I Have Become an Orange Leaf Yogurt Addict and Judging from the Crowds Packing the New Ocoee, Florida Location...I am Not Alone!

My girls and I kept waiting for weeks to see what this new "Soon to Open"  Orange Leaf place in Ocoee was all about.

 When it opened to a standing room only crowd, we couldn't fit inside so we had to wait a couple of weeks.  When we finally went inside we found out that Orange Leaf provides a healthy, yummy frozen indulgence served from a soft-serve machine (that my kids love to use) with multiple choices of flavors and toppings and ALL PEANUT FREE...Ummm, did I say I wish I would have thought of this but in a totally organic version?

I really love the way eating at Orange Leaf feels like a fun experience instead of work. Orange Leaf uses a system that is new to the food and beverage service industry by providing frozen yogurt in a convenient and attractive way giving ultimate pleasure to their customers.

I am big on being served when I go out to grab a bite to eat (which is one of my fav things to do)...

But my girls and I actually have fun creating our personalized treats!

BTW...My Kids Brighten My World.  They love it when I wear this T.  I have been reduced to wearing cheesy T's to make my girlies happy!!  sigh ;)

It seems pretty clear that some of the Orange Leaf toppings (although certainly not all) are pretty unhealthy...gummy bears (which should be supplied by our favorite dads at Yummy Earth), Skittles, cheescake, Snickers pieces and more!  Still I wondered if the yogurt was healthy...

Who knew there were actually all of these health benefits from eating yogurt at Orange Leaf!  Plus, they offer all low fat, non-fat and even a non-dairy Vegan option!!  Not sure about the Xylitol in the sugar free versions though.  Some say it is
not only a safe, natural sweetener without the bad side-effects of sugar and artificial substitutes, it's also good for your teeth, stabilizes insulin and hormone levels and promotes good health.  Others say it gives them a little belly ache.  I say good for O.L. for not using aspartame but I go for the sugar when I am splurging on sweets!!

We all love this cool collage about living the Orlando Lifestyle they commissioned for the wall!  Surprised this location and even their HQ doesn't have any Facebook Fan Pages yet and they aren't even on Twitter!!  They would have a ton of fans and I hear people talking about them all of the time...we need a place to share our love right?  Various locations have Fan Pages and Tweet, but the HQ and Ocoee are social media mutes as far as I can tell.  Get with it Orange Leaf! People are talking and you need to be involved in the convo!! 

My favorite indulgence...Non Fat Pomegranate with fresh raspberries (are they organic? Not sure but they should be for the price we pay per oz.!!) and absolutely delicious, tiny chocolate cups full of caramel...totally green right?  NOT! If you are vegan, they do have a non-dairy choice too!  Be sure to join their discount club cuz I think you will love Orange Leaf as much as we do...enjoy!! To find a location in your area visit the Orange Leaf Site. :)

8/27/2010 Update - The owners of the Ocoee location, Larry and Renee Pitt, stopped by our blog (see comments) and wanted to give us an update...
"Thanks for your great blog about Orange Leaf. We do have a fan page - Orange Leaf - Orlando. Come join us. You can also join our VIP text message club by sending the message OLEAF to 69050."
Cool thanks! :)

7-17-12 Update - It has been a couple of years sice I wrote this post and in that time, I have become aware of some of the health risks associated  with ingesting high amounts of artificial colors and flavors.  That said, I do allow my children to eat Orange Leaf and other processed foods on occasion.  If you are looking for the ingredient list for Orange Leaf yogurts, please check out Nick's comment below.  :)

P.S.- I am really glad that you stopped by our Environmental Booty Blog and I hope you have learned or shared a thing or two.  I hope that , now that you've found us,  you won't lose us!  You can join our green living online community, subscribe to our posts,  download our community toolbar or Come Shop with Me to stay in touch!  Whatever you do, just remember that our future depends on our knowledge and actions.  The choices you make today will change your health and the health of our world tomorrow.  Together we CAN find the path that leads to a greener, more sustainable future.
Peace, Love and Eco- Shane