How to Eat Frozen Yogurt and Lose Weight
One half cup of Pinkberry's Peanut Butter, for example, is 140 calories— pretty good for a frozen treat. But wait—you haven't added the toppings yet. Nothing too sugary, just some roasted hazelnuts, some mochi, a little of that Nutella. Now your ½ cup is 340 calories—or almost exactly what you'd get from two scoops of Baskin-Robbins Cookie 'N Cream in a cake cone.
And thanks to the "pump it 'til you're full" approach that yogurt shops encourage, it's hard to know exactly what you're eating. Some places, like Yogurtland, for example, list their calories by the ounce—that's great, if you're pouring the stuff into a shotglass. A real serving may be closer to 10 ounces once you've finally peeled your eager palms off the handle. To side step these potential sugar overdoses and lose weight, use our quick and easy tips:
Say No to Non-Fat
Beware of non-fat yogurt; the fat is usually replaced with a lot of sugar. In the battle between two evils, sugar is the nastier of the two.
Choose One Sugar
To keep your sugar intake in check, choose either a tart (i.e. low sugar) yogurt with candy toppings or a sugary yogurt without any candy on top. That will ensure you get a sweet dessert without going overboard.
Steer Clear of Sugar-free
Sugar-free yogurt rarely means unsweetened. Find out what type of sugar replacement they use. Studies continue to link artificial sweeteners to weight gain.
Limit Scoops
Bin after bin of candy, cereal, syrup and nut toppings is hard to resist. Treat yourself by picking one favorite candy and limit yourself to one scoop. Use the most of your topping real estate on fresh fruit.
Inspect the Fruit
Is the fruit fresh cut or swimming in syrup? You want fresh cut fruit, not the sugary canned stuff.
Beware Bowls Made of Food
From waffle bowls to granola, edible bowls just increase the empty calories.
Don't Fill Up Your Cup
Considering you pay by the weight, yogurt shops want you to fill up with as much yogurt as possible. Use the smallest cup size, and don't go above the brim.
Portion Your Pumps
Cool it with those self-serve syrup or sauce pumps. Each pump distributes ½ ounce, which can easily run you 50 calories per pump.
Go Nuts
All nuts are healthy, but walnuts are especially so for their high levels of brainhealthy omega-3 fatty acids.
Count Your Samples
Free in money terms is not the same as free in calorie terms. Those sample cups hold about 20 calories of yogurt. If you're going to try half the flavors in the store, you're going to have both very annoyed counter folks and maybe an extra 100 calories on top of your dessert.
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