No standards set for yogurt culture

Q. Does frozen yogurt contain live active cultures or are they only in refrigerated yogurt?

A. No federal standards govern the production of frozen yogurt. Frozen yogurt is produced through a flash-freezing technique that should not kill live bacterial cultures, although there may be lower amounts in frozen compared to fresh yogurt. But some manufacturers heat-treat the yogurt, which kills the bacteria. (Manufacturers may also heat-treat refrigerated yogurt.)

The National Yogurt Association sponsors a voluntary labeling program for frozen yogurt. For live cultures, look for the Live and Active Cultures seal on containers of frozen (and refrigerated) yogurt.

Q. If I use one ladle of dressing from the salad bar, how much salad dressing is that?

A. Ladle sizes vary, so one ladle of dressing could be from 2-6 tablespoons. The 4-tablespoon size (¼-cup) is probably most common. Four tablespoons equals 2 standard servings, as listed on a food label. That much regular (not reduced-fat) dressing probably contains 100-280 calories and 20-28 grams of fat.

To get a better grasp on your salad dressing portion, lift the ladle out of the dressing and take a look at its size when empty. A ladle the size of a ping-pong ball or a short shot glass will give you 2 tablespoons. If it's bigger than that, make sure you only fill the ladle part way before serving your dressing.

Q. Is white chocolate a healthier choice than brown chocolate?

A. No. White chocolate is just as high in calories as brown chocolate and each ounce contains about an extra 1.5 grams of cholesterol-raising saturated fat. Furthermore, white chocolate lacks the antioxidant phytochemicals found in brown chocolate, especially in dark chocolate.

White chocolate does not contain caffeine, which may be important for people extremely sensitive to caffeine. (An ounce of milk chocolate has slightly more caffeine than a cup of decaffeinated coffee and dark chocolate has about the same as a cup of regular tea.)

No matter what kind of chocolate you eat, remember it's a concentrated source of calories, so enjoy a small amount and savor it.

Q. Does snacking tend to make weight control easier or harder?

A. It can do both. When you get hungry between meals and don't snack, it can hurt in the long run because when you finally get to eat, you may be so hungry that you quickly eat more than you need.

On the other hand, we sometimes forget how the calories in a series of small snacks through the day can add up. We often select snacks that we can get quickly, whether from a vending machine or cabinet. This can make snack choices likely to be high-calorie, low-nutrient foods. Ideally, snacks offer an opportunity to eat more of the nutrients and/or foods we might be lacking, such as: fruit or raw vegetables if you have trouble meeting the 5-10 recommended daily servings; a handful of whole-grain cereal or some whole grain crackers if your meals more often include refined grains; or yogurt or non-fat cappuccino if you are low on calcium sources.

The more important decision is not whether to snack, but if you choose to snack you should plan how you can select nutritious snacks, control portions and avoid snacking purely out of boredom.