Frozen Yogurt Invades Carrollwood

Sick of ice cream? Done with the smoothie craze of 2010?

Frozen yogurt is this year’s coolest self-indulgence, and yogurt shops are popping up all over Carrollwood and around the country.

Fro-yo markets itself as a healthier alternative to ice cream - a claim that’s mostly true. Frozen yogurt is low in fat, high in vitamins and nutrients, and helps contribute to higher levels of good cholesterol, which can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

The probiotics in yogurt also improve digestive health and reduce allergic reactions. However, most yogurt shops tempt you with toppings. Your yogurt will be nowhere near as healthy if you drown it in peanut butter cups and sour worms.

The average yogurt shop is self-serve, so self-control is key. With a one-size-fits-all bowl, you’re free to mix and match flavors and toppings to your delight. But be warned: at a self-serve shop, you’ll be charged by the ounce. The more it weighs, the more you pay, so it’s worth it to limit yourself to one or two flavors and only your favorite (and lightest) toppings. Hint: ask for sample cups at the register so you don’t waste weight on a flavor you don’t like.

Patch scoped out some of the closest yogurt shops to compare flavors and prices. Take a look at our favorite choices in Carrollwood:

Yogurt Mountain: YoMo is Carrollwood’s reigning yogurt shop for variety. The store rotates flavors to offer 16 at a time, and about half are fat-free. Yogurt Mountain is a topping lover’s dream; they offer more than 40 candy, cookie and fruit toppings, ranging from pretzel M&M’s and Cap’n Crunch to iced animal crackers and Rice Krispies Treats. Yogurt is self-serve, including toppings, and costs 49 cents per ounce. YoMo is located at 12817 North Dale Mabry Highway.

The Yogurt Spot: Situated in the Carrollwood Commons, The Yogurt Spot is the classic fro-yo experience. Nearly all of the Spot’s 12 yogurt flavors are non-fat, with some non-dairy or no-sugar-added options as well, and there are plenty of candy and fruit topping options too. Flavor-wise, you’ll find the usual suspects, like vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, as well as spunky tastes like dulce de leche and tiki taro. Yogurt is self-serve, including toppings, and costs 39 cents per ounce. The Yogurt Spot is located at 15006 North Dale Mabry Highway.

Berryism: Can’t control your yogurt cravings? Visit Berryism, where self-serve is nixed for pre-set portions of different sizes (a la ice cream parlor). Berryism carries six yogurt flavors at a time: wildberry, original tart, chocolate and vanilla bean, plus two rotating flavors. Berryism also sells fruit-and-fro-yo smoothies and grown-up gelato. Yogurt starts at $2.99 for a small size (6oz) and toppings cost 99 cents for one and $1.55 for unlimited. Berryism is located at ‎14398 North Dale Mabry Highway.