Pick It or Skip It: Summer Eats Edition

Frozen Yogurt vs. Ice Cream
With the explosion of froyo came the notion that the creamy stuff serves as a health food.While your fave froyo order is a healthier alternative to ice cream (the enyzmes and bacteria in yogurt aid digestion and in some studies block fat absorption), it’s still a treat. Froyo is actually made quite similarly to ice cream, but the yogurt replaces the cream content of ice cream and a large amount of sugar is added. “Frozen yogurt is perhaps best viewed health-wise as being somewhere between real yogurt and ice cream,” Keller explains. “A great deal of sugar is usually added to frozen yogurt…which is a major reason why it is not nearly as healthy as regular yogurt.” Keller adds that though somewhat healthier than ice cream, frozen yogurt should not be considered a “healthy” food. The proof is in the pudding (and eerily similar stats): a half cup serving of TCBY 96% Fat-Free Frozen Yogurt has 140 calories, 3 grams of fat, and 23 carbs.  Most half-cup servings of Vanilla ice cream contain 145 calories, 8 grams of fat, and 17 carbs. 
Verdict: Froyo feigns, wins only by a hair

Sweet Tea vs. Lemonade
Both beverages scream summer and leisure time, but which one keeps you looking your best beachside?  Surprise, the one with “Sweet” in the title pulls ahead with merely 60 calories and 17 grams of carbs per eight-ounce glass. Sweet tea also packs a powerful antioxidant punch because it’s rich in polyphenols. Run-of-the-mill sweetened lemonade in an eight-ounce portion totals 151 calories and 36 carbs, but you can look for lighter varieties or dilute saccharine versions with water.
Verdict: Say it with sweet tea!