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Which yogurt to choose from?--A yogurt overview

Updated: 2006-08-28 13:50

Many consumers are overwhelmed by the variety of yogurt products available on the dairy shelves. A reader recently asked in our free nutrition forum which yogurt to choose while shopping at the grocery store. My answer is: It depends.

If you eat yogurt to supplement milk intake: Choose low kcal with low saturated fat.
The USDA Dietary Guidelines recommends 3 - 4 servings of dairy products a day for most people. If you are drinking 1 - 2 servings of milk and are having a serving or two of yogurt daily, choose a yogurt product with less than 120 kcal and 1 g of saturated fat per 4 oz serving (if your yogurt is in a 6 oz container, choose one with less than 150 kcal and 1.3 g of saturated fat). We are delighted that many yogurt products meet these criteria. Some are even much lower in calories and are fat-free (and trans-fat-free too!) - for instance Dannon's Light 'n Fit, Danone's Cardivia and Silhouette, Yoplait's Light and Source, Astro's Fat-free and Jeunesse as well as Stonyfield's Light all meet the above criteria.

If you eat at least 3 servings of yogurt to replace milk: Choose low kcal, high calcium, trans fat free and Vitamin D fortified.
In addition to being low in calories, look for a yogurt product which contains at least 15%DV (Daily Values) of calcium per 4 oz serving if you do not eat any other calcium-rich foods. If you eat at least 3 servings of yogurt a day, you would probably like to have one containing no trans fatty acids. Surprisingly, unlike milk, not all yogurt products are fortified with Vitamin D so it pays to read the labels. Examples of yogurt products which meet these criteria include Dannon's Light 'n Fit, Danone's Cardivia and Silhouette, Yoplait's Light and Source as well as Astro's Jeunesse.

If you eat yogurt to reap its health benefits for a healthier gut: Look for active culture.
Many studies have reported that eating yogurt with active culture (also called probiotics) can improve bowel functions. People with lactose intolerance and children suffering from intestinal infection can usually tolerate yogurt with active culture. A few studies also suggested that probiotics may enhance immunity, reduce the risk of colon polyps and decrease the incidence of vaginal yeast infection. Look for the words "active culture" or "live culture" on the labels.

If you eat yogurt as a dessert or treat and only eat it occasionally: Choose any kind.
Be realistic. If you only eat yogurt once in a blue moon, almost all yogurt products are nutritionally superior to other desserts such as cookies, pies and cakes as yogurt contains more nutrients such as protein, calcium, vitamin B12, riboflavin, potassium, magnesium and zinc. If any of the above mentioned yogurt can satisfy your taste buds, by all means go for it! But if you have a very sweet tooth, be sure to still choose one with less than 5g of sugar per oz (i.e. less than 20 g of sugar per 4 oz or 30g of sugar per 6 oz).