5/19/11 Update: Carageenan, which is used as a thickener in a lot of products (including frozen yogurt and ice cream) has been linked to GI ulcerations and cancer. Dr. Weil recommends avoiding it completely if you have IBS.
Summer. The days get longer and lazier, and temperatures rise. Hot food becomes unappetizing, and thoughts turn to... frozen yogurt! The Pinkberry/ Red Mango/ Yolato trend of the last few years is reminiscent of the TCBY craze in the 90's. What's better than a frozen, tangy treat to relieve the heat? And what if it's good for you on top of being low-calorie? We succumbed to this trend hook, line and sinker a couple years ago, even subbing it in as a meal replacement. When we started going to Pinkberry, they didn't have the ingredients listed - it was a secret. And the store sign said it was only 25 calories. We wanted to believe. The fun boppy music and colorful interiors had us in their thrall. (It's actually 25 calories an ounce, duh, which makes a small serving 150 calories.)
After a while, we couldn't force ourselves to believe in this alternate reality of fro-yo bliss anymore. Pinkberry was being sued (they settled and paid into a fund for nutritional education), and nutritional information was much more forthcoming. So, we looked at the ingredients labels. You can too - it's on all the websites. Bummer. All the plain flavors have over 10 ingredients, and sugar is a top ingredient. Red Mango and Pinkberry are about even. Just for kicks, compare it to the Whole Foods plain yogurt. Five ingredients - none of which are sugar. Why are there so many ingredients in frozen yogurt? To improve mouth feel and texture. (If you're improving mouth feel and texture, it's processed food). We think the texture of regular yogurt is just fine, thank you.
We're not saying you can't have frozen yogurt, but have it as a treat (and definitely not as a meal). It can be refreshing, and combined with nuts and fruit, it can be a healthier alternative than other desserts.
Bottom Line: You can spend your calories better elsewhere than on this processed food. Moderate your intake of commercial fro-yo. If you want a yogurty treat, check out these alternatives:
What to do
- Check out the ingredients labels of your frozen yogurt. Have it as a treat, and feel free to load it up with fruit and nuts. It is NOT a meal - would you make 20% of your dinner out of sugar?
- Like cold yogurt? My friend Bill stores toppings in the freezer - berries and nuts - then mixes it into plain yogurt. The frozen toppings quick-chill the yogurt. Add honey if you want a little sweetener.
- Old fashioned frozen yogurt. I used to make frozen yogurt as a kid by putting little cups of flavored yogurt in the freezer. Yum. Now I know the flavoring is all sugar. So, if I were a kid now, I would mix honey into plain yogurt, add some blueberries or chopped strawberries, and pop it into the freezer.
- Make your own. 101 Cookbooks has a frozen yogurt recipe that requires an ice cream maker. Then it's only plain greek yogurt and sugar.
What I ate: 14 oz. green juice, double latte, strawberries + yogurt, hard-boiled egg, 1 banana, 2 handfuls Mindful Mix, 1 small bag cheese Pop Chips, cottage cheese, whole wheat spaghetti + spinach + Whole Foods Organic Spaghetti Sauce, 1 hot chocolate, 20 oz. coconut water, 30 oz. water
Exercise: None - recovery day from Brooklyn Half-marathon
