America can be a land of opposites, contradictions and extremes. First time visitors to the country may sense that Americans are either eating to excess or always on a diet. In truth, the average America does have a sweet tooth which seems to favor rich desserts at the end of a full meal.
Ice creams with rich syrups, multi-layered cakes with thick icings and home-made pies topped with plenty of whipped cream are among the desserts favored over fresh fruit. Asians, who favor fresh fruit at the end of a meal, may find this custom of a sweet dessert a bit strange, but such a custom is a part of culture embedded in the lifestyle of mainstream America.

Fruit pies which are especially popular with Americans can come with a wide range of fillings. Cherry, blueberry, peach and apple are among the favorite choices. The pie is usually served warm with a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with a maraschino cherry. The warm taste of the pie mixed with the cool refreshment of the ice cream make this combination irresistible to the average American palate. This tempting dessert, known as pie a la mode, is hardly what anyone would consider to be a diet food and the calories add up. Yet, if a poll were taken today, most Americans would rank the fruit pie with all its caloric accessories very high on their list of favorite desserts.
After the careless self-indulgence of habitually eating sweet desserts after every main meal, a feeling of guilt emerges. The average American may find himself a bit wide of girth and in need of a change in his eating habits. Indeed, in recent years obesity has become one of the major health problems in America and the need to monitor one's diet has dictated a change of eating habits.

With the same eager appetite which appeased his sweet tooth, the average American may suddenly find himself substituting a container of yogurt in place of his favorite fruit pie. Yogurt, therefore, has become a popular substitute for those who want to reduce their caloric intake while appeasing their yearning for sweets. These containers of yogurt come in a variety of flavors. They are sweetened with a sugary fruity taste similar to the fillings found in pies. Yogurt falls into the category of a health food being low in fat and high in nutrition. Originally it was the food of early nomadic herdsmen from Asia and eastern Europe. Today it is a staple diet food in America. For some Americans a container of yogurt can be a meal in itself.

The fad for this health food became so furious a few years back that a soft ice cream made from yogurt was introduced and remains popular even today. It is served either in a cone or a cup and, with its sweetened taste, appeases every need for a healthy dessert. However, most nutritionists who recommend a container of yogurt over a slice of fruit pie, would agree that although it may be low in fat and better for one's health, it nevertheless remains rather high in calories when sweetened.