Know what’s inside your favorite yogurt container before you buy it. Studio 5 Contributor and registered dietician, Julie Metos, has five things to look for before you head for the checkout aisle.
1. Protein varies a lot- Greek yogurt has twice the protein of other types of yogurt without an increase in calories. This is a nutrition bargain!
2. Sugar content- The store brands are cheaper but have up to 3 times the sugar content. This is unnecessary!
3. Calories-Expect between 90-150 calories per single serving. Be cautious of brands with a higher calorie count.
4. Cultures- all yogurt has cultures. Some brands add more than others.
5. Stabilizers are added to most all yogurts. That’s what makes the ingredient list longer but keeps them more solid and a texture we like. Less expensive yogurts tend to have corn starch and/or gelatin, others have locust bean gum, xanthan gum or pectin. The names may be unfamiliar but they are natural thickeners found from plant sources (except gelatin). Pick by cost and texture preference.
Julie Metos is a registered dietitian and nutrition researcher. She trains future dietitians and works on child and adolescent obesity prevention research at the University of Utah.
She has a passion for teaching people about food-based nutrition and showing them that healthy food tastes great. www.health.utah.edu/nutrition
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