February 9, 2012
Recently there has been a huge increase in Americans’ yogurt consumption. Wonder why? Sure it’s a healthy snack, has protein and good fats, plus calcium…but have you really read your favorite yogurt’s label closely? I am often baffled by how marketing campaigns convince shoppers of the health benefits of their yogurt when really all they are selling is a glorified dessert!
Take a look at your favorite brand’s label. First, look at the grams of sugar. Is it over 10? If so, there are better choices out there…I PROMISE!! Next, look at the ingredients list. Is “sugar” listed? (And you have to be a smart reader too – look for sneaky names like high fructose corn syrup, cane juice, molasses, brown rice syrup, etc). If so, this is ADDED sugar, the kind that contributes to added inches to your waistline. Some sugar naturally occurs in milk, and therefore yogurt, so there will always be some listed in the “grams” section, but there shouldn’t be any form of sugar listed in the “ingredients” section.
“Fruit on the Bottom” varieties are the worst. I swear, based on the grams of sugar on the label, they must pour pie filling into the yogurt! If it tastes like a dessert, it IS one!! Venture to travel across the supermarket aisle and compare a “healthy” yogurt to the label of an ice cream. In many cases, they are too close for comfort!
I recommend Greek yogurt for two reasons – one, because it’s made form goat’s milk so the particles are smaller and easier for us to digest, and two, because there’s no junk added! That’s of course only true in the plain kind. Beware of adding a ton of honey to sweeten it up too (see my “pie filling” comment above – same difference!!)
Try these ideas out for yourself. Read the labels. Add your own fresh fruit and sweeten with stevia. Enjoy this wonderful, healthy snack in a way that you really can feel good about! Mmm, delicious!
