No. 55: Find the Active Culture

For this month's 100 Things to Do in Syosset we are going to tour the various frozen yogurt and soft-serve places throughout our area. But truth be told, there are enough storefronts serving up frozen treats that you can try a different place each day of the week.

Here is a list of branded companies:

1. For the traditionalist: Red Mango one of the first companies to start the fro-yo craze has recently opened by the Gabby's in Woodbury. They offer mostly their classic flavors with a few custom ones such as Honey Badger. Each store rotates flavors, so you will discover different choices at Plainview and Oyster Bay on the same day.

2. For the fun and free spirit: Menchies offers a whimsical approach to serving up yogurt. Appealing to kids, it offers several incentives with their "Smileage" Rewards. There are 14 flavors and over 50 toppings served up daily.

3. For the budge minded: Shake Cups will be back at its original location. Red Mango decided to go east, so Gabby's in Syosset is bringing back a new improved version. Top-notch dispensers will be at your disposal and the best part, only 39-cents per ounce.

4. For the No-frills type: The Yogurt Factory located on Berry Hill Road is located in the strip mall. Besides soft-serve they are blending up something new: exotic fruit smoothies. Tamarind or soursop smoothie, anyone?

5. For the Shop, Eat, and meet person: Yogurt Crazy located within Woodbury Common is a great place to take a break while shopping in this Tudor city. If you enjoy a creamy yogurt, this one is for you. For peanut butter lovers, it's worth a try.

6. For the treat taker but wants good ingredients: The Light Choice (formerly at the D'Lites location in Woodbury) is all about natural this time. This frozen dessert (not yogurt) has no preservatives, no artificial additives, no corn syrup. There are 80 flavors--some of which are organic-- that can be custom blended on the spot. The calorie content is similar to most fro-yo establishments. Due to open soon.

7. For the old faithful: and have been fixtures in the community for many years. Whether you are going for cream ices or a creamy soft-serve, these are your go-to places for decadent delights.

You can also get served up in some cases a fro-yo swirl or possibly a scoop within restaurants or take-out places such as Gabby's -- which offers the "Only 8" brand, In The Mood, Baskin Robbins, The Healthy Eatery, Friendly's, and Bronx Pizza Company to name a few.

Buyer beware: ask to see the ingredients; you might be surprised by what's inside and check how many calories per ounce for each flavor. The base yogurt can be low in calories but once you add in those rich flavorings and toppings, there is a definite jump. On average, you can get a half cup for about 100 calories but if you keep running the machine and filling up that huge cup, you are destined to triple that amount.