Monday, May 2, 2011

What's in your yogurt?

Yogurts are a great addition to your diet; they provide filling protein and bone-boosting calcium and they make convenient snacks. However, not all yogurts are nutritionally equal.


Good Yogurt (Plain Greek Yogurt)
Calories: 90
Calories from fat: 0
Total Carbs: 9 grams
Sugars: 9 grams
Protein: 22 grams
No added fillers, sweeteners, or colorings

Not So Good Yogurt (Popular flavored yogurts)
Calories: 110-130
Calories from fat: 0
Total Carbs: 19-30
Sugars: 19-30
Protein: 5-7 grams
Fillers: high fructose corn syrup, colorings and other fillers

Both yogurts contain 15% of your recommended calcium and vitamin D requirements, and both contain the good-for-you added probiotics (i.e. live cultures). However, the flavored yogurts can contain 7-9 packets of added sugar, as well as other additives.
The best choice is the plain yogurt. You can add your own sliced fruit for flavor, or add a teaspoon of honey – it is natural and will only add 3 grams of sugars, still well below the pre-flavored yogurts.

No comments: