Monday, August 9, 2010

Pinkberry: Pinkalicious or Pink-a-lie?

This post removed due to demands from Pinkberry's legal team. Updated Pinkberry post written on 8/18/10

12 comments:

  1. i will never go to a yogurt shop with the same mindset again!! the boobs analogy is hilarious-thanks for the informative article!!!

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  2. This is crazy! I always wondered how something that tastes so delicious could be so healthy - now I know!

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  3. Actually: If you look at the Pinkberry website, a small Pinkberry is 150 calories: It is exactly 5 ounces of yogurt. They don't randomly fill up the cup as far as possible, they actually weigh the cup to make sure it is perfect everytime. I see them do it.

    Original Pinkberry Frozen Yogurt is 29 Calories per ounce. So between the 8oz Medium and 11oz large, you can add up that you are still indulging in a pretty low-cal treat.

    Of course, if you load up with all the fun unhealthy stuff, yes, your number will skyrocket. But if you stick to the fruit, your adding 10 to 15 calories per little scoop.

    Now, as far as the probiotic count. The National Yogurt Association required that you have at least 10 million cultures per gram to be certified "Frozen Yogurt" and have their seal. Pinkberry does.

    I will take a small Pinkberry over a bite of Haagen Daz anytime.

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  4. My daughter is a picky eater and is trying to put on weight. She loves Pinkberry and her doctor recommended that I allow her to have it. While this may not be the best method, the point is that we go at least once a week and I have never seen a scale used.

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  5. I've never seen any pinkberry employee weigh my yogurt, but probably would be a good idea after reading about how all the calories can really add up!! Thanks for the info, love the blog!

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  6. in pinkberry kuwait they weigh EVERY single time i've been there.

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  7. Anyone who frequents Pinkberry knows that the yogurt is not weighed (at least not frequently in the US, I've never been to Kuwait) and that the height of your swirl depends on the employee that you get. The “tiny” scoops are now better described as “heaping” now that Pinkberry allows for customers to “top their swirls of Pinkberry with as many toppings as will comfortably fill their cup.”

    The message of this post is that if you aren’t careful and aware with your order at Pinkberry, you are going to be getting more calories than you may have planned for.

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  8. Thanks for sharing your findings Lisa!

    The times I have been to Pinkberry, I have not witnessed a scale once so it seems some places use the scale while others do not - meaning what they claim on their website is not accurate information depending on how much yogurt is in the cup.

    I agree that Pinkberry is a lie because they of course only advertise the "weighed proportions" that from my experience, does not always happen.

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  9. You have a great intern! Nice post Lisa! I, too, have never seen my yogurt weighed at Pinkberry or any of the other similar places. And I'd take a few spoonfuls of real ice cream or frozen custard over a pile of for-yo any day.

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  10. The pinkberry on 2nd avenue and 54th weighs it everytime. However, I seem to have lost my taste for it so have not been there is a few weeks. My problem these days is fighting the urge to buy ice pops from the ice cream trucks all over the city. It was steaming hot the other day and I got one thinking it was a low calorie treat...it was great, but the second ingredient was HFCS...AHHHH!!!

    Think I will save up my threats and occasional go to Haagen Daz for the real thing! Plus after the boob reference don't think I could keep a straight face in Pinkberry!

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  11. Very insightful. I love a little "food for thought". These days I try to stick to "real" foods as often as possible and yes, sometimes that means real ice cream! I think I've finally learned that there are no shortcuts when it comes to health and when something seems to good to be true that is usually because it is!

    Thanks Ladies!

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  12. This is nuts I had no idea. I'll definitely still eat it because I love it but as a treat, not something I think I can have guilt free all the time. Thank you!

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