Whether you have diabetes or are simply trying to support your health, keeping blood sugar levels more stable can be a worthwhile goal. Balanced blood sugar is linked with better energy levels and concentration and a reduced risk of chronic disease.1Frozen Yogurt & Blood Sugar
When it comes to blood sugar balance, there are three key nutrients to pay attention to in frozen yogurt: sugar, protein and fat. A typical half-cup serving of vanilla frozen yogurt has 17 grams of sugar, 3 grams of protein and 4 grams of fat.3 For an item often thought of as a higher-protein alternative to ice cream, that’s not much protein per serving. Plus, the overall balance of nutrients may not be as blood sugar–friendly as you think.
“Frozen yogurt is lower in fat but often has equal or even more added sugar [than ice cream], since sugar is used to offset the natural tartness of the yogurt cultures,” says Gina Hassick, M.A., RD, LDN, CDCES, NCC. It’s also used to make up for the taste and textural differences from the lower fat content, notes Caroline Thomason Bunn, RD, CDCES.
While frozen yogurt’s lower saturated fat content may be better for heart health, it’s not necessarily as helpful for balancing blood sugar. With a higher sugar content and less fat, this can contribute to a faster rise and drop in blood glucose, shares Diana Mesa, RDN, LDN, CDCES.4Ice Cream & Blood Sugar
With 7 grams of fat and 14 grams of sugar per half-cup serving, ice cream has about 3 more grams of fat and 3 less grams of sugar per serving compared to frozen yogurt.6 While it’s still high in sugar, it may not spike blood sugar as much as people expect, says Bunn.
“That fat difference matters for blood sugar,” says Hassick. “Fat slows gastric emptying and the rate sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream, so a full-fat ice cream can actually produce a slower, more moderate glucose rise than a low-fat frozen yogurt with a comparable or higher sugar load.” Plus, it contains only 0.5 grams less protein, which is a negligible difference.6
U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central. Ice creams, vanilla.
“Of course, that doesn’t make it a ‘health food,’ but it does mean you can fit it into an overall balanced eating pattern,” says Bunn. “The key will be paying attention to portion size and thinking about how it fits into the rest of your day.”
Which Is Better?
Ice cream’s nutritional makeup may give it a slight edge for blood sugar compared with some frozen yogurts. “In many cases, a small serving of regular ice cream may actually have a more mild effect on blood sugar compared to frozen yogurt because the fat slows digestion,” explains Bunn. Hassick agrees: “From a blood sugar standpoint, an ice cream with moderate sugar and some fat may actually produce a steadier glucose response than a low-fat frozen yogurt with substantially more added sugar.”
However, everyone is different, so it’s best to pay attention to how each food uniquely affects your blood sugar. If you have a continuous glucose monitor, keep an eye on your readings to see how your body responds.
