Greek yogurt has become very popular, but not all Greek yogurts are created equal. Yogurt is healthy for you and your digestive system, but some yogurts are far from the healthiest of foods. Here is how to find the healthiest yogurt and a list of some of the best and healthiest Greek yogurts.
Why is Greek Yogurt Healthy?
It gives you calcium, protein, and active live cultures, otherwise known as probiotics. These live active cultures are the good type of bacteria in our digestive system.
We have good and bad bacteria in our digestive system when there are more bad bacteria we can have digestive and stomach problems. Taking antibiotics will kill both the bad and the good bacteria, so yogurt can help restore the good gut bacteria.
- Having more good gut bacteria than bad bacteria in our digestive system can improve the immune system.
- It can lower the bad (LDL) cholesterol and raise the good HDL levels.
- Yogurt contains good amounts of the following vitamins and nutrients, iodine, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin B2, vitamin B5, vitamin B12, tryptophan, potassium, zinc and good amounts of protein.
- Some people who are lactose intolerance can eat it.
- Most if not all are gluten-free.
How Greek Yogurt is Made
Yogurt is made by adding certain live bacterial cultures to milk. This causes the milk’s lactose and sugar to turn into lactic acid during the fermentation process.
The two friendly and healthy (good) bacterial cultures that are added to the milk are Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. Some yogurts also add other beneficial bacteria like Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei.
Greek yogurt is made the same way but with an added process. After the fermentation process, the yogurt sits in cheesecloth which will then filters out the whey (the liquid). That gives it the great texture, thickness, and creaminess.
Greek yogurt is made the same way but with an added process. After the fermentation process, the yogurt sits in cheesecloth which will then filters out the whey (the liquid). That gives it the great texture, thickness, and creaminess.
Make Your Own Greek Yogurt
There are many other brands coming out all of the time and ingredients change over time. Always watch for changes in your favorite yogurt so they don't sneak in unwanted sugars, chemicals or artificial flavors.
You can also make your own yogurt at home, which is a lot of fun and you can control all of the ingredients. Instant pots have become very popular for making your own yogurt at home, and you can also buy a dedicated yogurt maker.
What to Look For in Healthy Yogurt
Look for yogurts that say “live active cultures” or “living yogurt cultures” or just “active cultures” and then a list of which cultures it has on their label.
All yogurts can contain as much as 80% of the daily recommended value for fat, so 2% or fat-free would be healthier.
According to Cynthia Sass, RD, and co-author of the best selling book The Flat Belly Diet, a healthy yogurt will have the following per 8 ounces (1 cup).
- No more than 200 calories
- 4 grams of total fat or less
- 20 grams of sugar or less. Yogurt with fruit will have more sugar than plain yogurts.
- At least 6 grams of protein
- At least 20% (2,000 mg) of the daily recommended value of calcium, I have noticed that many yogurts with fruit have about half of this amount of calcium.
Make sure you look at the size of the container and then do the math since these Greek yogurts come in various sizes.
The ingredients listed in a real and healthy Greek yogurt should look like this: Cultured pasteurized milk, skim or nonfat milk. Some also add cream. They all will say they contain live and active cultures and name which cultures.
Healthy Greek Yogurts
I have tasted a number of Greek yogurts over the years, here is a list of the ones I have found to be the best. Of course, a whole-milk yogurt will taste slightly better than 2%, but not much.
So 2% or fat-free would be the healthiest to buy and fits all or most of the above criteria.
- Fage (pronounced Fa-yeh) is my favorite Greek yogurt. It is the thickest and creamiest and the best taste. You can even substitute it for sour cream on a baked potato. Oikos made by Stonyfield is good tasting with a more mild taste than the Fage brand.
- Stonyfield organic Greek yogurt is made with 100% grass fed whole milk.
- Kite Hill makes a vegan Greek yogurt made with almond milk, and it is not bad for a healthy vegan Greek yogurt.
Conclusion
Greek yogurt is especially good and healthy. If you are used to and expecting a sweet candy like yogurt; that is not what you will get. Greek yogurt has become popular because of its thickness, creaminess and the taste plus the health benefits.
About the Author
Sam Montana is a certified Food Over Medicine instructor from the Wellness Forum Health Center and certified in optimal nutrition from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Copyright © September 2010-2018 Sam Montana
Sam Montana is a certified Food Over Medicine instructor from the Wellness Forum Health Center and certified in optimal nutrition from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Copyright © September 2010-2018 Sam Montana
References:
[1] Fooducate.com
