(redmangousa.com) – Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Dallas, Texas

How I heard of this place: I believe I first heard about Red Mango years ago when it opened in the University Village in Seattle’s University District. This may, however, have been my first taste of Red Mango.

Type of cuisine: “Red Mango is the very popular and fastest-growing retailer of all-natural nonfat frozen yogurt in the United States. Red Mango combines its refreshingly tango frozen yogurt with fresh and exciting toppings to create a nutritious dessert that be enjoyed all day. The result is an extremely satisfying, one-of-a-kind sensation that is irresistably  delicious and undeniably nutritious.” Frozen yogurt. Toppings. Create your own.

Ambiance: “Red Mango stores are stylish, comfortable, and uplifting desinations for today’s active, health-conscious consumer who wants to eat well, look and feel good.” In an airport, however, you are lucky to get seating directly outside the store. Here, a Red Mango booth hosts the hoards of passengers awaiting their delayed flights on American Airlines. The small establishment offers a mini fridge of Naked juices, KIND granola bars on the glass display case giving way to all of the fruit and nut toppings, including chocolate sprinkles and coconut, and an array of fresh fruit (apples, bananas and oranges) at the far end of the counter/register. Simple. No frills. Just a line of eager people awaiting their “nutritious” afternoon sweet treat.

What I ordered: We were bumped off of our American Airlines flight and offered travel vouchers, which we gladly accepted. For our two-hour delay, I requested a meal voucher, and was offered $24 to spend on food at the DFW airport! having packed our Einstein Bagel sandwiches (with Pepperjack cheese and mortadella), we were not hungry for fast food. Instead, not wanting the voucher to go to waste, we purchased CLIF bars, Luna bars and Naked juices for our trip and our week ahead. Despite the over-priced fare of the small array of our selection, we still had just over $6 to spend and I was steered towards the Red Mango Parfaits, “they are really good!“. “Red Mango wanted to give our customers a healthy, quick lunch option. This nutritional meal replacement bolsters your immune system with Red Mango’s probiotic packed yogurt that features GanedenBC30.” Between the two flavors: Mixed Berry (strawberries, banana, blueberries, organic granola and Red Mango’s Original frozen yogurt) or Tropical (mango, banana, pineapple, organic granola and the Original frozen yogurt), I selected the Mixed Berry, which took us to just $0.60-$0.70 short of our full meal voucher.

What I loved: I loved the fresh fruit most of all! The slightly tangy yogurt, too, was a nice addition to the sweetness of the fresh-cut berries and banana.

Why I loved it: It was free.

Cost: Average to high ($5 – $6 per yogurt concoction)

Hand cut sweet potato chips. Sweet and crispy with a touch of chile. Colorful as the Southwest.