Choosing Frozen Yogurt Wisely

Many of us, including myself, love to enjoy frozen yogurt as a treat. But don't be fooled by the word "yogurt." Frozen yogurt is not nutritionally similar to regular yogurt. Regarding calcium, most frozen yogurts provide about half what you'd get in a regular yogurt. In terms of protein, regular yogurt is also the better choice. It provides about 8 to 12 grams protein per eight ounces, as compared to only 2 to 8 ounces for frozen yogurts. In terms of calories, it is also not a good diet food (to replace ice cream, for example). A large cone of frozen yogurt--nine to 13 ounces--contains 225-325 calories per serving. These calories are mostly from carbohydrates, so they are more likely to fuel your muscles than get stored as body fat, and are preferable to ice cream calories. However, these calories quickly add up. Hence, eating "diet portions" is the key to consuming frozen yogurt. For a low-cal treat, try Edy's or Dreyer's frozen yogurt, which is fortified with extra calcium to deliver as much of this mineral as a glass of milk.