Yogurt

When counseling clients I ask them for a 24 hour food recall. I have them tell me everything they have consumed over the last 24 hours. For the most part, I am lied to. However, there are some people who are quite honest and proud of their food report.

A common statement would be, “For breakfast I had a piece of fruit and a yogurt” (not a very hearty breakfast, but that’s another post topic.)
I would then ask, “What kind of yogurt.”
“Oh, the Yoplait Light, it’s only 100 calories.” (Oh really, you don’t think I know how many calories are in Yoplait Light?)
Or I would get…
“I only buy organic yogurt.”
“Ok. Is it plain or flavored?” I would ask.
Then they would tell me what flavor they consume.

All of the flavored yogurts are loaded with sugar. Even if you buy an organic brand, it’s still loaded with added sugar. It may not be high fructose corn syrup, but it’s labeled under other names, i.e. organic evaporated cane juice (see my How Sweet it is post.)
The light yogurts will often be full of not only artificial sweeteners, but other fillers, colorings, and sugars.

Example:
Horizon Organic Fat-Free Strawberry Yogurt (6 oz) contains 27 grams of sugar. Now, keep in mind that there are 12 grams of naturally occurring sugar or carbohydrate (lactose) found in milk and yogurt products. But, that does mean there are 15 grams of added sugar in this small container of yogurt. How many teaspoons? 3.5 teaspoons. That’s over the limit of daily sugar consumption for children, so don’t think that you are doing your kids a favor by packing this in their lunch.

So what really is the best yogurt to purchase for your family? Plain. No, vanilla is not plain. Preferably plain organic yogurt, but simply looking at the label to find a seal stating that the cows were not treated with hormones or antibiotics is great. It is very tart and takes some getting used to, but you can start off by buying a tub of the plain and a tub of the flavored and mixing them together. Then, as you get more used to the plain you can slowly add less of the flavored.

If you start your kids off with plain yogurt, that’s all they will know and they will like it. My two-year-old LOVES it. Don’t waste your money on special yogurts for babies and children. It’s all marketing, as are the special “regulating” yogurts like Activia (added sugars). The yogurt you eat is the yogurt your baby (9+ months) can eat.

My favorite way to enjoy plain yogurt – A parfait
¾ cup plain yogurt
¼ cup low-sugar granola (I like Bear Naked Fit – only 3 grams of sugar)
½ cup Fresh or frozen fruit
1 tsp of Purevia (if you need some sweetness)

Brands I like:
Mountain High (not, organic but it doesn’t contain added hormones or antibiotics). Its always 2 tubs for $5 at Harmons
Fage (Greek Style yogurt that is strained so it is creamier and higher in protein than regular yogurt. It is super expensive so I hardly purchase it, but if I had more $ I would)
Stonyfield Organic
Horizon Organic

Yogurt can be a healthy jumpstart to your morning, just get the right kind. Yogurt is full of probiotics, tiny bacteria that do wonders for our digestive and immune systems. Make sure you get at least a (6oz) serving each day, especially now that everyone is getting sick. A strong and healthy digestive system can boost your immunity and help fight infection.