How to choose a good Greek yoghurt

Most people agree Greek yoghurt is a healthy food. With so many options available in supermarkets, it is useful to know how to choose a good Greek yoghurt.

What is Greek yoghurt

Greek yoghurt has become synonymous with either:

• The best option in the yoghurt aisle
• The disgustingly sour yoghurt you should eat to be healthy

According to Dairy Australia, Greek yoghurt is “a denser type of yoghurt that is made by straining whey from the yoghurt curd to give it a thicker and creamier consistency and a distinctive tangy taste” (1).

The word “style” in Greek-style yoghurt serves the same function as it does in other food products. It indicates a product that resembles the “real thing” but does not quite meet the same requirements. In this case, the thickness in Greek-style yoghurts is usually achieved by adding milk solids and/or thickeners.

But here is the catch: milk solids (a.k.a. milk powder) can also be added to products labelled as “Greek” because there are no regulations for the naming of yoghurts in this country. Many (but not all) high protein yoghurts also have added milk solids.

For simplicity sake we will call all yoghurts Greek regardless of what the label says.

How to choose a good Greek yoghurt

Protein

If you follow any type of nutrition advice, you might have heard that “Greek yoghurt is a great protein source”. Yes, but. It depends on the yoghurt, it depends on how much yoghurt and it depends on what else you are eating it with.

Many of my patients report using 1-2 dessert spoons of yoghurt with their cereal and fruit as their protein source for breakfast. Depending on the size or their dollops, this can be anywhere from 30 to 40g. Depending on their choice of yoghurt, this can be anywhere between 0.99 to 4.16 grams of protein. Not much!

The table below shows the energy and protein per 100g of many Greek yoghurts available in Australia.

The top 5 yoghurts based on protein content are:

✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️ Evia Greek Skim Natural

✔️✔️✔️✔️ Moo PRO Greek Style

✔️✔️✔️ Woolworths High Protein Plain

✔️✔️ Evia Greek Natural

✔️ Coles Perform High Protein Greek

The bottom 5 yoghurts based on protein content are:

❌ Chris’ Heritage Pot Set Greek

❌❌ Farmers Union Greek Style Natural

❌❌❌ Five:Am Organic Greek Style

❌❌❌❌ Lyttos Greek Style

❌❌❌❌❌ Jalna Greek Style

Calcium

Yoghurt and other dairy foods are the highest food sources of calcium. Adequate calcium intake is one important factor for bone health, and there are studies that fermented dairy products are more protective against fractures than non-fermented ones.

The table below shows the energy and calcium per 100g of many Greek yoghurts available in Australia.

The top 5 yoghurts based on calcium content are:

✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️ Farmers Union Greek Style High Protein

✔️✔️✔️✔️ Moo PRO Greek Style

✔️✔️✔️ Coles Light Greek Style

✔️✔️ Lyttos Greek Style Light

✔️ Coles Greek Style Natural

The bottom 5 yoghurts based on protein content are:

❌ Chobani Greek Natural Light Plain

❌❌ Five:Am Organic Greek Style

❌❌❌ Jalna Greek Style

❌❌❌❌ Lyttos Greek Style

❌❌❌❌❌ Chobani Greek Natural Whole Milk

Ingredients

Generally speaking, the fewer ingredients the better. However, in products that have few ingredients by definition, it is better to have a closer look at actual ingredients, not just the number. Any Greek yoghurt that contains sugar is, in my opinion, not a great choice.

Skim milk vs whole milk

Yoghurts made with whole milk will, most of the time, be higher in energy than those made with skim milk because of the energy from fat. However, many yoghurts are made with milk and cream, so it pays to check the actual fat content (more on this later).

The graph below shows which yoghurts are made with skim vs whole milk.

Just milk vs milk + solids

Adding milk solids to a yoghurt is a way to improve consistency (making the yoghurt thicker) and protein. You can consider it cheating if you wish, but it serves a purpose. The disadvantage is that adding milk solids also alters the mouthfeel of the final product, often making it chalky.

The graph below shows which yoghurts are made with just milk vs milk + milk solids.

Enzyme

The only yoghurt with added enzyme (lactase) from the sample I analysed is Moo PRO Greek Style. Adding enzyme makes the lactose content lower, making it easier to digest for people who are lactose intolerant.

If you are lactose intolerant you may be able to tolerate regular yoghurt (i.e. not lactose-free nor containing enzyme) because the fermentation process breaks down some of the lactose. You can also add a lactase pill to regular yoghurt to break down the lactose in it.

Thickener

The only yoghurt with added enzyme (lactase) from the sample I analysed is Coles Light Greek Style. Thickener is not normally a problem unless you are sensitive to additives. This serves the purpose of improving the texture of the yoghurt without relying on fat, which is great for people who want to improve body composition.

Fat

The fat content in the yoghurt will drive the energy (i.e. calories) up, which can be significant if you are trying to improve your body composition. In addition, a higher saturated fat content can be an issue for people with high cholesterol levels.

The table below shows the total and saturated fat per 100g of many Greek yoghurts available in Australia.

Other considerations

Most of us do not eat food for nutrition alone. Besides protein, calcium and fat content, you need to consider:

Availability

Availability of yoghurt goes up and down depending on actual supply but also demand, these days heavily influenced by social media. The good news is that yoghurt is a fermented product and thus has a longer shelf life than plain milk. Therefore, you can stock up to a few weeks’ worth of yoghurt when you can get hold of it.

Preference

If you do not like a yoghurt, it does not matter how healthy it is, you are not going to eat it. As a personal example, Moo PRO yoghurt scores really high in terms of protein, calcium and energy, however I do not like it.

Price

If money is tight, choose the yoghurt that works for your budget.

References

1. Dairy Australia. Yoghurt: The Science Behind the Health Benefits [Internet]. 2020. Available from: https://dair-p-001.sitecorecontenthub.cloud/api/public/content/5570235d47284fe689f03cd2500874bf?v=47809f06