Bring Back Real Frozen Yogurt

It has been nearly a year since the much-beloved frozen yogurt that graced Harvard’s undergraduate dining halls was replaced by Oatly soft serve, a vegan alternative.

They say time heals all wounds, but as a new semester begins, I am far from alone in saying I still feel this one, and the stakes are higher than mere preference.

The necessity of adequate dining access for students with dietary restrictions is not lost on me. Far too many students with dietary restrictions find themselves struggling to find enough options for what to eat.

On any given day, nearly 80 percent of U.S. adults consume some dairy, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s no exaggeration to say that dairy is a foundational part of our culture and cuisine as a nation. But America’s widespread dairy consumption appears lost on administrators.

Furthermore, dairy is a fundamental nutritional need. Guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture highlights dairy’s health benefits for people of all ages, among them bone strength and nutrient intake.

Alarmingly, over 90 percent of Americans fail to consume enough dairy, according to the USDA. We need all the help we can get. And Harvard University Dining Services isn’t helping by depriving us of one of our most coveted dairy sources — dessert.

Oatly is not a suitable replacement for dairy-based frozen yogurt. Oat milk does not contain the same nutrients as cow’s milk, which is rich in calcium; vitamins A, D, and B12; potassium; and many others. It’s true that dairy is not the only source of nutrients like calcium (think juices, fish, and greens), and there are still other dairy products in the dining halls, including liquid milk and yogurt. However, students who finished meals with real frozen yogurt (pre-discontinuation) reaped its nutritional benefits as a matter of habit, without having to think twice. The existence of other nutrient sources and even other forms of dairy does not negate the fact that depriving us of this choice is to our detriment.

Beyond the nutritional differences, I need not convince any reader that has tasted Oatly that the product is no replacement for real frozen yogurt. Oatly tastes of, well, oats. Real frozen yogurt is, by comparison, actually palatable.

I respect and understand the choice or need for some students to consume Oatly. Likewise, I ask that HUDS respect and understand the desire of a far more numerous group to consume real frozen yogurt made with dairy.

There are means by which HUDS can expand dining options for students with dietary restrictions — including those who don’t consume dairy products — without stripping the best options away from the majority of students without such restrictions.

HUDS could procure single-serving cups of Oatly or other plant-based dessert alternatives for students who don’t consume dairy, providing inclusive dining options without depriving the vast majority of the real deal.

And frozen yogurt may only be the beginning. Over the course of the past two years, I have watched as alternative options such as plant-based “bolognese sauce” and vegan “macaroni and cheese” have become more and more prevalent.

This isn’t to say that we should do away with these new options, or that they’re crowding out non-vegan options en masse at present. My point is precisely that we shouldn’t be doing away with any options. Expanding choices for vegans, vegetarians, and students with other dietary restrictions is not a zero-sum game. Providing more inclusive options is a noble and worthy goal that need not come at the expense of students without dietary restrictions.

HUDS can have its cake and eat it too by serving plant-based alternatives alongside traditional meat or dairy-based items. There is room enough in the dining hall for options that appeal to and include everyone — if only HUDS would resolve its bureaucratic inefficiencies with offerings beneficial to all, not just some.

Ian M. Moore ’26, a Crimson Editorial editor, is an Applied Mathematics concentrator in Quincy House.