When people are trying to avoid frozen treats but still want something that's good for them, they usually turn to frozen yogurt. Why not, right? It's yogurt (green flag number one), it's healthier for you than ice cream, and they don't seem to pack any calories or gross amounts of sugar. But, is frozen yogurt really the healthier option or is that what we've been led to believe?
For years people have thought that frozen yogurt is the way to go when you want a frozen treat, but don't want to pack on the calories or grams of sugar. This is true depending on where you buy it from, but be careful which FroYo you decide to reach for because not all are made the same.
Let's talk about that, shall we? Is frozen yogurt closer to ice cream or plain ol' yogurt?
If you take a quick look at Pinkberry's product list you'll see the low down of the caloric content. While frozen yogurt is lower in grams of fat, basic FroYo cups like strawberry has 22 grams of sugar. The coconut one has 28 grams, blueberry has 19, and grapefruit has 21. If you take a closer look at the sugar in your favorite ice creams, you'll see that frozen yogurt isn't far behind in that department. Drumsticks have 27 grams of sugar, Fudgesicles have 11 grams, and popsicles have about eight grams of sugar a pop.
This is just frozen yogurt on its own. If you consider some of the toppings available such as Oreo crumble, coconut pieces, M&Ms, or chocolate drizzle, you're only adding to the unhealthiness (albeit deliciousness) of it all.
However, when it comes to regular yogurt, the sugar content is significantly lower in some brands. Most yogurts only have about four or five grams of sugar, though a lot of companies add tons of added sugar to their yogurts.
To put all of this into perspective, the American Heart Association recommends that men should only have 37.5 grams of sugar a day while women should be aiming to consume 25 grams.
Of course, there are ways to ensure that you're not adding unnecessary calories to your frozen yogurt!
It's important to remember that you shouldn't deny yourself having frozen yogurt (or any snack for that matter) because of new information you might have picked up. It's a good idea to take a look at the kind of FroYo you've been indulging in, but that doesn't mean you need to swear it off entirely. So long as you're more mindful of the treat, you'll know how to keep it healthy and indulge whenever you feel like!