How to Pick a Healthy Yogurt (and Why You Should)

Yogurt has become a staple in a lot of homes in the past several years.  Moms view it as a healthy snack for kids.  So much so that the food industry came up with a variety of kid and lunch box friendly packaging ideas.  And then there are the folks who eat yogurt to lose weight usually leaning toward the low-fat, fruit flavored varieties.  And then there are the health-conscious Whole Foods shoppers who lean toward the Greek yogurt varieties. 

Even if you don’t fit one of these categories, there are some things you should know about yogurt if you are trying to be healthy (and who out there doesn’t want to be a little healthier). 

Real yogurt is made when fresh milk is fermented by adding bacteria to it.  Don’t get grossed out.  Those bacteria are really good for us.  The bacteria eat up the sugar in milk (lactose) and convert it to lactic acid which gives yogurt that tangy flavor and thickens the milk. 

Yogurt was probably discovered accidentally when herdsman stored their animals’ milk in containers usually made from animal stomachs.  The warm weather would curdle the milk, but ultimately, they found this useful since yogurt could be stored for longer periods than fresh milk.

What are the benefits of eating yogurt regularly?  Like milk, yogurt is a great source of protein and calcium.  In addition, yogurt with “live cultures” helps keep our guts supplied with healthy bacteria.  This is the same reason that you might take probiotics.  Think of it as getting your probiotics from food which is always preferable to a pill. And for those of you who don’t drink milk because you are lactose intolerant, you can usually tolerate yogurt without symptoms because most of the lactose has been consumed by the bacteria in the yogurt.

With the seemingly endless varieties of yogurts, how do you pick one that is truly healthy?  Look for the following:

1. Make sure it contains live cultures. Those are the healthy bacteria you are trying to get like you would from probiotics.
2. Make sure it does not qualify as a processed food. This is a big one and where most people make their yogurt buying mistakes.  Read the label!  It should not contain artificial or “natural” flavors.  And (this is really important) no added sugars or sweeteners.  Most of the kid friendly yogurts are going to fall into this category (sorry, Mom).  Some of these yogurts can contain as much sugar as a can of Coke. 
3. You do not have to go low-fat. If this is news to you, just know that the saturated fats found in dairy and animal meats are not necessarily bad for you.  Full fat (whole milk) yogurt will fill you up more than non-fat (because fat is filling).  In addition, some food producers will add extra carbs (sugars) to non-fat or low-fat yogurt to enhance the flavor (because fat is also flavorful). 
4. Read the label for protein content if you are trying to get a little more protein in your diet. Yogurts described as Greek yogurt tend to have a little more protein per serving. 
5. Add your own fruit. The fruit that is “on the bottom” can be laden with added sugars and it’s not fresh.  Add some fresh blueberries, strawberries, or peaches to your yogurt.

Plain Greek yogurt with blueberries and granola is a breakfast staple for me.  Yogurt is also a great snack for the mid-afternoon slump or when the kids get home from school.  Enjoy!