Greek yogurt brands
Regular and Greek yogurt are both fermented dairy products, but Greek yogurt is strained to make it much thicker and tangier than regular yogurt.īoth yogurts are also an excellent source of magnesium, vitamin B12, and iodine ( 6).Īs you can see, Greek yogurt contains about half the carbs and sugar as regular yogurt while packing almost twice as much protein. It’s also generally more expensive since it requires more milk. Some companies may use thickening agents or other dry ingredients, in which case the final product is referred to as fortified or Greek-style yogurt ( 3).īecause most of the liquid is removed, Greek yogurt is much thicker and tangier than regular yogurt.
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Modern production methods use centrifuges to achieve the same effect.
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Traditionally, the yogurt is strained in cloth bags up to three times until it reaches the desired texture. Greek yogurt, also known as concentrated or strained yogurt, is made by eliminating the whey and other liquids from regular yogurt ( 3).īecause the straining process reduces the total volume, Greek yogurt takes significantly more milk than regular yogurt to make a batch of the same size. Still, it’s generally sweeter than Greek yogurt. Most yogurts are either drinkable or can be eaten with a spoon.ĭue to its acidic nature, plain yogurt may taste slightly sour. The final product has a smooth consistency but may vary in thickness. After it cools, other ingredients like fruit may be added ( 1). Regular yogurt is made by heating milk, adding bacteria, and leaving it to ferment until it reaches an acidic pH of about 4.5. Yet, their taste and nutrients differ due to how they’re made.
GREEK YOGURT BRANDS PLUS
In fact, both regular and Greek yogurt are made with the same main ingredients - fresh milk, plus Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus as starter cultures ( 2). Ready to find your new favorite yogurt brand? Ahead, we rounded up the healthiest picks, from plain Greek yogurts to sweeter, dessert-like varieties.Regular and Greek yogurt are cultured (or fermented) dairy products, along with sour cream, buttermilk, and kefir.įermented dairy products are made by converting lactose - milk’s naturally occurring sugar - into lactic acid by using certain bacteria, also called starter cultures ( 1). But both Langer and Harris-Pincus agree that choosing a strained yogurt brand, like a Greek yogurt, can boost that number significantly-which can ultimately help you stay fuller for longer. ✔️ Pump up the protein: For cow’s milk yogurt, Langer suggests aiming for a minimum of 5 grams of protein per serving. The option you choose really depends on what you’re looking for in consistency, taste, and nutrition. Langer, meanwhile, opts for 2 to 4% percent milkfat yogurts, because she prefers the creaminess and satiety that a higher-fat yogurt offers. ✔️ Look at the fat: Harris-Pincus enjoys non-fat yogurt varieties and adds her own mix of satisfying toppings, such as fiber-rich fruits, as well as seeds and nuts to boost the healthy fat content. (Our picks below hover around 10 grams of sugar or less.) Many yogurts can hit way beyond 20 grams per serving, she warns. ✔️ Cap the sugar: Harris-Pincus notes that the American Heart Association recommends limiting daily sugar to 24 grams for women and 36 grams for men. “It really should be the milk, active cultures, and sometimes there’s added vitamins depending on what the brand chooses to do,” says Harris-Pincus.
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✔️ Pay attention to ingredients: This list should be short.
GREEK YOGURT BRANDS HOW TO
How to choose the healthiest yogurt brand “Yogurt, as a fermented food, has live cultures in it to populate the healthy bacteria in our gut.”Īs a bonus, most yogurts are also a great source of calcium and vitamin D, which can be tricky to find naturally in foods, Harris-Pincus adds. “The more and more we learn, we see that so much of our health is related to the health of our gut,” says Lauren Harris-Pincus, M.S., R.D.N., author of The Protein-Packed Breakfast Club. That’s because it’s rich in protein and high in probiotics, the good bugs that are essential to gut health.
GREEK YOGURT BRANDS FULL
Whether you mix plain yogurt into a delicious spinach and yogurt dip or top a bowl full with berries and homemade granola, yogurt is a super versatile food, says Abby Langer R.D., owner of Abby Langer Nutrition and author of Good Food, Bad Diet. From dairy-free yogurts and Greek yogurts, to fruit-flavored varieties that taste like dessert, the options are pretty endless. Head to your local supermarket’s dairy department and you’ll find hundreds of yogurt brands to choose from.