There are loyalists on both sides of this debate. Ice cream lovers claim that their favorite dessert is creamier and tastes better. Frozen yogurt lovers tout the health benefits of their favorite treat while pointing out how unhealthy ice cream is. This a debate that can get somewhat heated at times, but it appears there is a clear winner.

I Scream, You Scream

Kids love ice cream. Parents love it too, but we have to control our eating habits or risk becoming overweight and unhealthy. Ice cream is OK as an occasional treat, but it's important we regulate how much our family consumes. It is both high in fat and high in sugar, the combination of which can be deadly. Another factor is the lactose, which is tough for some people to handle. Too much lactose can give you an upset stomach and will make you (and those around you) miserable.

The reason lactose intolerant people have a tough time with ice cream is the fact that it contains a high amount of milk fat. The fact that it's made of 10 to 16% milk fat and 9 to 12% milk solids is what gives it the creamy texture we know and love. This is also what makes it so tough for those who are lactose intolerant. The high levels of lactose are tough for the body to digest.

Frozen Yogurt

Frozen yogurt has come a long way in the past decade. When done right, it is almost indistinguishable from ice cream. It comes in a variety of flavors and, like ice cream, it can be bought at your favorite store or made at home. Instead of being made from a cream base, it is made using yogurt as a base. This makes it a much healthier alternative.

When it was first thought up, it was nothing like it is now. It used to have a tart taste and a consistency more like that of yogurt than that of ice cream. Things have changed, and the two are now almost indistinguishable. The taste and consistency are so close, all but the most refined of palates will have a tough time telling the two apart.

Best of all, frozen yogurt is the healthier option. Milk fat makes up less than half of a percent of the total ingredient, while milk solid are 8 to 14% of the total. The small amount of milk fat combined with the milk solids still make it smooth, but the fact that there is much less fat makes it the better option. Combine that with the fact that frozen yogurt contains cultures and enzymes that help with digestion and you have a clear winner. People that can't handle ice cream can often eat frozen yogurt with no issues.

Put It All Together

While yogurt is the healthier choice of the two, you still have to take into consideration the sugar levels. Both desserts have similar levels of sugar, so they both need to be consumed in moderation. You have to be a lot more careful with ice cream because of the added fat content. The clear winner of the head to head battle is frozen yogurt, but it's OK to have a bowl of ice cream every once in a while too. Just make sure it's an occasional treat and don't go overboard, and you'll be fine.