“I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream,” shouted the children before frozen yogurt was in demand. Frozen yogurt, or froyo as it is popularly known, is becoming increasingly popular. This delicious and less fattening frozen treat is making students crave for yogurt, resulting in more and more yogurt bars opening up near university campuses. With 21 Choices and Yogurtland close to USC, the demand for frozen yogurt has definitely gone up.

An employee of 21 Choices Frozen Yogurt, Tracy Le is of the opinion that sales at the USC store have increased, and students prefer frozen yogurt to ice cream. This is because students are becoming more health conscious and constantly looking for alternatives to junk food. Froyo contains lower amounts of fat compared to ice cream.

For instance, two scoops of Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie frozen yogurt contain 320 calories and four grams of fat. By comparison, two scoops of Ben & Jerry’s Original Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream contain 460 calories and 22 grams of fat. So frozen yogurt saves you some calories and a lot of fat! Healthwise and otherwise, frozen yogurt works well. But can it really replace ice cream?

Not everyone feels frozen yogurt can take over ice cream. Jazz White, a senior studying at USC, prefers ice cream to froyo.

“If I were to eat something bad for me, I am going to go all the way and not going to [replace] it with something that looks and feels like the real thing but it actually isn’t,” she says. “I want the real deal. I want ice cream.”

While some may prefer ice cream, others prefer to eat frozen yogurt and feel comforted that they are eating a less fattening dessert, which looks and tastes almost like ice cream.

Frozen yogurt is less fattening and even considered healthy because it contains fewer amounts of probiotics. While ice creams contain 10 to 18 percent of fat content by weight, frozen yogurt usually has less amounts of fat content. This, with the added bonus of fruit toppings, makes this a healthier dessert.

But there is another reason for students, particularly USC students, to prefer frozen yogurt, and that is access. The rise in popularity of the frozen alternative to ice cream has made it more accessible than ice cream.

“Due to easy access, frozen yogurt is the best option. Though there is a Baskin-Robbins store in the University Village, the quality and taste is not up to the mark,” says Beroze Dubash, a USC junior says when asked whether she prefers frozen yogurt or ice cream.

Yogurt replaces the cream content of ice cream, but otherwise, similar ingredients are used. Though it may contain fewer calories than ice cream, the toppings – if they are not carefully chosen – may add extra calories and fat. M&M’s, brownies and cheesecake pieces and other fattening toppings can add to the fat and calorie content. On the whole, however, it is definitely much healthier than ice cream. Moreover, the cost of the yogurt is reasonable, making students feel less guilty about spending money on unhealthy food.

With unlimited choices and flavors, frozen yogurt’s popularity is increasing by the day. 21 Choices Frozen Yogurt is one of the most thriving frozen yogurt stores near USC. It also has other locations in Old Pasadena, Claremont the Village and Claremont Mountain & Foothill, all offering six different flavors of frozen yogurt each day.

With Yogurtland and 21 Choices standing in the way, Baskin-Robbins and Cold Stone Creamery are facing serious drops in sales. Froyo makes frozen yogurt sound cool and happening. With plenty of flavors to choose from and a reasonable purchase price, students continue to savor this delicious frozen dessert, even in the cold weather. It’s great to see that Americans are opting for healthier alternatives.

Are you health-consciousness but craving some cold dessert? Frozen yogurt is your answer.