of the Rockies, this ice cream is marketed under the Dreyer's brand name. East of the Rockies, it is marketed under the Edy's brand name.

We have long been fans of Edy's, but discovering that Edy's Slow Churned Light Ice Cream is made with the same quality ingredients as regular ice cream but with so much less fat and calories seems to make it taste even better!

Available in more than 20 amazing flavors, it is no wonder that more and more consumers are turning to Slow Churned to get their ice cream fix while still minding their waistline. While my family has typically purchased the 1.5 quarts, I was happy to realize recently that Edy's Slow Churned is also available at my local grocery store in 5.8oz cups. Perfect for just a little sweet treat!

My girls' eyes lit up when they saw the Edy's logo, as well as the cute small size of the cups. As soon as I pulled off the covers, they were reaching for their spoons!

While the rich, creamy flavors were big hits, I also loved feeling better about all of us indulging on something that had half the fat, and one-third fewer calories than regular ice cream. Knowing that, my conscience wasn't so worried about having an extra bite or two!

If delectable ice cream isn't enough of a reason to be happy, Dreyer's/Edy's isn't stopping there. This summer, Dreyer's/Edy's Slow Churned Light Ice Cream is giving away 25,000 scoops of ice cream as part of their "A Reason to Smile" campaign to support Operation Smile.

Traveling around the country, Dreyer's/Edy's will give consumers a free scoop of Slow Churned and capture the smile on their face when they realize the ice cream they are eating has all the flavor, but half the fat. For every 'ice cream smile' photo captured at an event or uploaded to the Dreyer's/Edy's Facebook page, $5 will be donated to Operation Smile, an international children's medical charity.

The goal is to capture more than 25,000 smiles before the summer's end, which will allow Operation Smile to complete more than 500 reconstructive surgeries on children around the globe that have cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities.

Along with supporting a great cause, 10 lucky smiles from the photos submitted will be featured in an Edy's Slow Churned print ad. One grand prize winner will also win a coveted spot on the cartons of a Slow Churned limited edition flavor (on store shelves in early 2013). Wouldn't you be more apt to purchase a carton of ice cream if these two smiling faces were featured there?

Keep an eye out for Dreyer's or Edy's Slow Churned Light Ice Cream at a store near you and visit their respective websites for more information about their delicious flavors, ingredients and more. Also be sure to Like Dreyer's and Edy's on Facebook and upload your own 'ice cream smile' photo so that your next bite of ice cream can be that much sweeter knowing that you've helped a child in need.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Dreyer’s/Edy’s. I received a coupon to purchase product samples and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.