By Guy Lawrence
Do you eat yogurt? I was absolutely amazed by how many yogurts were staring back at me on the shelves of my local supermarket the other day.
Every one of them was claiming great things! All the marketing buzzwords are there competing for you to pick them up and get scanned at the checkout. Ca-ching!
Digestion, prebiotic, bifidus prodigesis, actiregularis, low fat, 98% fat-free, no artificial colours (they forgot to mention flavouring though), and on and on they go.
After scanning the food labels of some of them I was inspired to buy a few and share my thoughts on them. From the brands I eat to ones I wouldn’t feed my cat with (if I had one of course).
Don’t be a duped consumer
A few things to consider before you buy your next yogurt:
1) If you were to obtain natural yogurt straight from the farm, then add a piece of fresh fruit, it would go rancid over the next few days as the yogurt would break the fruit down. Ever wondered why this does not happen on the supermarket shelves?
To overcome this, manufactures use stabilisers and preservatives… chemicals in other words. This is considered acceptable practise. Personally I avoid as many products as I can that contain chemicals, as they all add up.
If you like your yogurt with fruit, simply buy natural yogurt and mix in a spoonful of fresh berries. This is a much better alternative. I often do this and mix a serving of 180 Natural Protein SuperFood for a much healthier snack.
2) Something to think about… Approximately four years ago I spent a weekend involved with The Weston A Price Foundation, a nonprofit, tax-exempt nutrition and education foundation.
They tested all the commercial leading brands of yogurt at the time for live bacteria and found most of them were dead as a doornail. Including the flavoured yogurts that claim differently!
The yogurts that did have a little bit of life in them where your full fat natural yogurts that have minimal ingredients, with Bornhoffen yogurt coming out on top.
That was four years ago, so I can’t speak for any of them now, but it’s certainly something I consider when I buy yogurt.
3) All dairy will naturally have a certain amount of sugar in it (lactose). When buying yogurt I also look at the sugar content per serve, not the fat content. I avoid any brand that claims to be fat-free. Why? As they have removed the fat to reduce the energy per gram and have replaced it with sugar. The sugar content is much higher in the flavoured yogurts than the full-fat natural yogurts.
As you can see by this picture (yogurt 7 on the list), they have even highlighted the fat and calcium to keep you distracted from the sugar content. (Click here to enlarge).
If you are genuinely concerned about your health or are trying to lose weight, reduce your sugar intake. Sugar is your enemy, not your sweet tasting friend. Keep your daily sugar intake low. Why compound it?
With this in mind, I’ve listed below 7 leading brands of yogurt and their sugar content. I stick to the top four listed when I eat yogurt.
1. Marrook Farm – Bio Dynamic Yogurt
I generally eat this yogurt when it’s in stock. Can be found in most small independent food stores. Not in many commercial supermarkets.
- Sugar per 100g serve: 4.2g
- Preservatives/flavourings: No
2. Bornhoffen – Natural Yogurt
Can be found in most commercial supermarkets. A bit higher in the sugar content but still a good option and happy what Weston.A.Price foundation had to say about it.
- Sugar per 100g serve: 9g
- Preservatives/flavourings: No
3. Jalna – Bio Dynamic Yogurt
Another good option. This is a European set style yogurt. Can be found in most commercial supermarkets.
- Sugar per 100g serve: 4.1g
- Preservatives/flavourings: No
4. Farmers Union – Greek Style Yogurt
Very creamy and tasty. Can be found in most commercial supermarkets. A bit higher in the sugar content but still a good option.
- Sugar per 100g serve: 7.2g
- Preservatives/flavourings: No
5. Ski – Activ
I don’t see what is active about it when loaded with preservatives. Can be found in most commercial supermarkets. High sugar content and contains preservatives/flavourings. I do not eat this.
- Sugar per 100g serve: 12.5g
- Preservatives/flavourings: Yes
6. Dannon – Activia
Claims to be full of live culture which I struggle to believe. Can be found in most commercial supermarkets. High sugar content and contains preservatives/flavourings. I do not eat this.
- Sugar per 100g serve: 13.2g
- Preservatives/flavourings: Yes
7. Dairy Farmers – Thick & Creamy
How can it be creamy when they’ve removed the fat? I don’t like the deceptive food label on the back either. Can be found in most commercial supermarkets. High sugar content and contains preservatives/flavourings. I do not eat this.
- Sugar per 100g serve: 15g
- Preservatives/flavourings: Yes
There are many yogurts I haven’t mentioned as the list would be extremely long, including local alternative yogurts. But you get the general idea. If you eat yogurt I’d love to hear your thoughts on the brands you eat and why?
On a side note: I truly enjoy writing these posts, hence our frequent blog posts. At the end of the day though, these are just my thought’s and feelings around a topic I’m passionate about. I encourage everyone to do their own research and check out the facts for themselves.
If you did enjoy the post and got something from it or have something to share on the topic, I would love to hear your thought’s in the comments section below. If you feel others would benefit from this then it would be great if you could share it using one of the icons below (Facebook etc). Cheers, Guy…
July 3, 2012 at 3:35 pm
http://www.fiveam.com.au/index.php?action=prodcatalogue&form_name=view_product&category_id=2706&product_id=10736
This is my favorite yoghurt, by Five:AM. I think the sugar content is middle of the range, but I am happy to indulge because it tastes amazing and is free from all the nasty chemicals.
July 10, 2012 at 1:05 pm
I love the five am youghurt too , its organic too
July 3, 2012 at 6:30 pm
I love your articles keep writing them! I am always telling this same thing to my friends and family, so I’m glad to see it in black and white. I eat either the Full Fat version of :
Casa Natural Yoghurt
http://www.casadairy.com.au/yoghurt/natural-yoghurts/natural-yoghurt.html
or
Mundella Greek Natural
http://www.mundellafoods.com.au/products/yoghurt/greek-yoghurt/
I used to eat Bornhoffen but I don’t see it in WA anywhere- maybe I need to look harder.
What do you think of those two? Am I doing okay yoghurt wise?
Thanks,
E
July 3, 2012 at 7:30 pm
I’ve been having Valia but I think I might need to change.
July 3, 2012 at 9:01 pm
Great article, Guy, the only one I eat is the only full fat one in my local Coles, Woolies don’t stock any full fat yoghurt, that I could find, anyway, and as I eat low fructose, I won’t have anything except a plain full fat organic yoghurt, I like this one, Gippsland brand….ingredients, Organic milk, Milk solids, Yoghurt cultures, Acidophilus, Bifidus & Casei, (sorry if I spelled those wrongly, the writing is very small…Sugars per 100 gram are 5.5g
I add strawberries and blitz with a stab blender, then add LSA, chia seeds, coconut milk/water and I make it up to 500 ml with a little whole milk, then when I put into my glass I add half a mashed banana, keeps me full for ages….makes 3 almost full glasses….yummee…♥♥
July 4, 2012 at 10:23 am
Thanks for sharing with us Sylvia… Sounds great!
July 3, 2012 at 10:06 pm
B-d. Farm Paris Creek (a South Australian product) bio-dynamic yoghurt for me. Ingredients are biodynamic milk & probiotic cultures. No genetic engineering, non-homogenised milk, no preservatives, no added sugar, no thickeners. Fat total 3.7g per 100g, sugars 3.3g per 100g. They also make the most delicious bio-dynamic milk, so rich & creamy & nothing compares with the taste.
July 4, 2012 at 10:21 am
Thanks for sharing Jean… I’ll check them out and see if they are in Sydney…
July 4, 2012 at 8:03 am
We eat Easiyo. How does it stack up?
July 10, 2012 at 2:55 pm
Hi Wendy… Can’t say I have heard of Easiyo, but I can certainly vouch for the guys at Progurt. Cheers…
July 4, 2012 at 9:06 am
You cannot go past Meredith Dairy sheeps milk yoghurt. http://berriesandscotch.blogspot.com.au/2010/12/my-ewe-food-obsession.html
It has less than 2g of fat per 100g, it is incredibly creamy, it has double the amount of protein and calcium than in regular yoghurts and 50% more iron.
It is by far the best yoghurt in terms of flavour and nutritional benefits on the market. If you haven’t tried it you’re seriously missing out!
July 4, 2012 at 10:19 am
I actually tried it yesterday! Very nice :)
July 10, 2012 at 11:30 am
Great article Guy, the yoghurt debate has been raging in my office f0r sometime now and also the ‘but its fat free’ conversation has come up more times than I would like to count!!
Also being slightly lactose intolerant, its amazing I can still enjoy a low sugar natural organic yoghurt such as the Jalna but not the sugary ‘goodness’ of other yoghurts.
Will pass this onto the people for reading and hopefully a new raised awareness.
Keep the articles coming!! :)
July 10, 2012 at 11:32 am
What about the low fat greek yoghurt ?
Farmers union and others make low fat and fat free greek yoghurt.
July 10, 2012 at 11:46 am
Barambah All Natural Yoghurt is great!!
http://www.barambahorganics.com.au/organic-yoghurt/natural-organic-yoghurt/
July 10, 2012 at 11:55 am
What do you make of CoYo? It’s made from coconut therefore dairy free and great for a vegan like me. It’s full of fat but I’d just like to see what you think of it.
July 10, 2012 at 1:42 pm
Coyo is the best , especially the berry flavour
July 10, 2012 at 12:00 pm
Also you guys need to put a link to your blog at the top of your site and the video on the front page is hiding the menu bar links in firefox and chrome (needs spacing down a few cm)
July 10, 2012 at 3:01 pm
Thanks Al… Will look at the fir fox issue. There’s a button on the top right hand side of each page to the blog :) Cheers…
Guy
July 10, 2012 at 1:18 pm
I eat Harris Farm unsweeted natural yoghurt.
It only has 2.2g sugar and no persevatives.
Goes really well with banana and 180 chocolate protien powder
July 10, 2012 at 2:03 pm
Bit confusing how the list was of 7 bestselling yoghurts but you only recommended the first few, perhaps should have formatted in 2 sections (good choice/bad choice) to make it easier for the reader, in that people are used to reading articles like this in certain “Health Tips” structures/formats.
Good content tho
July 10, 2012 at 2:34 pm
Hey Michael just for your info I read your comment and I re read the blog and I am a bit confused with what you said ie. you spoke about the 7 best sellers but I could not find it anywhere in the blog wher 180 “recommended” any brand. Just saying.
July 10, 2012 at 7:13 pm
Clearwaters Organic Yoghurt is the best I have ever tasted. Unfortunately only available in New Zealand, I have yet to find one here that comes close :(
http://www.clearwaters.co.nz/
May 17, 2013 at 11:48 am
Just wondering if this has been updated?
There seem to be a new batch of “organic” and greek style yoghurts on the shelves, and I’d like some help decoding them.
Thanks,
May 17, 2013 at 12:04 pm
Hi Julie. Not since it’s been published. There are so many brands coming into the market it’s hard to keep up. But it’s still a good reference & it helps what to look for when buying… Cheers, Guy