Greekin' Out: Ben and Jerry's Greek Frozen Yogurt

Rusty

There have been many attempts at ice cream substitutes or versions of ice cream offering less fat or less sugar over the years. Most of them are awful. I’ve found it’s not useful to try and replace ice cream, but just to accept that frozen yogurt is better for you but won’t ever deliver on the kind of thick creamy goodness that ice cream does.

At least that had been my feeling until I got my hands on Ben and Jerry’s new Greek Frozen Yogurt in Raspberry and Fudge Chunks flavor.

Greek yogurt is thicker and more protein packed than regular yogurt and fittingly, frozen Greek yogurt is thicker and more substantial than typical frozen yogurt. It comes the closest I’ve seen to replicating that dense creamy texture that ice cream has when you put it in your mouth. The raspberry flavor is good but not too sweet, and the fudge chunks are less chunks of fudge than they are very large dark chocolate chips, but the flavors go together well and I’ve heard that dark chocolate is good for you so it’s a win win situation.

Nutrition wise, the Greek frozen yogurt is the clear winner on several counts. It has less calories per serving, about half the fat of regular ice cream, and slightly more protein and calcium. It does have more sugar than regular ice cream, probably because Greek yogurt is very tart so it needs more sugar to sweeten it, and for some reason more sodium. It’s not the healthiest thing you’re ever likely to put in your mouth but as far as frozen desserts go it’s a step up from ice cream. Also, the higher protein level means it’s harder to put away an entire pint in one sitting. (…uh, so I hear.)

So the big question: can it replace ice cream? Of course not. Nothing can REPLACE ice cream. While the Greek frozen yogurt is good it would make a pretty shit milkshake and I can’t see serving a Greek frozen yogurt cake at my birthday party. But it is pretty tasty and thick and creamy enough to serve as a healthier stand in. Hell, if you hid the container, I’m betting most kids wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. That’s if they’re not so picky that they’d turn up their nose at raspberry ice cream in the first place.

Final judgement is 7 out of 8 tentacles. Will definitely be buying again and I encourage anyone else to give it a try.

Rating: 7/8 tentacles