Frozen yogurt, while not the health food its name implies, offers benefits as part of a healthy, well-balanced diet. Frozen yogurt nutrition doesn't completely mimic its non-frozen counterpart, but it is a better choice than ice cream for those times you crave a frozen treat. The National Yogurt Association explains that frozen yogurt is not a standardized food product, as non-frozen yogurt is; therefore, read frozen yogurt labels carefully to select a product with the best nutrition profile.
Low in Fat
Ice cream, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, contains a minimum of 10 percent milkfat, with premium ice creams containing an even greater percentage of fat. Frozen yogurt has only four percent fat when made from whole milk, and no fat at all when made from skim milk. Although the low amount of fat in frozen yogurt doesn't translate into low calories overall due to its high carbohydrate content, frozen yogurt is a heart-healthy choice when compared to high-fat desserts such as ice cream. Choose fat-free frozen yogurt and save your fat calories for plant-based fats that benefit your heart.
High in Carbs
Frozen yogurt has less protein and calcium than non-frozen yogurt but contains an equivalent amount of carbohydrates. Frozen yogurt's carbs come primarily from the lactose in milk. Frozen yogurt manufacturers add more sugar, and often other ingredients, to the final product in order to enhance the flavor and "mouthfeel" it lacks from having little to no fat. An 8-ounce serving of frozen yogurt offers more carbs than a large banana, a couple of slices of toast or a small box of raisins. With its high carbohydrate content, frozen yogurt makes a tasty carb-loading or post-workout snack.
Rich in Probiotics
Depending on the method of production and the types of cultures used, frozen yogurt may have as many live and active cultures as non-frozen yogurt. Because frozen yogurt is flash-frozen rather than frozen slowly, the probiotics---beneficial bacteria that aid in digestion---are not destroyed during the freezing process. Instead, describes the National Yogurt Association, the cultures go into a dormant state in the cold, and then, when you eat the yogurt and heat the cultures back to body temperature, they become active once again and provide the same probiotic health benefits as non-frozen yogurt. Some manufacturers, however, heat-treat their yogurt prior to freezing, and the heating process kills the yogurt cultures. Look for the National Yogurt Association's "Live & Active Cultures" seal on your frozen yogurt to be sure you are buying a product that supplies the health benefits of probiotics.
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