Advertisements

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Free Food & Nutrition Email Newsletter
Cooking tips, nutrition news, and incredible, healthy recipes anyone can make.

Recipe Finder

A Cultural Revolution: How to Choose a Healthy Cup of Yogurt

By Julie Upton
Nutrition
julie-upton

I was staying at a friend’s house recently and she showed me her new favorite snack—the Greek Gods honey yogurt. It was rich and creamy alright, but it packed in 250 calories plus half the saturated fat that she needed in a day.

I explained to her that Greek yogurt is strained and should be thick and creamy, but choosing nonfat or low-fat varieties will provide all the creamy flavor without all the heart-stopping saturated fat.

When I went to the supermarket last week to find the Greek Gods for myself, I noticed how many new brands were in the refrigerator. There are now several brands of Greek-style yogurt, as well as Swiss, Australian, and even Icelandic yogurt. There are nonfat, low-fat, full-fat, organic, and conventional cultures.

greek-yogurt-choose

Istockphoto

To make sense of the explosion of cultures at the supermarket, here are tips for choosing a healthier cup.

  • When comparing nutrition information, make note of the serving size. Single-serving yogurt containers range in size from 4- to 8-ounce cups, but 6 ounces is generally the standard.
  • All yogurts are good or excellent sources of calcium, but calories, protein, sugar, and fat content varies significantly. Plain will always have less sugar and calories than flavored varieties. You can always add fruit, nuts, or a bit of honey to add some sweetness.
  • Greek yogurt is strained so the whey (liquid) is removed, resulting in a yogurt that has twice the protein and less sugar than unstrained varieties. It can be used in cooking and as a replacement for mayonnaise and sour cream in dips.

Here’s a chart of the common varieties. I indicated sugar in teaspoons so you imagine dropping that much in your container. And just to put things in perspective, the American Heart Association recommends no more than 6 teaspoons of added sugar for women and 9 teaspoons for men. Those indicated in bold are your best bets.

Yogurt (6 oz.) Calories Fat Saturated fat Sugars (tsp) Protein
Brown Cow All Natural Greek Yogurt 0% Fat Vanilla 125 0 0 3 16
Brown Cow Chocolate Cream Top 200 7 3.5 7.25 6
Chobani Greek Yogurt Nonfat Strawberry 140 0 0 4.75 14
Clover Organic Cream on Top Strawberry 180 6 3.5 6 5
Emmi Swiss Premium Low-Fat Yogurt Strawberry 170 3 2 6.75 8
Fage Total 0% Nonfat Greek Yogurt Plain 90 0 0 1.5 15
Stonyfield Organic Oikos 0% Organic Greek Yogurt Plain 90 0 0 1.75 17
Siggi’s Icelandic Style Skyr Nonfat Yogurt Plain 120 0 0 1 17
Voskos Greek Yogurt Exotic Fig 180 0 0 5.5 12
Wallaby Organic Australian Style Low-Fat Yogurt Peach 140 2.5 1.5 4.75 7
Share This Email This
All Health.com Blogs

Advertisement


WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Heart Health News and Insights
Sign up for a free weekly email with our most up-to-date information.

Advertisement

About this Blog

Who said healthy eating needs to be boring? Our focus at Health is eating delicious, fresh, whole foods to achieve your ideal weight. We also strive to bring you the best, most reliable and up to date information on new changes and studies in nutrition and health. Eating healthy is an important component to living a long and healthy life. But what we want you to understand is that any healthy diet also allows for some indulgence. Although changing your lifestyle can be challenging, we are here as your personal resource, only a click away from great answers about nutrition and cooking.

RSS Feed Follow Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter

Advertisement

Close
  • Social Web
  • E-mail
Site powered by WordPress.com VIP