The New Cool Choice – Why Frozen Yoghurt is Britain’s Hottest Healthy Option

We’re all looking for ways to enjoy a well-deserved treat – without breaking our diet or feeling guilty.

So it’s little wonder that frozen yoghurt is busy taking UK consumers and our tastebuds by storm.

In the last few years the US favourite has been becoming a massive hit here too. And as ice-cream sales melt away (down seven per cent since 2007) frozen yoghurt, or ‘fro yo’ as those in the know call it, is taking over as the new cool option.

Since 2010 sales of the low-fat dessert have soared by an astonishing 50 per cent – fuelled by the success of leading frozen yoghurt brands like yoomoo.

The brand arrived in London three years ago, helping to boost popularity and consumption of products including low fat and plain frozen yoghurt.

Since then their combination of natural, great-tasting fro-yo and elegant, on-trend yoghurt bars have given a massive boost to UK fro-yo sales, seeing them rise from £4 million to a staggering £6 million a year.

yoomoo has become a byword for great-tasting, indulgent but low-fat food and experts are predicting that with their help, thefrozen yoghurt market could be worth as much as £150 million by 2013.

For their part, fans say they love the fact that the number of calories in frozen yoghurt is much lower than similar-tasting products like ice cream (a typical serving of yoomoo low fat frozen yoghurt is only 102 calories) and with less than three per cent fat it’s certainly an ideal substitute for anyone looking to choose a healthier option or watch their weight.

As if that wasn’t reason enough, all yoomoo’s frozen yoghurt products are made from British milk and are suitable for vegetarians too, meaning they can be enjoyed by a huge range of customers.

As you’d imagine for a treat that first became popular in California, fro yo has always been popular with celebrities (Keira Knightly is said to like hers with a healthy sprinkling of choc chips) and the showbiz connection is another reason for its unseemingly unstoppable rise across the UK and beyond.

As Chris Brockman from global market research company, Mintel, explains: “Frozen yoghurt has a number of things going for it. It is a healthier alternative to ice cream and is particularly well connected to young consumers through innovative flavours.”

yoomoo co-founder, Amanda agrees. Inspired by the desire to create healthy, wholesome treats, she says: “First and foremost, we’re on a mission to create healthy, guilt free frozen yogurt which is free from nasties and made from fresh British milk.

“It is a relatively new concept for the UK, although it has been established in other countries for many years because of its role as a zero-fat alternative to other snacks.

“It is a category set for expansion and a brand that holds significant promise.” With sales set to hit triple figure millions any day now, there’s no denying that this is one food favourite that’s set to be with us for a long time yet.

Learning about Nutrition Facts for Frozen Yoghurt is Simple

Many years ago, food was sold in containers which were simply to hold the food and drink in until the product reached the intended destination. However, that changed with the advent of food labelling and packaging. These days, the containers in which food is served also serve the purpose of educating people about the contents. For example, you will find the nutritional value of frozen yoghurt on the side of each tub.

Nutrition facts, frozen yoghurt or for anything, now play a large role in the way that we shop and in the choices we make when we are buying food for our families. We are all more aware these days of making healthy choices and so we need to make sure that we check each label before we make a purchase. These labels make it clear as to the amount of calories and nutrients which our food contains and it is sensible to compare a few different brands and types of each food before you choose, especially when buying a new product.

Frozen yoghurt is a cream free dessert made from yogurt and other dairy products. It is served in various flavours along with fresh fruit (banana, mango, kiwi, blackberry, strawberry, blueberry, and pineapple), dry fruit (raisins, almond, coconut) and liquid (honey, pomegranate juice) toppings. It is considered to be a low fat alternative to ice cream and a rare dessert to be counted amongst healthy foods.

Calories in frozen yoghurt

The calories in a single serving of frozen yoghurt will vary depending upon the type you choose. One large scoop of regular or low-fat frozen yoghurt contains about 150 calories. One large scoop of non-fat yoghurt contains about 1/3 fewer calories. Soft-serve cannot be scooped, but 1 cup of soft-serve contains roughly 230 calories.

Fat in frozen yoghurt

One scoop of regular frozen yoghurt has about 4 g of fat. Low-fat frozen yoghurt contains about half that, while fat-free frozen yoghurt may contain up to about 1 g of fat. Some soft-serve frozen yoghurt contains high levels of fat--about 8 g per 1-cup serving--while others contain hardly any fat.

You need to be aware of the fact that apart from the actual frozen yoghurt, the choice of toppings on your dessert will make a difference. Many of the toppings offered at frozen yoghurt shops are high in added sugar, calories and fat and alter the nutritional content of the yoghurt. The best toppings for frozen yogurt are fresh fruits, whole grain cereals, nuts and seeds. These are packed with fibre, vitamins and minerals that benefit health.

When you are searching for the nutritional facts for frozen yoghurt you can find all the information that you need on the internet. This will make it easier for you to understand the labels on the packaging and to know just what things you need to be on the lookout for. Making healthy choices is all about being aware and having the sense to check labels and read the nutritional value.

Discussing the Calories in Fat Free Frozen Yoghurt

For anyone with a sweet tooth it is necessary to finish a meal with a dessert and if this craving is not pandered to, the whole meal seems incomplete. The downside to this habit is the amount of weight which is easily gained if you are not careful and this is why so many people were so happy to see the advent of fat free frozen yoghurt. For someone who is on a diet, or just wishes to have a dessert without too many calories frozen yoghurt is ideal.

Yoghurt

Yoghurt is a dairy product made by bacterial fermentation of milk. The lactose in the milk becomes lactic acid when it is fermented. Lactic acid acts on the protein in the milk to make yoghurt thick and sour and it has been around for centuries. There is a lot of protein, calcium, riboflavin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 in it, making it better for you than milk is. Many people who are lactose-intolerant can enjoy yoghurt, because much of the lactose in the milk has become lactic acid. Yoghurt also has medical uses and is effective in the treatment and prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea.

Yoghurt as a dessert

In recent years, there has been a trend to use yoghurt and make it into a dessert, with the addition of fruit, flavourings and toppings. It is served in much the same way as ice cream, but is rising in popularity due to the reduced number of calories in frozen yoghurt as compared to ice cream. In the early 1990s, frozen yogurt was 10% of the frozen dessert market.

Calories in frozen yoghurt

Even though frozen yoghurt is virtually fat free, you need to remember that this does not mean that it will not make you put weight on. It still contains calories, and these can soon build up without you realising it. A half-cup serving of vanilla soft-serve frozen yogurt contains 114 calories, while a half-cup of chocolate frozen yogurt has 115, although these figures vary slightly, depending on the manufacturers.

Most of the calories in fat free frozen yogurt come from the high amounts of carbohydrates found in the food. Fat free frozen yogurt contains only 4 grams of protein and 23 grams of carbs per serving; 20 of those 23 grams come from sugars.

These figures are just for the frozen yoghurt itself. The thing which has to be kept in mind is that most people will add their favourite toppings to a cupful of the yoghurt and not realise that they have just doubled the number of calories in their “healthier dessert option”.

The calories in frozen yoghurt may be less than in the same amount of ice cream but the toppings need to be kept a minimum, and possibly fruit, in order to not gain weight from this dessert. There are so many flavours to choose from and the taste is great, a little tarter than ice cream, but rich and creamy to enough to satisfy that sweet tooth.