This is an opinion piece I wrote for my school newsmagazine, the Ladue Panorama, which I’m now the news editor of! This piece was edited by the editors-in-chief Domenic Fenoglio, Rhea Patney, and Sophia Liu as well as Associate Editor Lucy Lochmoeller.
Don’t think I forgot about you, Marissa. Even though you didn’t touch this piece, you’re cool too.
And a special thanks to Lucy Lochmoeller for being a great sport as I tore her arguments for frozen yogurt to shreds. :)
Before you read the actual piece, I guess a little backstory is necessary for a certain paragraph. After finishing an initial edition of this piece, Sophia found out from my friend and A&E editor, Olivia, that I was lactose intolerant. This conversation ensued over Google Docs:
After this, I jokingly wrote a short paragraph regarding my lactose intolerance. I found it a bit TMI, but it was funny and I kept it around, never thinking it would make the final copy (the original version actually contained a sentence and I quote, “Get nae-naed on, Lucy.”). Rhea and Sophia read it over and decided they liked it so much that they wanted to put it on the actual page.
Thus, the lactose intolerance paragraph was born. I certainly think it adds a touch of… personality to my piece. Go ahead and read the piece to judge for yourself.
In these hot, summer days scorched by triple-digit temperatures and intense humidity, a refreshing, frozen treat is a must have. But which one? After a bit of consideration, it’s clear that everyone under the sun should pick a scoop of ice cream over frozen yogurt.
Just on eating experience alone, ice cream easily tops frozen yogurt. For starters, frozen yogurt needs extra toppings to overcome its lack of sweetness and bland aftertaste, while ice cream functions on its own with its signature rich sweetness. Even with toppings on frozen yogurt, the strange texture and tartness still remain, which worsen the overall eating experience. Ice cream, on the other hand, acquires a fluffy and creamy texture from its higher milk fat that makes it enjoyable all the way through.
And one shouldn’t bother being guilt-tripped into eating frozen yogurt because it’s “healthier.” Sure, ounce for ounce frozen yogurt is lighter in calories and fat. But as mentioned before, to overcome the lack of sweetness, toppings are necessary, which add a lot of calories into the mix. Many frozen yogurt flavors also introduce a ton of sugar to achieve a desired taste. As a result, a plethora of frozen yogurts have more sugar than many ice creams.
Let’s also get another thing out of the way. Yes, you may know that I’m lactose intolerant. Every time I eat frozen yogurt or ice cream, I’m prepared to endure the trip to the bathroom I set myself up for. So let’s be crystal clear, the sheer emptiness I feel after each spoonful of frozen yogurt does not warrant any of the pain my body suffers through. But every lick and taste of ice cream makes each minute on the toilet worthwhile. Through my lived experience with both dairy products in my digestive system, I can confidently say that ice cream is the superior frozen treat.
Looking at it plainly, sacrificing taste for some mythical “health benefit” is never worth it when there’s some creamy, rich ice cream right around the corner waiting to be enjoyed.
I’m very happy with this piece and the overall page as well. Thanks to Lucy for being awesome, designing lots, and having great ideas. And thanks to Sophia and Rhea for letting me go off the rails a bit.
