Those who know me know that I carry a strong conviction against reduced-fat dairy products — a conviction that has, in fact, grown stronger after years of watching Alpine Lace cheeses, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, and especially frozen yogurt push aside their full-fat predecessors. Not that I deny their market value; for those who are caught between dietary restrictions and dairy cravings (and, rest assured, I crave cheese with the best of them), amen. I’d just rather eat an apple.

Until now.

With the exception of a few local creameries, Häagen-Dazs has always been my top choice for ice cream. No wonder — that hard-to-scoop yet creamy texture and clean, all-natural flavor carries one of the highest butterfat contents of any mass-produced ice cream. Recently, however, the Bronx-born franchise introduced Häagen-Dazs Light Ice Cream to relieve the ice-cream addict’s predicament. Seven flavors boast the "Same Great Taste, Half the Fat" slogan — coffee, Dutch chocolate, mint chip, vanilla bean, s’mores, cherry fudge truffle, and dulce de leche — though "half" is a relative term when half a cup of regular chocolate packs 18 grams of fat. Hands down, dulce de leche is the standout flavor, with coffee, mint chip, and cherry fudge truffle close behind — making this a product that’s worth the compromise.

Häagen-Dazs Light varieties are available at local supermarkets. For more information, visit www.haagendazs.com.