Nutrition of Different Yogurt Types – Most Protein?
It’s difficult to figure out what the best type of yogurt is. Stores used to only carry “yogurt”. They only had a few brands like Yoplait and Dannon, and the only real difference between these was the flavors (strawberry versus vanilla).
Now everyone is concerned about their nutrition and always on the lookout for the next great super food. The yogurt selection at most grocery stores has expanded to a ton of new brands, each trying to stand out from the rest. It first began with Greek yogurt. Then Icelandic yogurt, Australian yogurt and even Bulgarian style yogurt. Each of these claims to be better than the rest. So which style of yogurt is actually the most nutritious?
This info graphic, first posted on Reddit, is a simple way of comparing all the different styles of yogurt.
Yogurt pH levels
Yogurt pH levels give you an idea of how acidic a certain yogurt style is. The lower the pH number, the more acidic a food is, with a 7 being “neutral”. As you can see, all yogurts are acidic foods. Bulgarian yogurt has a pH value of 3.61, making it the most acidic of the listed yogurt styles.
This means that Bulgarian yogurt is naturally going to taste the most sour. Highly acidic foods can cause irritation for individuals who tend to get acid reflux or have other stomach issues. If you have a sensitive stomach, you may want to stay away from Bulgarian yogurt.
Luckily, most fruits are alkaline and have a pH level higher than 7. So if you consume yogurt in smoothie form, you are less likely to get stomach irritation or acid reflux.
Thickest Yogurt
Greek yogurt and Icelandic yogurts are the thickest. Bulgarian yogurt is the most liquid.
Yogurt Protein
One of the main reasons Greek yogurt became so popular is the high level of protein in a serving. Greek yogurt has much more protein than traditional American yogurt. In fact, traditional American style yogurt has less protein than any other style of yogurt.
Icelandic yogurt has even more protein than Greek yogurt. About 24g of protein per cup. Siggi’s is a popular Icelandic yogurt brand which has 23g of protein per cup.
If you are looking for a rich, creamy, high protein yogurt, try out Icelandic or Greek yogurts.
Sugar in Yogurt
Most flavored yogurts sold in stores are packed with added sugar. This is unfortunate because it takes away much of the health benefits of eating yogurt. That being said, you can usually find a “plain” flavored yogurt which does not include and added sugars.
This sugar is naturally occurring and is also found in milk (which is what yogurt is made from).
Even plain, unflavored yogurt will contain some natural sugars. Traditional American and Australian yogurts have the most natural sugars. Icelandic yogurt has the least amount of sugar.
While you may want to avoid eating lots of sugary foods, be aware that the amount of sugar does matter for how good a yogurt tastes. A lot of people do not like Icelandic and Bulgarian yogurts because they taste too tart or sour.
Yogurts have a lot of great health benefits, including being high is healthy probiotics. You should make sure you enjoy the flavor of the yogurt you are eating. Even though Icelandic yogurt might be the healthiest type of yogurt, you won’t get any benefits if you avoid it because you hate the way it tastes.
When trying new yogurts, or new foods in general, I recommend getting a small container first and making sure you like the food enough to eat it.
Yogurt Fat
Greek yogurt contains 11g of fat per cup. The other styles of yogurt are all about the same at 8g of fat. This is not a huge difference, and I would only care about this if I were on a low-fat or high-fat diet.
Overall yogurt is a healthy food and can be added to your diet in a lot of great ways, including adding yogurt to your favorite smoothie recipe.
