Both ice cream and frozen yogurt are welcome treats on a hot summer's day, but one offers far greater nutrition than the other. While the two might have roughly similar caloric values, ice cream's rich base ingredients typically provide more fat and cholesterol, while the probiotic bacteria in some frozen yogurt may contribute to better digestive health.
Nutrition Facts
The USDA reports that a 1/2-cup serving of vanilla ice cream has about 135 calories, 2.3 g of protein, 7.25 g of fat, 15.5 g of carbohydrates, 0.5 g of dietary fiber and 14 g of sugar. The same sized scoop of soft-serve vanilla frozen yogurt has closer to 115 calories, 3 g of protein, 4 g of fat, 17.5 g of carbohydrates, no fiber and 17 g of sugar. Nutrition information for other flavored varieties will differ, and larger serving sizes and desserts will have more fat and calories. For example, the Red Mango frozen yogurt chain reports that a banana peanut butter smoothie made with its original frozen yogurt has 380 calories and 10 g of fat.
Ingredients
The ingredients in your frozen dessert are what primarily determine its final nutritional profile. Ice cream tends to be richer than frozen yogurt because it has a base of full-fat cream instead of milk or low-fat yogurt. Frozen yogurt that is made with cultured yogurt may also have probiotic bacteria that ice cream lacks. According to MayoClinic.com, probiotics can encourage healthy digestion and help treat or prevent diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, intestinal infections, colds, flu and eczema.
Alternatives
If you're craving a sweet and refreshing frozen dessert, there are alternatives to ice cream and frozen yogurt that taste similar but offer fewer calories and less fat. For example, a half-cup of sherbet has around 105 calories and 1.5 g of fat. A half-cup of sorbet is even lighter, with about 90 calories and no fat. Sherbet has just 1 to 2 percent milkfat, and sorbet has a water rather than a dairy base.
Considerations
While it is certainly possible to work an occasional serving of ice cream or frozen yogurt into a healthy and balanced diet, it's key to realize what you're eating and watch your portion sizes carefully, especially if weight gain is a concern for you. Whenever possible, choose frozen yogurt over ice cream for its lower fat and cholesterol, and try to find a variety that includes probiotics for the most health benefits.
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