Since its creation in the 1970s, frozen yogurt has been put forth as a healthy alternative to the dessert we've always screamed for, boasting the same sweet-dairy-meets-cold satisfaction with fewer calories and more health benefits.

Now cafes like Pinkberry, the upscale California-based fro-yo chain, along with Wild Berry, Flurt, Kiwiberri, Yogurberry, Toppings and a host of others have sprouted on what seems to be every street corner of Los Angeles and New York City.

And Seoul, Korea-based Red Mango has plans for expanding its chain into Illinois, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington state.

Fro-yo seems to be finding fans wherever it goes.

"I'm an addict," said 27-year-old Christa Gallego, after consuming a 5-ounce "original" outside a Pinkberry parlor in midtown Manhattan. "I like the sour afterward; it's like real frozen yogurt," Gallego said. "I'm loyal to Pinkberry, it's healthy."

The makers of fro-yo surely aren't shying away from the perception that it's as much a between-meal snack as a once-in-awhile treat.

"Made with natural ingredients, Red Mango is real yogurt, crafted by licensed U.S. dairy manufactures and frozen to perfection," according to the company's Web site.

But nutritionists and other critics are concerned that fro-yo's benefits are overstated, and argue that too little is known about the ingredients. Last May, a civil suit was filed against fro-yo giant Pinkberry, claiming the company's powdered mix -- the exact contents of which remains a secret -- lacks the "good" bacteria cultures found in yogurt.

The important distinction, some say, is one of perception.

"Right off the bat, you have to think of frozen yogurt as a treat or as a dessert, which is what it is," said Marissa Lippert, a registered dietitian and founder of Nourish-NYC, a nutrition counseling service in New York.

Lippert said she has seen an uptick in clients who have acquired a sweet tooth for fro-yo. She said parsing the possible benefits of frozen yogurt "can be tricky," despite its healthier components, like calcium, protein and, according to its makers, probiotics -- a bacteria that can aid digestion.

That's because the ingredients used to sweeten fro-yo are generally not detailed, and Lippert warns her clients about the larger portions being spooned up in parlors under the guise of "lo-cal."

"If you were to have a dessert like that every day over the course of a year -- and this is before sprinkles or fruit or anything has been added -- those extra calories could equate to a 10-pound weight gain."

Shika Kimura, a 25-year-old public relations coordinator for a fashion company, said she eats frozen yogurt no more than twice a week. She said she prefers the brand Colombo, which can be purchased in a grocery store, and rarely visits fro-yo parlors.

"I like that it's a snack that fills me up between meals," Kimura said.

Dr. Wahida Karmally, the director of nutrition at Columbia University's Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, said fro-yo "has a place" in the diet, providing vitamin D and calcium, two nutrients people generally don't get enough of.

But that's no reason to make it a daily snack.

"It's not a free lunch by any means, but it does have some benefits," Karmally said. "It's fine if it's not a meal replacement, certainly better than having a a bag of potato chips or something else that's high in fat."

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asap contributor Tracee Herbaugh is a former member of the AP's international desk in New York.

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