Which yogurt should I buy? Here are seven that I considered.

Content by: Guy Lawrence

180 Nutrition Yogurt Review

By 180 Nutrition

Do you eat yogurt, is it truly healthy? 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 cultures, 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.

add berries to your yogurtIf 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.

yogurt_panelAs 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 it is linked to diabetes and many more health conditions. 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.

5 stars1. Marrook Farm – Bio Dynamic Yogurt

Marrook_farm_yogurtI 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

 

4.5 stars2. Bornhoffen – Natural Yogurt

Bornhoffen Yogurt ReviewCan 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

 

4.5 stars3. Jalna – Bio Dynamic Yogurt

Jalna Yogurt ReviewAnother 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

 

3.5 stars4. Farmers Union – Greek Style Yogurt

farmers_union_greek

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

 

1 star5. Ski – Activ

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

1 star6. Dannon – Activia

dannon-activia-yogurt

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

dairy_farmers

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?

How to Supercharge Your Yogurt in Under 60 Seconds…

best yogurt breakfastWhile yogurt can make a tasty snack, it really doesn’t cut it as a nutritious breakfast or meal replacement. Try this easy recipe and quickly transform your favourite yogurt into a superfood brimming with protein, great fats, vitamins and minerals.

  • 100g of your favourite yogurt
  • 1 scoop of 180 Natural Protein Superfood
  • Handful of your favourite berries
  • Mix together with a spoon and enjoy 🙂

Order 180 Superfood for your yogurt here

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Guy Lawrence

This article is brought to you by Guy Lawrence. Guy is a qualified fitness trainer with over 10 years of experience in the health industry. Guy worked at the UTS Fitness Centre in Sydney Australia where he specialised in exercise nutrition and obtained his Certificate in Exercise Nutrition and Certified... Read More
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44 Replies to “Which yogurt should I buy? Here are seven that I considered.”
Melissa says:

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.

Tracey Thompson says:

I love the five am youghurt too , its organic too

Emmie says:

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

Matt says:

I’ve been having Valia but I think I might need to change.

Sylvia says:

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…♥♥

180nps says:

Thanks for sharing with us Sylvia… Sounds great!

Some jerk says:

Gippsland brand yogurt is the best. The blood orange flavor is so addictive and I love the chunks of water melon in the red one.

Jean says:

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.

180nps says:

Thanks for sharing Jean… I’ll check them out and see if they are in Sydney…

Gail says:

I agree re BD Paris Creek yoghurt assessments
For me it is also local as I live in the next town from Paris Creek
It is always on my locavore list when I go to the Willunga Market on Saturday mornings
G

Wendy says:

We eat Easiyo. How does it stack up?

180nps says:

Hi Wendy… Can’t say I have heard of Easiyo, but I can certainly vouch for the guys at Progurt. Cheers…

Jordy says:

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!

180nps says:

I actually tried it yesterday! Very nice 🙂

Bronwyn Walker says:

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!! 🙂

Al says:

What about the low fat greek yoghurt ?

Farmers union and others make low fat and fat free greek yoghurt.

Lauren says:

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.

Tracey Thompson says:

Coyo is the best , especially the berry flavour

Al says:

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)

180nps says:

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

Mel says:

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

Michael says:

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

Danny Willis says:

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.

Frankie says:

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/

JULIE says:

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,

180nps says:

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

Maureen Mulligan says:

I have used/made Easiyo for a few years now but my husband has now discovered the Farmer’s Union Greek Yoghurt (full fat) and loves it. We visit France frequently and have grown attached to fromage blanc. We both agree this particular Farmer’s Union yoghurt tastes very similar.

Maddie Marty says:

I’m thrilled to find that the yoghurt in my fridge is #3!
Love reading your blog, keep up the great work!

Jen says:

What do you think of Tamar Valley No Fat yoghurt?

Libby says:

I love Barambah Organics natural yoghurt – it’s got 4.75g fat/100g and it’s got a lovely creamy texture. Tastes amazing with fresh berries and chia seeds 🙂

Adriana says:

Excellent article as usual! Thanks a lot!!
I did the same analyse when I realized how much sugar has my kids yogurt!! I was in shock!! Im glad to see one of my best options in your post. Jalna Bio dynamic is really tasty, speecially if you mix it up with berries. There is also another Jalna option, (greek – sweet) with 9 g sugar per 100g serve but not sure about this one. How is the maximun of sugar per 100 g serve you recomend?

Guy Lawrence says:

For me, a lot of it will depend on how much sugar I have overall, but I keep it in single figures if I have a little yoghurt… Hope that helps, Guy

Alex says:

I found Bornhoffen through my sister-in-law and I love it! The high count of live cultures does it for me. To me, the “higher” sugar content means it tastes creamier and sweeter, so I’m less inclined to hit up the chocolate later on!

Danielle says:

What about Barambah. ? I think that’s how it’s spelt. Tis unhomogenised.

Alicia says:

Awesome post Guy. My personal fave is Chobani non-fat plain. Although it’s non-fat, it contains only 7 grams of sugar per 170 gram tub (so around 3 grams/100 gram. Also contains 18 grams protein per 170 gram serve. Have you tried it? Would love your thoughts 🙂

Guy Lawrence says:

Hi Alicia… I haven’t tried it to be honest… I have been making a coconut type yogurt which has been great too… Will blog about it soon 🙂 Guy

KJ says:

I know low fat equals more sugar but would you buy a low fat alternative if it contained more protein, and only a slight increase in sugar per 100g?

For example, I have been buying the low fat Farmers Union greek yohgurt. It contains 7.3g protein and 9.3g of sugar while the regular only has 5.5g of protein and 7.2g of sugar.

I like to cut up oranges and kiwi fruit into pieces and add it to my yoghurt. Alternatively, mixed nuts and yoghurt will fill you up quickly.

Admin Angela says:

Hi, I would rather buy the full fat option every time. Any low fat products are also lacking in fat soluble vitamins. Ange 🙂

KJ says:

Hi Ange thanks for the info – can you provide more info re: fat soluble vitamins?

Admin Angela says:

Hi, The fat soluble vitamins found in milk are A, D, E and K, the lower the fat content, the lower the volume of fat soluble vitamins that are present. You need fat soluble vitamins to boost absorption of calcium. Ange

Glen Oakland says:

I just checked the label on Farmers Union full fat Greek yogurt in my fridge as I was surprised to read it is 7.2 grams per 100 grams and’ the label reads 5.2 grams per 100 grams. Mind you the front of the container looks slightly different from the one posted here. I’m in SA so maybe we’re just sweet enough.

Guy Lawrence says:

Thanks Glen, perhaps they have changed the formula, thanks for sharing 🙂

Heather Hargreaves says:

Looking for plain or Greek yoghurt.
No artificial sweeteners or stevia products. Cannot stand the after taste.
Lowest in calories please.

Comments are closed.