Get Cultured on Yogurt
A Bite-Size Read for Your Health and Your Waistline
Yogurt: some people love it, some people hate it. It’s one of those foods that can also be a total trap — it is marketed to us as healthy and a great choice, but the truth is that’s not necessarily the case. Some studies show that yogurt is incredibly healthy and other studies have refuted the connection between yogurt and good health.
Here’s a True or False on Yogurt
1. [Yogurt is a great source of probiotics.] False! While probiotics naturally occur in fermented food and yogurt can be fermented, most are not. Most yogurt is pasteurized and sometimes probiotics are added later. Additionally, because dairy can be pro-inflammatory, you may not get the probiotic benefit you’re looking for. In short, you’re better off eating a variety of vegetables and fruits with sufficient fiber and some fermented foods to have the best gut environment.
2. [Yogurt is gluten free.] True-ish! Gluten is the protein found in grains. Last I checked, milk wasn’t a grain, so inherently milk, and therefore yogurt, should be gluten free. Right? However, when it comes to yogurts, sometimes grains or gluten will be added as a thickening agent. So pay attention to the labels.
3. [Yogurt is a great source of calcium.] False! On average, plain nonfat Greek yogurt has about 187 mg of calcium. Comparing this to some other foods, a cup of spinach has 240 mg, a cup of broccoli has 180 mg, a cup of figs has 300 mg. So, when we start to compare yogurt to other sources of calcium, yogurt is not a “must eat everyday” food.
4. [Buy fat free yogurt.] False! While it’s true, dairy isn’t our best source of fat, we are better off choosing the low fat option. Usually the fat free option has more sugar because when we remove the fat, it concentrates the sugar by volume. This is in regards to lactose, the sugar naturally found in dairy. When it comes to added sugar, beware! Read the label. Flavored yogurts can have tons of sugar added to them. By reading the label we can find out how much sugar is naturally occurring and how much is added. When reading the ingredients look for words like sugar and syrup. Choose the one with as little added sugar as possible and the small amount of fat can help blunt the impact of the naturally occurring lactose. If you’re lactose intolerant, you may want to stay away from yogurt altogether.
5. [Yogurt coating is healthier than other options.] False! Foods that say they have yogurt coating, like cereals, protein bars or candy bars that read “made with real yogurt,” might not be. Their candy coating might be made from whey powder, yogurt powder, sugar and hydrogenated oils. Basically, all things that are not real yogurt.
6. [Greek yogurt is better for you.] True! Provided it is actually Greek yogurt and not “Greek-style” it tends to have more protein than regular yogurt. Here’s a quick comparison: Dannon Light + Fit Vanilla versus Fage 2% Plain Greek Yogurt. Dannon Light + Fit Vanilla has 4g of added sugar (cane sugar was the fourth ingredient) in a 150g serving. The 2% Greek yogurt has a 200g serving and zero added sugar. Looking at protein, Dannon Light + Fit Vanilla had 5g of protein in the150g serving — less than an ounce of cooked meat or less than an egg whites worth of protein. The 2% Greek yogurt, 200g serving, had 17–20g of protein. That’s almost 3oz of protein instead of almost one. That’s a dramatic difference when it comes to building a meal!
If we’re going to eat yogurt, how do we eat it?
Eat low fat plain Greek yogurt, add your own fruit, and round out the meal with some nuts for some healthy fat and a little bit more protein. Remember, read the label for sugar, protein, fat and the ingredients. A bonus, a pro tip: whenever possible, look for “RBGH-Free’’ labels, meaning that the cows were not pumped full of bovine growth hormone (RBGH), which in the human body can increase an insulin like growth factor called IGF-1, and when IGF-1 is high, it’s connected to heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other health challenges. So choose organic!
You can use it in a smoothie as a thickener. You could even mix it with nutritional yeast or avocado to make a dip. You could use Greek yogurt in baking, instead of butter or oil. You can use it instead of sour cream on a baked potato and make a creamy salad dressing with it. Get creative! Take your yogurt sweet or savory. If you’re going to have yogurt, milk it for all its worth!
