What to Look for When Buying Yogurt

Tips for Purchasing the Most Nutritional Yogurts

Feb 18, 2009 Jennifer Murray

Yogurt is a good source of essential nutrients; however, not all yogurts are created equal. Learn how to choose a yogurt that offers the most health benefits.

With so many different brands of yogurt lining grocery store shelves, it's hard to know which yogurts provide the most nutritional benefits. While yogurt is considered a healthy food, not all yogurts provide the same health benefits. Here are a few things to look for when choosing which brand of yogurt to buy.

National Yogurt Association Seal of Approval

One of the biggest health benefits of yogurt is that it contains probiotics or "live bacteria." The National Yogurt Association, a nonprofit trade organization, created a "Live and Active Cultures" (LAC) seal that is placed on yogurt that contains at least 100 million LACs per gram at the time of its manufacture. The LAC seal ensures yogurt contains what it says on the label. The National Yogurt Association's LAC program is voluntary, so some yogurts may have live active cultures but not carry the LAC label. While not all yogurts carry the NYA Seal of Approval, if a yogurt contains live cultures, it should still be listed. Look for the words "active culture," "live culture," or "live active culture" on the label.

Read Yogurt's Ingredient List

Yogurt should have a nutritional label that not only lists the vitamins and minerals it contains, but also all of the ingredients as well. Be sure to watch out for artificial colors and sweeteners. Also, look for a yogurt that lists whey protein as an ingredient. Whey increases the viability of probiotic bacteria. If eating yogurt to reap the calcium benefits it offers, choose a yogurt that contains inulin since inulin is a dietary fiber that's been shown to increase calcium absorption.

Check Yogurt's Expiration Date

Just like with other foods, check yogurt's expiration date. Not only does yogurt with live cultures have a somewhat short shelf life, after the expiration date has passed, the amount of probiotic decreases.

Be Wary of Added Sugar

While fruit-flavored yogurts usually taste better than plain yogurt, yogurts that contain added fruit may also come with more sugar too, sometimes as much as 7 teaspoons per cup. Choose a plain low-fat yogurt and add fresh or dried fruits for added flavor and health benefits.

The above guidelines can also be used when buying yogurt drinks or frozen yogurt. Yogurt drinks tend to be loaded with added sugar, so try to choose a brand that has the least amount of sugar per serving and does not contain artificial sweeteners.

References:

George Mateljan Foundation. (n.d.). Yogurt.. Retrieved February 18, 2009 from World's Healthiest Foods.

Pratt, S. & Matthews, K. (2004). Superfoods RX. New York: Harper Collins.

The copyright of the article What to Look for When Buying Yogurt in Nutrition is owned by Jennifer Murray. Permission to republish What to Look for When Buying Yogurt in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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