Packed with protein, crammed with calcium, popping with probiotics, yogurt has all the makings of the best weight loss foods.
But tread ye carefully in the aisle of the fermented milk products; manufacturers have a knack for cramming as much sugar and artificial ingredients into yogurt pots as they do candy bars as we found out doing research for Eat This, Not That!. The next time you find yourself discombobulated in the dairy section, refer to this handy guide for stocking up and still losing weight.
If You Like Vanilla Varieties
Eat This: Siggi’s Icelandic Style Strained Non-Fat Yogurt, Vanilla
Not That: Yoplait Thick and Creamy Yogurt, Vanilla
Not just great-tasting, Siggi’s is one of the lowest sugar vanilla yogurts on the market. The Icelandic yogurt is strained like Greek varieties, which also ups the protein content. However, Yoplait’s vanilla yogurt has four times as much sugar as protein. At 28 grams per container, you’re looking at more sugar than you’ll find in seven Dunkin’ Donuts Sugar Raised donuts!
If You Prefer a Peachy Parfait
Eat This: Kalona Super Natural Organic 2% Yogurt, Peach
Not That: Dannon Fruit on the Bottom Yogurt, Peach
Made from all natural ingredients and organic, grass-fed, non-homogenized milk, Kalona is as much a treat for your tastebuds as it is for your health! However, “Fruit on the Bottom” often means “sugar on the top.” This variety has 27 grams of the sweet stuff—more sugar than you’ll find in two McDonald’s apple pies!
If You’re Looking for an Indulgent Mix-In
Eat This: Yo Crunch Low-Fat Yogurt, Vanilla with Chips Ahoy® Cookie Pieces
Not That: Chobani Greek Yogurt Flip, Almond Coco Loco
This yogurt is impressively low cal for a cookie-strewn treat. While it does have a bit more sugar than we’d ideally like to see it’s relatively low when you compare it to the competition. Save 120 calories and 5 grams of sugar by picking YoCrunch over Chobani. While the majority of the extra calories and fat in Chobani’s breakfast treat come from the almonds, the chunks of chocolate and coconut flavored yogurt are loaded with sugar. Doesn’t matter which option you ultimately choose, these chocolate and candy-filled yogurts should only be once and awhile treats— not daily dishes.
If You Like Chocolate Varieties
Eat This: Chobani Greek Yogurt, Chocolate Dust
Not That: Yoplait Whips!, Chocolate Mousse
When it comes to indulgences, it’s all about portion control. Chobani hits the nail on the head with this kid-sized chocolaty bend. You could eat more than three of these 2-ounce containers of yogurt before you’d take in the sugar-equivalent of Yoplait’s similar variety. How Yoplait packs so many calories and sugar in such a small container, we may never know. A half cup of chocolate soft serve actually has less sugar than this yogurt, and wouldn’t you rather just have that? We know we would.
If You Want Something Savory
Eat This: Blue Hill All Natural Yogurt, Butternut Squash
Not That: Chobani Greek Yogurt, Pumpkin Spice
Most flavored yogurts turn to fruits and desserts for inspiration but savory yogurts are starting to shake up the food scene. Blue Hill gets in on the trend while keeping sugar and calories in check. While Chobani’s savory yogurt isn’t too awful, it does have twice the amount of the sugar of Blue Hill’s which is why we place it on the “Not That” side of our list.
If You Want a Touch of Honey
Eat This: Dannon Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt, Honey
Not That: Fage Total 0% Greek Yogurt, Honey
Kudos to Oikos for using honey to turn this into a lightly sweetened treat without making it a sugar-packed breakfast blunder. Plus, it’s bursting with 13 grams of hunger-busting protein, and we totally love that! However, bite for bite Fage’s, honey sweetened yogurt has more calories and sugar than Oikos’. Plus, it’s the sugar equivalent of 11 hershey Kisses, making it a definite “Not That!”
If You Need a Lactose-Free Yogurt
Eat This: Lifeaway Low-fat Kefir, Cherry
Not That: Yoplait Lactose Free, Cherry
Kefer is 99 percent lactose free, making it a great yogurt alternative for most intolerant individuals. Plus, this it’s easy to eat on the go, loaded with 11 grams of protein and has more probiotic bacteria than traditional yogurts. We overlook the slightly high sugar count because the drink is low in calories and serves up so many additional health benefits. On the other hand, while Yoplait Lactose Free lacks the lactate that upsets your stomach, it doesn’t bring any other nutritional benefits to the table. Packed with more sugar and less than half the protein in Lifeway’s smoothie, this container is better left on supermarket shelves.
If You Prefer Things Plain Jane
Eat This:Fage Total 2% Greek Yogurt, Plain
Not That: Greek Gods Non-Fat Greek Yogurt, Plain
Not just creamier and more delicious than the nonfat variety, the little bit of milkfat in 2% Fage allows your body to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins in the yogurt. Plus, you can’t get a much purer ingredient list than this: milk, cream, and cultures (oh my!). Greek Gods, on the other hand? A plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt with more sugar than protein? No thank you.
If You’re Cutting Back on Fat
Eat This! Chobani Simply 100 Greek Yogurt, Blueberry
Not That: Dannon Light & Fit Yogurt, Strawberry Cheesecake
It’s rare to find a fruit-flavored yogurt with more protein than sugar. This one’s also gluten-free, kosher, and free of artificial ingredients. Dannon Light & Fit, however, features fructose on the ingredient list twice, along with Sucralose, aspartame and artificial coloring. If you have to search for any mention of actual fruit on the label of a fruit yogurt, leave it on the shelf!
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