You may have realized that in the past few years the amount of frozen yogurt spots has rapidly grown. This epidemic in the United States arose in Southern California where in no exaggeration, a frozen yogurt shop exists on each block. Numerous Americans have quickly acclimated to eating frozen yogurt instead of ice cream due to its lighter, but still sweet taste, and for its perceived health benefits including a variety of probiotics, vitamins, minerals, and calcium.
Good news for us college students, Penn and the larger Philadelphia area, have several frozen yogurt options that are definitely worth trying. This article can be used as a guide for finding the perfect yogurt combination. Whether you want a sweeter flavor such as cake batter with a myriad of candy toppings, original tart yogurt with some fresh fruit, or even if you just want to use the yogurt cup as an excuse to pile up on candy toppings, the following information will be helpful in choosing the right place for you.
Read on for reviews and nutrition information for the best and worst of Philly Fro Yo.
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Phileo Yogurt: 416 South Street
Let your blending imagination begin. This self-serve fro yo spot has unlimited flavors and toppings to choose from. With its location on South Street, it is the perfect place to come to on a Saturday afternoon, sit on the colorful barstools, and people watch out the window. Phileo Yogurt offers 16 flavors at a time. They switch around their flavors so you won’t get bored if you frequent this place often. The texture of the fro yo is just right and the flavors all taste like what they are supposed to taste like (unlike Sweet Ending’s, which I will discuss later).
My personal favorites happen to be the peanut butter, cookies and cream, and coconut. However, for all those dessert lovers out there, cupcake batter, cheesecake, red velvet, and snicker doodle will all more than satisfy your sweet tooth. If you are looking for a simpler flavor, their tart, vanilla, and chocolate flavors are also all delicious. They even offer more adventurous options such as green tea, lychee, and taro. Now for the perfect combination, we need to add some toppings.
My initial reaction during my first trip to Phileo was that I had never seen more toppings in my life. It was as if Willy Wonka had taken over. Some of the toppings include cookie dough, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Oreos, M&Ms, brownie crumbles, cheesecake bites, gummy bears, mochi, graham crackers, Cap’n Crunch, granola, Fruity Pebbles, and several fruit options such as strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, and banana. The only drawback at Phileo would be that they only allow for one free sample. However, if you can survive this, I promise that you will not be disappointed.
Nutrition Information: A four-ounce serving of their plain yogurt is 70 calories, 0 grams of fat, 15 grams of carbs, and 9 grams of sugar; A four-ounce serving of the flavored yogurt is roughly 40 calories more (110 calories), 24 grams of carbs, and 20 grams of sugar.
Trying to stay in shape? Read our 5 tips for for staying fit this winter[pagebreak]
Sweet Ending: 18th and Chestnut
I would not make this self-serve frozen yogurt place a must next time you are in Rittenhouse Square. First of all, their flavor selections are limited. They offer a few fruit flavors such as strawberry, watermelon, and pomegranate, and the traditional vanilla, original, chocolate, and peanut butter. In general, the taste of their fro yo tastes chalky and watery, almost like toothpaste (which in my opinion, would not make a great flavor). For someone who has tried everything with peanut butter, I wanted to spit the peanut butter flavor out.
If you are there and you had to choose a flavor, go with the chocolate. It is the only flavor that is semi-enjoyable. Their topping bar is also limited with sprinkles, mochi, cheesecake bites, Oreos, and a few fruit options that still had ice on them. Most students that I asked reported that this place had their least favorite frozen yogurt in the city. I guess it is not a “sweet ending” after all.
Nutrition Information:A four-ounce serving of plain is 100 calories, 0 grams of fat, 21 grams of total carbs, and 20 grams of sugar. The flavored yogurt is roughly 110 calories, 0 grams of fat, 23 grams of total carbs, and 21 grams of sugar.
On the other hand, we did like Bonded Boutique[pagebreak]
Kiwi: 36th and Chestnut
Most of you have probably been to Kiwi quite a few times. However, for those of you who have not, Kiwi is most similar to Phileo Yogurt with its large variety of flavors and toppings. My personal favorites are the vanilla, cookies and cream, birthday cake, and the cappuccino. The creamy peanut butter is satisfactory, but not sweet nor creamy enough. Their flavor options range from tart and mango to more unusual flavors such as root beer float and peppermint stick.
Their topping selection is also extensive with options including almonds, blackberries, blueberries, butterfingers, brownie bites, candy cane, candy corn, Cap’n Crunch, sprinkles, Cocoa Pebbles, coconut, chocolate chip cookie dough, Fruity Pebbles, granola, gummy bears, Oreos, coconut, marshmallows, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, pretzels, Snickers, Sour Patch Kids, and M&M’s. They also have delicious caramel, butterscotch, and chocolate sauces.
One more thing: I cannot forget to comment on the chocolate chip cookie dough. I know of students, myself being one, who just go to Kiwi to eat the cookie dough and do not buy any yogurt. It is not the little cookie dough bites that most places have, but instead, enormous chunks of real chocolate chip cookie dough. It is as if someone sliced a roll of Toll House cookie dough.
Nutrition Information: for ½ a cup (83 grams), original tart has 90 calories, 0 grams of fat, 20 grams of carbs, and 15 grams of sugar. Vanilla has 100 calories, 0 grams of fat, 20 grams of carbs, and 17 grams of sugar. Most of the other flavors have roughly 110-140 calories, 0 grams of fat, 20-25 grams of carbs, and 15 to 20 grams of sugar.
Make your own lunch to save even more calories! What about Rachel’s Greek Orzo?[pagebreak]
Sweetgreen: 3925 Walnut Street
With its recent opening, Sweetgreen’s healthy salads and frozen yogurt have become a popular place for students. However, they do not offer multiple flavors, but solely original tart. If you are looking for the healthiest frozen yogurt option, and are unlike me who prefers to pile my fro yo with candy galore, then this is the perfect yogurt place for you. The tart flavor tastes more like actual yogurt and is not too sweet. The toppings also tend to be on the healthier side with fresh fruit including blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, apples, cranberries, kiwi, and mangos and a few sweeter options such as coconut, chocolate chips, sugar cone pieces, and granola. They also offer organic agave syrup for that extra sweetness on top.
Nutrition Information: ½ a cup is 80 calories, 0 grams of fat, 16 grams of carbs, and 15 grams of sugar.[pagebreak]
TBowl: 3716 Spruce Street
Similar to Sweetgreen, TBowl offers the original tart flavor. They occasionally will mix it up and offer something different. For example, this past week they had a pumpkin flavor instead. The texture of the yogurt is perfect and the taste is a perfect balance of sweetness and tartness. Many Penn students believe Tbowl has the best original tart flavor on campus. Unfortunately, they are stingy with their toppings, but good thing for TBowl, their yogurt can stand alone. They only offer one topping per serving and their selection is limited to a few fruit options and chocolate and caramel sauces. If you are more of the “I am planning on adding more toppings than yogurt type of customer,” I would stay away from this one.
Did you see our Campus Cutie?[pagebreak]
Saxby’s Coffee: 4000 Locust Street
Last, but not least, Saxby’s Coffee offers an original tart flavor as well. Like TBowl’s tart flavor, many Penn students also agree that Saxby’s has a yummy tart flavor that is more flavorful than Sweetgreen’s. They also offer a Cremoso flavor that they describe as “creamy, decadent, and delicious.” Saxby’s definitely has more toppings than Sweetgreen or TBowl with a selection consisting of strawberries, mango, blueberries, pineapple, bananas, blackberries, granola, Oreos, peanut butter cream (looks like peanut butter crumbled cookies mixed with peanut butter), lemon cookie, almonds, M&M’s, sprinkles, and coconut.
Nutrition Information: In one serving (142 grams and considered a size small), there is 145 calories, 0 grams of fat, 33 grams of carbs, and 28 grams of sugar.
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