Happy Sunday My Little Penguins:

Those of you who know and love me, know that I do love my desserts. And while I do not indulge nightly, I do so weekly. Notice, I did “say” weekly, not WEAKLY.

Now, there are certainly many choices for desserts. With few exceptions, they range from the mildly healthy (like homemade fat-free granola) to the extremely deadly, figuratively – of course, (Amy’s Birthday Cheesecake).

But, for today’s installment, I’ll be focusing on several options in the “yogurt” family. Carbolites are versions of “Fro Yo” which can be found at The Bigg Chill and Penguins. The Medium is eight ounces and contains a total of 84 calories, .14 grams (g.) of fat, 6 g. of sugar, 6 g. of protein, 2 g. of fiber, 88 milligrams (mgs.) of sodium and 82 mgs. of cholesterol.

Over in my new “hood” (Sawtelle and La Grange), Yogurtland prides itself on having a larger flavor variety than the above mentioned stores that sit across the street from each other on the westside corners of Olympic and Westwood boulevards. Both The Bigg Chill and Penguins only have two flavors of Carbolites available every two or three days; however, they each carry other, less healthy “brands” of Fro Yo.

At Yogurtland, not only are the choices seemingly endless, so is the space in their “buckets”. Yes people, if you haven’t been there yet, the place is self-serve and their “cups” are so wide and tall, you could stand there all day trying to fill to to the top without ever getting there. And, you guessed it, that’s their strategy. According to my research, the average weight sold (not including toppings) is 10 ounces.

Since there is a variety of flavors to choose from, most people combine flavors. Therefore, the “data” given here are “ranges” of the flavors listed on their website. Total calories (for an eight ounce bucket – not including toppings) “range from” 500-600 calories, 0-2 g. of fat, 0-52 g. of sugar, 4-8 g. of protein, 0-2 g. of fiber, 60-200 mgs. of sodium and no cholesterol.

Well, I think it’s easy to see the health “cost” of choosing Yogurtland oer Carbolites. how about the financial “weight” on your wallet? At The Bigg Chill a Medium is $4 and at the Yogurtland on Sawtelle (because they are all franchises, costs can be different), eight ounces would only cost you $2.64.

So, if you don’t mind you wallet getting a bit smaller while you stay trimmer, choose the Carbolite over Yogurtland each and every time. And, who knows? If you do so on a Friday or Saturday night, you might just see your trainer there too. Right H? By the way, your trainer’s favorite Fro Yo flavor is peanut butter. Medium please, no toppings!