We couldn’t let January, the month when people optimistically make New Year’s resolutions, go by without addressing the health issue. We turned to IFYA’s marketing and business strategy expert and Vice President of Nanci’s Frozen Yogurt, Johny Wudel, to learn more about frozen yogurt and health.
Is Frozen Yogurt Healthy?
By Johny Wudel
If a product is labeled as frozen yogurt that means it’s healthy…right? Well…not exactly. Consumers have created a direct connection with frozen yogurt and healthy (or healthier), but they aren’t always getting as healthy of a product as they think.
Almost across the board, frozen yogurt is healthier than ice cream, frozen custard, and gelato. Frozen yogurt usually has fewer calories, fewer carbs, and less sugar. But all frozen yogurts are not created equal!
To understand the difference, it’s important to take a deeper look at sweeteners, yogurt cultures, and nutritional facts.
Sweeteners
Many doctors and health professionals feel that table sugar and corn syrup are killing America. They’re a major cause of diabetes, weight gain, tooth decay, and other health issues. As you evaluate healthy frozen yogurt products, it is important to be aware of the sweeteners used in the frozen yogurt mix.
The main sweeteners used in frozen yogurt are:
Refined Sugars
- Table sugar (Sucrose)
- Corn Syrup or High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Fruit sugar (Pure Fructose)
Alternative Sweeteners (Not Refined Sugars)
- Stevia
- Splenda (Sucralose)
- NutraSweet (Aspartame)
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and corn syrup are the least expensive sweeteners on the list, and so many manufactures use them to reduce costs. Fruit sugar (pure fructose) is very different than HFCS and actually has a number of health advantages over other refined sugars. For example, pure fructose doesn’t cause tooth decay and doesn’t make your blood sugar levels spike like sugar and corn syrup do.
Alternative sweeteners have become very popular because they don’t have any calories and don’t affect blood sugar levels. Alternative sweeteners break down into natural sweeteners and artificial sweeteners. Stevia is a natural sweetener that comes from a tropical leaf and has been recognized by Dr. Oz as the best alternative sweetener. Splenda and NutraSweet are both artificial sweeteners that are created chemically.
Yogurt Cultures
Yogurt cultures, also known as probiotics, are critical to the healthy aspect and marketing of frozen yogurt. There are more than a dozen different culture strains with health benefits that include promoting digestive health and supporting the immune system.
Most of the probiotic strains cannot live at room temperature and so they need to be frozen or refrigerated. However, there is a certain strain that can be micro-encapsulated, which allows it to be shelf stable and then activate within the body. The micro-encapsulated cultures are actually more likely to survive in the body and deliver the desired health benefits.
Nutrition Facts Labeling
Customers have come to depend on nutrition facts labels as their primary source of information about whether or not a product is healthy. Unfortunately, there is a lot of confusion around nutrition labeling that customers aren’t aware of.
The biggest issue is serving size. The calories, carbs, and sugars listed on the label are determined by the serving size used by the manufacturer. For frozen yogurt, most serving sizes are listed as ½ cup, but this is not enough information to understand the actual serving size. The most important number is the grams per serving. One ounce by weight equals 28.3 grams. So a serving size of 3 oz. by weight would be 85 grams. And if the nutrition label says 40 grams per serving, that is a 1.4 oz. serving size.
Don’t be fooled by the companies that advertise extremely low calories and carbs but are using low serving sizes to confuse you. Several frozen yogurt companies advertise that they have 8 calories per ounce, but if you look closely at their serving size and calories they actually have about 23 calories per ounce.
Another aspect to be aware of on labels is that the listed sugar content includes both refined sugar and naturally occurring sugar in the product. For example, the lactose in milk contains naturally occurring sugar that shows up on the nutrition label in addition to any added sugar. The term “No Sugar Added’ is typically more accurate than “Sugar Free” because most yogurt mixes will still have some naturally occurring sugar.
Frozen yogurt is definitely a healthier treat than most other dessert options, but it is important to understand what makes some frozen yogurt mixes healthier than others.
About Johny Wudel
I’ve been in the frozen yogurt business my entire life. Nanci’s was started by my dad, who is a food chemist, and now the next generation is taking the torch. I understand all aspects of starting and running a frozen yogurt business — from machines to mix.
In additional to working in the frozen yogurt world, I have experience in marketing, sales, and operations. I’ve worked with companies such as Burger King, Google, Under Armour, LL Bean, United Way, University of Phoenix, and the Boston Red Sox. I have an undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. When not spending time with my wife and four children, I love running, hiking, and triathlons.
About Nanci’s Frozen Yogurt
Nanci’s Frozen Yogurt is a manufacturer and international wholesaler of soft-serve mixes including Frozen Yogurt, Fruit Freezer Sorbet, Non-Dairy Soft Serve, No Sugar Added mixes, Smoothie base mix, Granita mixes and more than 100 flavors. Based in the western United States, the family owned company has been in business since 1979, when the first line of healthy dessert products entered the market. It was originally established by John and Nanci Wudel in Utah in 1979. Three years later, John was awarded a dairy patent for the first fructose-sweetened ice cream in the United States.
The Wudel’s focus changed from ice cream to frozen yogurt as health trends shifted to low fat diets. After the company moved to Arizona, distribution of Nanci’s Frozen Yogurt grew regionally with the liquid pre-mixed line. With the invention of dry powder mixes that taste every bit as good as liquid, the company’s regional focus shifted to national and international growth. Nanci’s products are now exported to over 20 countries on 6 continents.
The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the International Frozen Yogurt Association.
