Greek yogurt, analyzed and tasted by nutritionist Kate Comeau, ATP nutrition

By Kate Comeau

With the arrival of many types of greek yogurt on grocery store shelves, many of my clients have been asking about this increasingly popular product. They wonder why some products are higher in fat content and which one is right for them. Here are the answers to the questions I receive most frequently.

Greek yogurt has a creamy, thick texture and typically has higher protein content than traditional yogurt. I recommend this yogurt to my clients who find that they are often hungry or who are physically active. I also recommend it to clients with type II diabetes as the protein content can help to keep their blood glucose levels stable for longer. It can also be used in desserts or to make a dip by clients looking to lower their saturated fat intake

 The Greek yogurt we find in grocery stores in North America is made in one of two ways. The traditional straining method involves combining milk with active bacteria cultures and then straining it to remove a portion of the water. Greek yogurt can also be made artificially by adding cream, milk powder, milk ingredients and/or thickening agents like pectin are added to regular yogurt to mimic the thick texture of traditional Greek yogurt.

When it is made using the traditional straining method, using skim milk, the fat content is low (0%), and protein content is relatively high (16-18g/serving). Yogurt made using the second method contains upwards of 10-12% fat (17-20g/serving) and 7-14g of protein/serving making it more like a dessert yogurt.

Certain greek yogurts contain only 15% of the daily value value for calcium (due to the straining process) compared with liberté plain 2% yogurt that contains 30%. To boost the calcium content, I recommend adding 1 cup of chopped strawberries and ¼ cup of almonds to a serving of plain greek yogurt. Together, these additions provide 11% of daily calcium needs; bringing the total to 26%.

Finally for my clients who are trying to reduce their intake of “added sugar”, the “sugar” listed in nutrition fact tables can also be a source of confusion. Milk products are a natural source of carbohydrates or sugar in the form (lactose). Whether a food naturally contains sugar or it has sugar added to it, the quantity of sugar appears in the sugar section of the nutrition facts table. To determine whether a product contains “added sugar”, it is important to read the list of ingredients and look for words like: sugar, syrup, honey and words ending in –ose (glucose, fructose...).

Personally, I prefer the thick texture and taste of traditional strained greek yogurt and yogurt which has thickening agents added. Have you tasted the difference?