The dos and don’ts of frozen yoghurt

Frozen yoghurt is the treat you turn to all summer long to keep your diet in check and your sweet tooth satisfied.

Frozen yoghurt is the skinny treat you turn to all summer long to keep your diet in check and your sweet tooth satisfied — that’s why it reigns as the queen of hot-weather desserts. But hold up: Certain fro-yo flavors, toppings, and portions can tip your icy concoction from a healthy eating DO to a diet DON’T in seconds. We’ve got fro-yo facts and sneaky tricks from Glamour so you can indulge sans guilt.

Reverse the order of your cup



To keep yoghurt calories under control, flip that frozen yoghurt and go to the topping station first, put fresh berries or whatever fruits you want, and then go to the machine and top it.

Layer your toppings strategically



First, add bigger fruits like whole strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries; they’ll help your cup look fuller, then the second layer of good toppings should be the things that have a lot of volume like cereal. When it comes to all the other candy toppings, I would keep it simple.

Ask for a smaller cup



You may not know it, but many self-serve yoghurt stores have smaller-size cups that are not on display.

Regardless of the size of your cup, don’t  fill it to the top



There’s no need to treat your fro-yo cup like it’s the storage for your last supper. Have it weighed at the counter before you add any toppings, this helps to keep the yoghurt portion in check.

Don’t spend more than Rs150



Try balancing your waistline with your budget. Think of a single scoop of ice cream, or the size of a tennis ball — that should be your frozen-yoghurt portion.

Do treat yourself



Don’t completely deny yourself or you’ll feel shortchanged. Do add a teeny bit of your favourite topping.

Don’t mix flavors



Swirling your two favorite flavours sounds like a great idea, but there’s a good reason to resist. We have a limit where our tastebuds start fatiguing on a certain flavor; if you pick only one topping and flavour, you actually feel way more satisfied than if you were picking multiple things.

Simplify your fro-yo if you’ve already overindulged



If you’ve already overindulged throughout the day but still need a sweet fix, go for naked fro-yo.  Plain is the best way to do things.

Don’t think sugar-free means healthier



The absence of sugar can mean the presence of artificial sweeteners, which can actually stoke your sweet tooth, making you crave even more. Check out the ingredient list, which is often posted on machines or available in a brochure near the register.

Compiled by Saman Javed.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 8^th, 2014.

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