Frozen De-Lite?

I logged onto my Facebook account early one morning before class last spring. Before I could even check my notifications, one of my best friends (who goes to school back home) messaged me.

“WE’RE GETTING FROYO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

This was shortly after both Smart Yogurt (S. Meadow St.) and Yogurt Crazy (Collegetown) established themselves in Ithaca. Both places must have been making a killing, because the lines were out the door every night. They were the typical frozen yogurt joints – self-serve cups, machines with a variety of flavors and a multitude of toppings ranging from M&Ms to green tea mochi. Cups are weighed and paid for by the ounce. Needless to say, I was in heaven.

I responded quickly to my friend, asking when and where the new shop was opening. We then chatted about how delicious frozen yogurt tastes and how much healthier it is than ice cream.

So what makes froyo such a big deal? Is it the brightly colored spoons and cups? Is it the swirly-twirly goodness of cold, tart sorbet in a cup? Or is it the candies sprinkled on top?

I’ll tell you the answer: d, none of the above.

It seems to me that frozen yogurt started trending because of recent health and diet fads. Yogurt is (for the most part) a healthy snack consumed in moderation along with an everyday diet.

However, most people don’t realize that while the actual frozen yogurt substance is somewhat decent for you (lower in calories, sugar and fat content than most ice cream), those oh-so-lovely toppings are not. Fruit aside, toppings make the yogurt considerably less healthy.

Serving size is also a big issue at most froyo shops. The yogurt bowls offered are extremely large and can fit as much as 14 ounces of yogurt. That’s 3.5 servings!

I learned both of those froyo failures after my first trip to my local shop. I ended up paying almost $8 for one cup of yogurt! After that, I learned to ease up on the yogurt and pick healthier (and sweeter) toppings.

To improve your overall froyo experience, keep in mind that what you’re putting in the cup is what you’re putting in your body. You’d never eat a whole bag of M&Ms at once, would you? (Okay, maybe I would...)

Most of my friends have gotten over their froyo craze after arriving home from Ithaca for the summer. As for my friend and I? We’ve been at least twelve times in two months.

Photo courtesy of http://www.sptalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/frozen-yogurt.jpg