It seems that for a while now people have been frozen yogurt obsessed. Why go out for the standard ice cream cone when you can hit up Pinkberry and make a dessert masterpiece? The appealing aspect of frozen yogurt is the fun you can have with it. You get to pull the lever and swirl it into a cup, then go to the toppings bar and make it rain fruit, nuts, candy and chocolate all over your fro-yo.
Although frozen yogurt seems harmless, there is a common misconception about it going around that should be addressed. As a nutrition major, people ask me all the time if fro-yo is “healthier” than ice cream. The simple answer to that question is no, but don’t just take my word for it.
According to CNN, one serving of frozen yogurt (half a cup) contains about 17 grams of sugar, versus the 14 grams found in the same amount of ice cream. Ice cream also has more fat, which may seem like a bad thing, but it’s actually helpful in slowing the body’s digestion of sugar. Because of the fat in ice cream, you won’t experience a blood sugar spike like you would with fro-yo.
People can also get carried away with their portion size of frozen yogurt. Assuming it’s “healthy” may lead you to fill the biggest cup you can find. However, the smallest size cup of fro-yo can have 300 to 400 calories, whereas a half-cup of vanilla ice cream has about 140 calories. And dumping all of those delicious, sugary toppings onto your fro-yo only makes matters worse
After throwing all of this information at you, keep in mind that dessert is dessert, something that should be eaten in moderation. After a long day of classes, meetings and working out, treat yo’ self and get that frozen yogurt. If you really want to treat yourself, pile on all the candy, marshmallows, and chocolate sauce your heart desires. Just realize that frozen yogurt isn’t automatically healthier than ice cream, and try to save it for a special occasion.