For quite a while now yogurt [[ and specifically greek yogurt ]] has been getting a lot of attention from anyone trying to make some healthier choices … yet it seems like theres still a lot of confusion about whether or not it really is a healthy snack choice.
So I decided to start looking into the different kinds of yogurts and figure out what makes one healthier than the other and what brands/ ingredients to watch out for … and as usual it’s never that simple …
There are so many yogurts out there marketing themselves in deceiving ways that it has become hard to separate the good from the bad … but there are some main things you need to watch out for.
But first … what exactly is the difference between Greek Yogurt and the regular yogurt we all grew up with ??
Wellll …. First greek yogurt has been strained to remove the whey [[ the remaining liquid after the milk has curdled ]] which is why greek yogurt is so much thicker than regular yogurt … this process also results in greek yogurt typically having half the sugar and half the carbs as regular yogurt … so far sounds great right ???
Not so fast …
Unfortunately [[ unlike with regular yogurt ]] the FDA isn’t monitoring greek yogurt … so it’s very possible that your “greek yogurt” isn’t made the traditional way.
This is when it become SUPER important to start reading labels !!
Some companies will change the process and add additional ingredients and still call it greek yogurt. Often these additional ingredients are thickening agents [[ modified corn starch, guar gum or carrageen ]] and added protein [[ whey concentrates ]].
Ummmmm no thank you!
So definitely look at the ingredient list … main ingredients should be milk & live active cultures .
Soo … next issue ??
Flavored greek yogurt … hmmm..
Well first it’s always better to choose the plain one … Choosing a flavored one often mean an increase in sugar content.
Try adding some honey or freshly cut fruit … My favorite is mashing up some fresh raspberries and mixing it in.
[[ ^ mash up raspberries !! ]]
mix in some plain Greek yogurt [[ I used Chobani ]]
[[ add some banana / cinnamon / honey & you’re done ! ]]
Now one of the best things about Greek Yogurt is it typically has double the protein as regular yogurt … but it’s still so important to read labels … Opt for the low-fat / no-fat version … Avoid added sugars … Try to always choose to plain flavor … And keep an eye out for Live & Active Culture [[ LAC ]] seal.
This seal means that there are more than 100 million bacterial cultures per gram at the time of manufacturing … and this is a good thing.
So to sum this up …
The Good
- Double the Protein [[ means longer full feeling ]]
- Half the Sugar
- Half the Carbs
- Half the Sodium
- Can replace other creamy/fatty ingredients in recipes [[ aka forget the mayo !! ]]
The Bad
- Can still be high in Fat & Calories
- Not monitored by FDA
- Fruit Flavors typically mean added sugar
Soo… go pick up some greek yogurt !! Just make sure you read those labels !
RB
The Daily Battle 