Pinkberry Frozen Yogurt Review

The latest trend in eating is choosing healthy alternatives that still taste delicious. What is the most difficult meal to meet these standards? Desert. Ice cream is one of the great American post-dinner indulgences. With the advent of low calorie, no sugar, non-fat headlines it is no wonder that new businesses are springing up. One of these innovative stores is Pinkberry, which primarily serves frozen yogurt. There is an almost cult-like following to this chain. It is, however, warranted. Keep in mind if you are a die-hard fan of Coldstone (or its equivalent) of heavily sweetened ice cream you might not care for Pinkberry. In fact, there tends to either be either a love or hate relationship among Pinkberry and its consumers.

The store offers three delicious flavors (original, green tea, and coffee); these concoctions are tantalizing because of their deviation from the standard cold desert. The frozen yogurt itself has a subtle tart taste in each flavor. Original is light and is comparable to a much less-sweetened vanilla, but also gives the illusion of being creamy without the added fat. Green tea, the healthiest of the three, is perhaps the most plain. However, it is still slightly tangy and reminiscent of its namesake. The coffee frozen yogurt is my personal favorite and the newest addition to the lineup. It is not overly sweetened and gives only the slightest impressions of the coffee powder used in it. The aftertaste is a bit bitter, similar to the popular drink.

All nutrition information can be easily found on Pinkberry's website. A half cup of original frozen yogurt is 70 calories, while green tea triumphs at 50 and coffee comes in at 90 calories. A small is approximately 1.4 servings, a medium 2.2 servings, and the large (which I have never bought) comes in at 3.6 servings. That means if you are looking for a quick but tasty treat on the go, a small cup of the original will only run you 98 calories. This is a feat in a world of Ben and Jerry's where a half cup of Low fat cherry Garcia frozen yogurt comes in at 170 calories, over triple the calories of the green tea.

Now just eating plain frozen yogurt might not sound too appetizing. This is where the integration of toppings makes Pinkberry dominant over its competitors. Every time I have added fruit, it never fails that it is fresh and delicious. There are over fifteen toppings to choose from beyond the confines of fruit (including chocolate chips, which taste heavenly mixed with strawberries). Although these toppings add sugar, they are perfect if one wishes to mix-in different flavors.

Pinkberry not only offers frozen yogurt and toppings but also smoothies and shaved ice creations, which mix shaved ice, mixed fruit, mochi, and frozen yogurt. The smoothies offered include mixed berries and a green tea flavor, although I personally have never bought one.

The price of Pinkberry is not terrible, and ranges from $3-10. A medium including three toppings, probably the most practical of the three, is $6.45. Other disadvantages of Pinkberry? Stores are only located in California and New York. The ones I have been in New York have all been very small, with a handful of tables that are almost always taken. Rest assured that the wait is warranted however; once you have a taste of this frozen yogurt, you will be addicted.