By: Nikki Nies
I’m currently interning at MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, IL. Not only has the staff been generous in their patience and guidance, but everyone’s welcomed me in with open arms. The hospital has been generous enough to allow me to retrieve from their cafeteria. I must say their food selection is great and healthy.
One of the premier aspects of the cafeteria is the fro yo. The hospital serves the fro yo as their version of ice cream. It got me thinking, how healthy is fro yo? Unfortunately, with all the analyzing of foods I do on a daily basis, I couldn’t help but think what is in the fro yo?
Learning how healthy foods are is a great tool and especially allows one to be able to know what is being eaten. While ice cream and frozen yogurt (fro yo) are considered synonymous, For something to be called ice cream, it has to contain at least 10% milk fat. Who knew? However, a healthier alternative can sometimes be fro yo as it’s not always made with cream or fat. Instead fro yo is made with cultured milk, i.e. yogurt, hence the name!
As stated, the main difference between ice cream and frozen yogurt is the fat content. One cup of regular vanilla ice cream contains 275 calories, 5 grams of protein, 31 grams of carbohydrates, 15 grams of fat and 9 grams of saturated fat. One cup of regular vanilla frozen yogurt contains 221 calories, 5 grams of protein, 38 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fat and 4 grams of saturated fat.
The final verdict: When when you’re wanting to limit your fat intake, fro yo is the better choice depending on toppings and portion size chosen. When choosing toppings for your fro yo, opt for fresh fruit, granola and nuts to optimize your intake of fiber, protein and natural sugar.If you do choose to add some sweets in your cup, choose only one and enjoy! No need to fill your cup up to the brim either cause those extra calories can definitely add up!
Remember these tips next time you’re at your local fro yo station and enjoy!
Sources:http://www.thefrozenyogurtreview.com/
http://www.bostonmagazine.com/health/blog/2013/08/20/is-froyo-really-healthier-than-ice-cream/
http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/meal-ideas/healthy-snacks-5-myths-about-frozen-yogurt
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2012/06/05/fro-yo-is-tasty-but-is-it-good-for-you
http://www.phillymag.com/articles/eat-smart-how-many-calories-are-really-in-my-fro-yo/
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/nutrition-frozen-yogurt-vs-ice-cream-1525.html
wedishnutrition.wordpress.com 