Is Frozen Yogurt a Healthy Dessert? It Depends. A Dietitian Breaks It Down
Key takeaways:
Frozen yogurt is a creamy dessert made from a blend of sugar, milk, and beneficial bacteria. It’s often marketed as a healthier alternative to ice cream. Usually it has fewer calories and less fat than ice cream.
Frozen yogurt can be a good source of protein and calcium. But some types of frozen yogurt contain high amounts of sugar, so it’s important to pay attention to ingredients and serving size.
Frozen yogurt isn’t necessarily bad for you if you eat it in moderation as part of a balanced diet. To make sure you’re choosing frozen yogurt that has some health benefits, look for options that contain probiotics and are low in added sugar, colors, and other additives.
Table of contents
Made from milk, sugar, and bacterial cultures, frozen yogurt is often marketed as a healthier alternative to ice cream. It’s easy to arrive at that conclusion, since the name contains the word “yogurt,” and yogurt is considered a nutritious, calcium-rich food.
But is frozen yogurt actually healthy? It depends on which one you choose and how much of it you eat. The grocer’s freezer is lined with frozen yogurt options that vary in their nutritional content. Below is a guide to understanding frozen yogurt, and choosing the best one for you.
Is frozen yogurt good for you?
Some brands of frozen yogurt contain protein, calcium, and gut-healthy probiotics. These frozen yogurts can be good for you, since they provide necessary nutrients.
Save over 40% on Qsymia with GoodRx
Discover the once daily Qsymia for weight management. Qsymia is for adults and children 12-17 in combination with a healthy diet and regular exercise.
But similar to traditional yogurts, many frozen yogurts contain high amounts of added sugar. And consuming excess sugar increases the risk for various health conditions, including:
Type 2 diabetes
Some types of cancer
The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests no more than 12 tsp of added sugars per day. This includes the types of sugars used in frozen yogurt, which may be listed on the ingredient label as:
Sugar
Corn syrup
High-fructose corn syrup
Liquid sugar
Tapioca syrup
One cup of frozen yogurt has about 9 tsp (38 g) of sugar, on average. That’s a lot of sugar for one serving if you also consume other foods and/or drinks with added sugar each day.
What is the nutritional content of frozen yogurt?
The nutritional content in frozen yogurt depends on the brand, the ingredients, and how it’s processed.
For example, frozen yogurt can be:
Lower in fat, if it’s made with skim milk or low-fat milk instead of whole milk
Lower in sugar, if it contains artificial sweeteners like stevia or sucralose instead of sugar or corn syrup. (Note that while artificial sweeteners are free of sugar or calories, they’re linked to health concerns, so it’s best to limit them.)
Lower in calories, if the processing involves whipping air into the milk (this frozen yogurt will be labeled “whipped”)
Higher in calories, sugar, and fat, if it contains mix-ins like cookie dough, brownie chunks, or swirls of fudge and caramel
What’s the most nutritious yogurt? The best yogurt options contain probiotics, and are free of added sugar, colors, and other additives.
Full-fat vs. low-fat dairy: Whole-fat dairy may be better for you than experts once thought. Here are the ways it can provide health benefits.
Is it lactose intolerance or a dairy allergy? Lactose intolerance is much more common than dairy allergy. While some of the symptoms can be similar, there are many differences.
Here are the nutrients for a 1 cup serving of different types of frozen yogurt (all nutrient values are sourced from the FoodData Central database of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or USDA).
Low-fat vanilla | Soft-serve vanilla | Nonfat vanilla | Low-fat cookie dough | |
Calories (kcal) | 200 | 228 | 160 | 260 |
Protein (g) | 12 | 6 | 4 | 8 |
Carbs (g) | 30 | 34 | 40 | 44 |
Sugar (g) | 30 | 34 | 28 | 32 |
Fat (g) | 4 | 8 | 0 | 7 |
Calcium (mg) | 288 | 206 | 200 | 200 |
Of course, the nutritional content of frozen yogurt really depends on your serving size, which varies by brand. Usually it’s ½ cup to 1 cup.
What are the benefits of eating frozen yogurt?
Frozen yogurt is marketed as a dessert treat, but it still has some beneficial nutrients.
Calcium
Frozen yogurt is made from milk, so it contains calcium. On average, a cup of frozen yogurt contains about 280 mg of calcium, which is approximately 30% of your daily calcium requirement. Calcium is essential for the health of your bones and teeth.
Read more like this
Explore these related articles, suggested for readers like you.
Of course, the calcium in frozen yogurt comes along with whatever added sugars are present. And there are plenty of ways to get calcium from foods that don’t have high added sugar content, such as milk, cheese, and plain yogurt.
Protein
The milk in frozen yogurt also makes it a good source of protein. A cup of standard frozen yogurt usually has around 12 g of protein, but check the label, since it can vary. Some brands contain as little as 4 g or 5 g of protein per serving, while Greek frozen yogurt can have as much as 16 g of protein.
Protein is important for all your body cells. It helps make hormones, build muscle, and strengthen bones. You can get protein from many other food sources aside from frozen yogurt. Poultry, fish, soy foods like tofu, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds are great (and sugar-free) sources of protein.
Probiotics
A few brands of frozen yogurt contain probiotic bacteria, which may boost gut health and immune system function. But note that only frozen yogurts that are specifically labeled with the type and amount of bacteria contain a guaranteed amount of probiotics. The label will usually indicate that probiotics are included.
In other cases, a frozen yogurt may contain some beneficial bacteria, but not in amounts sufficient to be called “probiotic.” Instead, the label may say “live and active cultures” and list the names of the bacteria, such as Lactobacillus bulgaricus or Streptococcus thermophilus. But amounts won’t be listed, since they aren’t known. Therefore, the potential health benefits from the bacteria are also unknown.
Scientists have studied whether bacteria can survive the cold temperatures of a freezer. They learned that certain types of bacteria, such as the ones named above, can withstand freezing temperatures.
Is frozen yogurt healthier than ice cream?
Frozen yogurt usually has fewer calories and less fat than ice cream, since it’s made from milk instead of rich cream. But frozen yogurt often contains just as much sugar as ice cream. Sometimes it even contains more sugar than ice cream, to mask the tanginess of the bacteria in yogurt.
Ice cream and frozen yogurt are both delicious sweet treats to enjoy occasionally, but not for three meals a day. Choose the one you enjoy the most and enjoy every bite with a moderate serving size — usually about ½ cup to 1 cup.
What you should look for in a healthy frozen yogurt
If you want to choose a frozen yogurt that provides the most health benefits, look for:
Calories: Try to find brands with about 200 calories per cup or less.
Calcium: Choose a type that has at least 15% DV calcium.
Beneficial bacteria: Opt for frozen yogurt made with live and active cultures. Or choose one that specifically states that probiotics have been added.
Protein: Aim for at least 8 g protein per cup.
Natural ingredients: The ingredient label should list milk, sugar, bacterial cultures, and ideally not too much more than that. Try to avoid extensive additives when you can (more on this below).
What to avoid in frozen yogurt
Some frozen yogurts, especially nonfat versions, use food additives to help create the creaminess and mouthfeel of ice cream. Examples of these additives include:
Guar gum
Carrageenan
Carboxymethylcellulose
Cellulose gum
Locust bean gum
Mono and diglycerides
Modified tapioca starch
While these ingredients aren’t harmful when consumed in moderation, it’s best to limit them when possible.
In particular, people who have digestive issues like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s disease, or colitis may want to limit their intake of carrageenan and carboxymethylcellulose. Studies conducted in animals suggest that these ingredients may worsen gut inflammation.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on the other foods that make up your dietary pattern. If you eat frozen yogurt in moderation as part of an otherwise balanced diet (filled with vegetables, whole grains, and protein), it’s fine to have it daily. But if frozen yogurt replaces other nutritious foods, or you’re eating too much of it too often, consider working with a dietitian to strike a better balance.
On average, frozen yogurt has about 28 g to 34 g of sugar per cup. That’s approximately 9 tsp of sugar. The WHO recommends no more than 12 tsp of added sugar per day. So, read nutrition labels and try to choose a frozen yogurt with a minimal amount of added sugar if you’re going to be enjoying it regularly. Some brands make sugar-free frozen yogurt that uses artificial sweeteners instead of sugar. But it’s best to limit your use of artificial sweeteners, too, since there may be a link between some artificial sweeteners and certain health concerns.
The bottom line
Frozen yogurt is a sweet, frozen treat often marketed as an ice cream alternative. Some brands deliver protein, calcium, and healthy bacteria. While there are better ways to source these nutrients, it’s nice to have a dessert that also offers some health benefits. Enjoy frozen yogurt as part of a balanced diet. Be mindful that calories and sugar add up with bigger portions, and as sugary toppings get added.
Why trust our experts?
References
Debras, C., et al. (2020). Total and added sugar intakes, sugar types, and cancer risk: results from the prospective NutriNet-Santé cohort. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Gillespie, K. M., et al. (2023). The impact of free sugar on human health—a narrative review. Nutrients.
Lopez, M. C., et al. (2006). Survival of lactic acid bacteria in commercial frozen yogurt. Journal of Food Science.
Martino, J. V., et al. (2017). The role of carrageenan and carboxymethylcellulose in the development of intestinal inflammation. Frontiers in Pediatrics.
Merck Manual Professional Version. (n.d.). Overview of proteins.
Office of Dietary Supplements. (2024). Calcium: Fact sheet for health professionals. National Institutes of Health.
World Health Organization. (2015). Guideline: Sugar intake for adults and children.
