Ice Cream

There’s a smooth, creamy sensation sweeping the nation and converting even the most hardcore ice cream lovers into frozen yogurt fanatics. The main reasons that people opt for frozen yogurt instead of traditional ice cream is that it’s the healthier selection of the two, it’s become a huge craze in recent years, and there are so many ways you can eat it. Ice cream may be a classic, but froyo is taking the world by storm and it’s here to stay.

There’s no denying that frozen yogurt has become explosively popular over the past years. Froyo has a devoted and growing fan base, due to hot spots such as                                                                                                                   Pinkberry and our  very own Sweet Waves in Mashpee Commons. If you’ve ever been inside one of these stores, you understand the appeal. They’re brightly colored, modern, and convenient with cool self-serve dispensers. The fun atmosphere of these froyo joints attracts the customers almost as much as the treats. Going out for froyo also allows some leniency by offering customizable servings and toppings where you pay by weight. This contrasts with ice creams’ fixed serving sizes. With froyo, you have control and the power of customization.

Because it’s made with milk as opposed to the heavy cream in ice cream, frozen yogurt is better for your body. It’s a low-fat alternative or even a fat-free alternative to traditional ice cream, and the substitution of heavy cream with milk isn’t the only factor that makes froyo better for you. While ice cream contains a lot of sugar and salt to add taste to the final product, some frozen yogurt uses ingredients like honey or agave nectar instead. While froyo is still not as healthy as traditional yogurt, it’s still far more beneficial than ice cream.

A great part of the fun of eating frozen yogurt is the variety of ways you can choose from to customize your serving. Similar to ice cream, you have a wide range of options for toppings from which you can choose. This includes many kinds of nuts, hot toppings like caramel or hot fudge, candy toppings like sprinkles or crushed candy bars, snack-like toppings such as chocolate covered pretzels or marshmallows, fruit toppings like strawberries, and even more creative toppings like frosted animal crackers. In addition, there are also different ways you can eat your frozen yogurt. Again, like ice cream, you can enjoy it in a cone just as much as you can enjoy it in a cup.

So, which will you choose? Ice cream, the traditional option; or frozen yogurt, the healthier cousin of ice cream with way more benefits? It’s your choice, but for me, frozen yogurt is just too good (and good for you) to resist.

Frozen Yogurt

When I need a frosty, sweet treat to complement a sunny day at the beach, or accompany a book on a rainy afternoon, I always think of ice cream. While this new fangled frozen yogurt trend has everyone making their own sundaes, I don’t think anything can beat the original.

I understand that fro-yo might have its health benefits, like less fat and sugar, but I can’t stomach the fact that I don’t even know what’s in frozen yogurt. It starts out as a powdered substance that’s mixed with water or another liquid before it’s fed into a machine and then pumped out in a lumpy, grainy substance. The over-processed concoction is generally infused with artificial flavors and sweeteners, too, and I just don’t think it looks all that appetizing.

Quite frankly, I prefer a more natural approach to my dairy treat. I like that I have a working knowledge of what’s  in ice cream; it’s essentially milk, cream, sugar and some flavoring, which can be as natural or artificial as you want.

While both ice cream and frozen yogurt have a plethora of flavors to choose from, ice cream significantly has the advantage–strawberries, cookie dough, brownies, blueberries, cherry, chocolate chunk, banana, nuts, sprinkles, kiwi, candy cane, caramel turtles. It comes out of a carton or is scooped into your cone with chunks of ingredients mixed in already, with no need to increase the price of the treat by weighing it down with extra toppings.

Any ice cream with actual pieces of fruit, baked goods or liquid toppings swirled in makes my taste buds beyond happy. Ben and Jerry’s does it best with Cherry Garcia, Half-Baked, and Phish Food–all those combinations of flavors and textures is a cacophony in my mouth. The feeling isn’t comparable with fro-yo, which is all smooth and has no variety. It would be practically boring if it weren’t for its artificial flavors.

As far as texture goes, frozen yogurt is much easier to eat due to its soft form. But I’ve found that it melts much faster because of this, and leaves behind a watery, off-colored mess in its wake. I have to inhale frozen yogurt so I can enjoy it cold and somewhat solidified.

However, traditional ice cream tends to hold together better and melts slower, so I can eat it gradually and savor it more. It can withstand the summer heat on the beach, so it’s not as easily reduced to a watery puddle. Everything else aside, I like ice cream’s convenience, and its price. There isn’t a magical machine in my freezer that can make fresh frozen yogurt for me, but I can certainly open up my freezer and find a pint of ice cream. I don’t have to drive to some venue to pull a handle on a grumbling machine, and then dump a ton of extra toppings on regular hard ice cream, I can just walk to my kitchen and pull out a bowl, or not, if I feel lazy.

And let’s face it, 49 cents an ounce–the typical price per weight at those fancy fro-yo boutiques–is expensive. A medium sized cup of fro-yo with three or four toppings can add up quickly, depending on how hungry you are, and there’s also the stress of wondering how expensive this cup of frozen yogurt will be. Buying ice cream eliminates the guesswork–a typical small is maybe $3, with sprinkles another 25 cents. It’s even cheaper to buy in bulk, keep a pint or two of ice cream in your freezer for when you’re strapped for cash or don’t feel like going anywhere for a late night snack.

When it comes to a dairy dessert, my preference is always ice cream. Move over fro-yo, nothing can compare to the original.