While malt shops and ice cream parlors may have been all-the-rage in the 1950s, today a new iced treat is spreading across the nation: frozen yogurt.

Within the past few months, a new frozen yogurt shop has opened in St. Louis Park. Park Yogurt, located across from the high school stadium, opened Sept. 6.

A large portion of yogurt shops have a create-your-own yogurt bar where customers can add as much yogurt as they wish to their dish and are able to increase the amount of toppings and flavors to suit their preference, according to Park Yogurt’s owner, Nancy Pettit.

Junior Joe Simmons said he enjoys customizing his own dish at these types of shops.

“There are always a bunch of options available,” he said. “It’s fun to play around with the different flavors and toppings.”

According to registered dietician at the University of Minnesota Kristin DeMuth, many people associate frozen yogurt as providing a much healthier alternative to other frozen treats such as ice cream. However, she said it is important to pay attention to the nutritional information such as serving size, grams of sugar and the amount of saturated fat.

“While it may seem like a healthier option, many varieties of frozen yogurt are still high in added sugar,” DeMuth said. “My recommendation is that these foods be consumed as an occasional treat and not as a health food.”

However, Pettit said she strives to make sure Park Yogurt provides a healthy experience for its customers.

“It is nonfat or low fat, cholesterol free, Kosher and gluten free,” she said. “We also serve delicious no-sugar-added flavors and sorbets that are dairy free for people who are lactose intolerant.”

In addition to its nutritional benefits, Pettit said she believes there are multiple reasons why frozen yogurt is becoming a trend among teenagers.

“It’s healthy, it tastes great and you as the customer are able to create your own design,” she said. “You are able to make it any way you want to. This is the aspect most kids love.”