Who wants to break the calorie bank on a cup of frozen yogurt? Not us! Here are a few things to know when you're cruising for frozen treats...   

Soft-Serve Portion Police!

Most soft-serve frozen yogurt has about 100 calories per serving. Not bad. BUT that's typically based on a half-cup serving, and even the SMALL containers often have more than 1 serving! Check it out...

TCBY - Here's the skinny on soft serve from TCBY, a.k.a. "The Country's Best Yogurt." A Small cup contains 2 servings, the Regular has 2.6, a Large has 3.3, and an Extra Large has 4.6 servings. So when it comes to the standard varieties at TCBY (which all have a nice amount of fiber), a Small cup has 220 - 260 calories and 4g fat (POINTS® value 4 - 5*) and an Extra Large has a whopping 506 - 598 calories and 9.2g fat (POINTS® value 10 - 12*). HG Tip! If you want something closer to a single serving, go for the Kid's cup, which has 0.8 servings, 88 - 104 calories, and 1.6g fat (POINTS® value 1 - 2*).

Pinkberry - This trendy little fro yo chain features fat-free tart yogurt in a trio of flavors. The Small contains 1.5 servings, which comes to 150 - 180 calories (POINTS® value 3 - 4*). The Medium has 2.3 servings and 230 - 276 calories (POINTS® value 5 - 6*). And the Large has 3.8 servings for a total of 380 - 456 calories (POINTS® value 8 - 9*). For more on Pinkberry, click here!

Red Mango - Here's another chain that serves up fat-free tart yogurt. The Small has 1.2 servings and 108 - 120 calories (POINTS® value 2*), a Medium has 2.1 servings and 189 - 210 calories (POINTS® value 4*), and a Large has 3 servings and 270 - 300 calories (POINTS® value 5 - 6*). Got it? GOOD!

The Bottom Line... The stats you see online and in stores are RARELY for an actual serving that's offered. So ask how many servings are in each size before you order. Then BE SMART and DO THE MATH! Also, keep in mind, the number of servings in each cup is an estimate. So if your fro yo is towering high above the top of the cup, you might want to add a few dozen calories to your total.

Some DOs and DON'Ts of Dairy Desserts

DO top it off with fresh fruit. Berries, bananas, diced mango and more... ALL good on frozen yogurt, especially the tart kind. But if that fruit's floating in some kind of syrup, skip it!

DON'T forget to add 30 - 60 calories for each half-cup of fresh fruit topping (depending on the type)... especially if you're one of those people who orders a medium-sized yogurt in the extra-large cup so there's more room for toppings!

DO treat yourself to one of the small cones! They're low in calories, and they'll help you stick to a small serving or a single scoop. A small cake cone (flat bottom) has only around 20 - 25 calories and <0.5g fat (POINTS® value 0 - 1*). A small sugar cone (pointy bottom) typically has 45 - 60 calories and 0.5g fat or less (POINTS® value 1*).

DON'T give in to those giant waffle and sugar cones. Not only do they contain a lot of calories, but they're also ginormous vehicles capable of holding a massive amount of yogurt!

And Now, A Hungry Girl 200 Under 200 Exclusive...

We're VERY excited to share this fantastic freezy recipe, since it allows you to have FRO YO FOR BREAKFAST. It comes straight from the pages of our new book. Enjoy!






Fro-Yo'ed Up Oatmeal Sundae

PER SERVING (entire sundae): 198 calories, 4.25g fat, 219mg sodium, 38g carbs, 4g fiber, 11.5g sugars, 5.5g protein -- POINTS® value 4*

Ingredients:
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt
1/4 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1 tbsp. strawberry (or any fruit flavor) sugar-free preserves (like the kind by Smucker’s)
1/2 tbsp. All Natural Almond Accents in Original Oven Roasted or Honey Roasted
1 no-calorie sweetener packet (like Splenda or Truvia)
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
Dash salt

Directions:
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine oats with 1/2 cup water. Microwave for 1 - 2 minutes, until desired consistency is reached.

Once bowl of oatmeal is cool enough to handle, mix in preserves, sweetener, cinnamon, and salt. Top with fruit.

Place frozen yogurt on top of the fruit layer, and then sprinkle with almonds. Serve immediately -- the frozen yogurt will melt, but it's delicious as it melts into the oatmeal!

MAKES 1 SERVING