It seemed only years ago when Metro Cebu just couldn’t get enough of Frozen Yogurt (or “Fro-yo,” as some affectionately call it). Now, Fro-yo has become sort of a rarity. The lists online are rather outdated. If there are any stores too, which offer Frozen Yogurt as a side item on their menu, chances are they’re out of stock as well.
What gives? In the beverage industry where the milk tea bubble has not yet seemed to pop, is this telling that consumers would rather enjoy a sugary drink than that tangy, sour pleasure frozen yogurt offers?
Since it’s National Frozen Yogurt Day today, here are a few reminders on why, health-wise, frozen yogurt beats ice cream and the like, any day of the week.
Probiotics
Merriam-Webster defines “probiotic” as “a microorganism that when consumed maintains or restores beneficial bacteria to the digestive tract.” When preparing frozen yogurt, the pasteurised milk is fermented with, typically, Lactobacillus bulgaricus or Streptococcus thermophilus. Both are probiotics.
Sugar and fat
It’s not true that frozen yogurt is not a treat prepared with sugar. In fact, both ice cream and fro-yo contain dairy and sugar. The difference however, is that yogurt makes use of cultured milk while ice cream uses, well, cream. As stated in the sixth edition of “Ice Cream” by authors Robert Marshall, H. Douglas Goff and Richard W. Hartel, some rich ice cream may contain up to 25 percent milk fat. The richest frozen yogurt may have up to only six percent milk fat. It can get tricky though. While frozen yogurt may be lower in fat, it may have more sugar in it.
Skip the add-ons
As discussed earlier, yogurt may have more sugar in it than ice cream, as some manufacturers tend to overdo the sugar to counter the naturally sour flavor of yogurt. That said, from a health standpoint, plain fro-yo is better than one with a ton of candy sprinkles and chocolate chips.
Rounding up, other health benefits of plain frozen yogurt include aiding in weight loss, digestion and an improved immune system.
Where do you get your frozen yogurt in Cebu? Share it with us and the rest of your friends!