• by December 29, 2008

When a new year comes around, weight-loss resolutions abound. Still, in mid-winter's chill, ice cream isn't exactly top-of-mind in much of the country to begin with.

 Dunkin Brands' Baskin-Robbins has managed to bridge those two impressions with Monday's announcement of a new "less guilt" line of ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet flavors--and then offering a free scoop of the new treats from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Jan. 15 to anyone showing proof of a gym membership.

B-R's new "BRight Choices"--with calorie counts ranging from 80 to 140 per 2.5-ounce scoop--come in "fat free," "dairy-free," "no-sugar-added" or just plain old "light" varieties. Consumers will be able to easily identify them by pink star decals in the scoop shops.

Baskin-Robbins said its BRight Choices fall into four categories, with most flavors to be rolled in and out throughout the year:

• Premium Churned Light Ice Cream (50% less fat and 20% fewer calories than regular B-R ice cream)--with vanilla and milk chocolate becoming "permanent" addition to B-R's flavor collection, and raspberry chip scheduled to be around until March.

• Premium Churned Reduced Fat No Sugar Added Ice Cream (25% less fat)--with butter almond crunch available through March, and pineapple coconut through June)

• Fat Free Frozen Yogurt--with vanilla added as a permanent flavor

• Real Fruit Sorbet (fat free and dairy free)--in strawberry, through March.

The introduction of BRight Choices follows a year when the chain faced increasing competition from the continuing growth of frozen yogurt franchised stores like Pinkberry and Red Mango.

Baskin-Robbins had removed all artificial trans fats from its ice cream last January.