Frozen Yogurt vs Ice Cream - Which is Healthier? [Poll]

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It is very common for people to grab a frozen treat whenever the blaze of the sun is too hot to handle. However, most health-conscious individuals are hesitant to grab their favorite scoop of mint chocolate or cookie dough ice cream for fear that it can add calories to their well-balanced meal. This is the reason why some would choose to get frozen yogurt instead as they believe that it will not make them gain weight.

According to CNN, market research has shown that there has been an increase in frozen yogurt sales of around 21 percent since 2008 while the shops that provide a variety of frozen yogurt has doubled in number for the past seven years. This is obviously because of the notion that frozen yogurt is healthier. This has been proven by a survey wherein about 95 percent of Americans agree.

Unfortunately, most experts don’t believe that yoghurt is always the better option. According to Alissa Rumsey, RD, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, consumers need to check the "Live and Active Cultures" seal before buying a frozen yogurt. Brands like Pinkberry and Red Mango carry this seal, which is created by the National Yogurt Association to confirm that the product is indeed carrying 100 million cultures per gram.

San Francisco Gate adds that several factors need to be considered first before deciding which one is healthier. Ice cream and frozen yogurt are both made from dairy. However, in order for a frozen dairy treat to be considered as ice cream, it needs to have at least 10 percent milk fat. Frozen yogurt, on the other hand, does not contain fat and is instead made with cultured milk.

The main nutritional difference between the two is definitely the fat and carbohydrates content. A cup of regular vanilla ice cream contains about 275 calories with 31 grams of carbs and 15 grams of fat. A cup of frozen yoghurt has 221 calories with 38 grams of carbs and 6 grams of fat.

CBS 58 writes that individuals do not realize that frozen yogurt has more sugar than ice cream to mask its tart taste, according to nutritionist Dana Kofsky. However, ice cream has more fat content which is not always a bad thing because fat help in the digestion of sugar. Health experts all agree that moderation is the still the key if you wish to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle.