Yogurt Nutrition: Greek v Regular & Surprising, Fun Ways to Use Yogurt

+ recipe for Frozen Yogurt Bark with Peaches and Cherries

In my previous premium issue, I dove into the wide world of yogurt, comparing the flavors and textures of traditional varieties from around the globe--Greek, Bulgarian, Icelandic, Australian, and French. Here I’ll explore yogurt’s incredible health benefits, take a look at how Greek yogurt compares to regular yogurt nutritionally, and share some surprising and fun ways to use yogurt in recipes.

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Yogurt: A Nutritional Power-Player

Yogurt, in general, is a nutritional power-player —it’s especially rich in calcium, protein, and B-vitamins, and it’s a valuable source of gut-friendly probiotics. The active cultures in yogurt are those good bacteria we could all use more of. Besides promoting a healthy gut microbiome (which is linked with overall well-being, from brain health to a better immune response), the active cultures in yogurt also digest lactose, so yogurt has considerably less lactose than milk does, making it more easily tolerated by those with lactose sensitivity.

To avoid lots of added sugar, I suggest going for plain and adding your own mix-ins and sweetener sparingly (if any) rather than buying an already flavored one. That said, a flavored one now and then is fine too.

The main differences in nutrition between varieties of plain yogurt has to do with their fat content (non-fat, low-fat or whole) and whether or not they are strained to be made thicker and creamier.

Low-Fat or Whole?

The fat in yogurt is mostly saturated--a cup of it has about 5 grams of saturated fat. That amount can certainly fit into the cap of 13 grams saturated fat per day recommended by the American Heart Association.

If, like me, you enjoy the creamy texture and rich flavor of full fat yogurt and you don’t eat much saturated fat otherwise, go for it. There is a growing body of evidence that eating full fat dairy does not increase heart disease risk despite its saturated fat content because of the nutritionally rich matrix of whole dairy foods, such as cheese and yogurt. But, if you need to be stricter with your saturated fat intake, low-fat yogurt may be a better choice. Check with your doc or dietitian to decide what is right for you.

Greek or Regular: Which is Better for You?

Yogurts such as Greek and Icelandic (skyr) are extra thick and creamy because they are strained to remove much of their whey. Since whey contains a lot of water, calcium and naturally occurring sugars (including lactose), when it is removed you get thicker yogurt that’s more concentrated in calories and protein, and lower in calcium and sugars (lactose). Here is an at-a-glance look at how Greek yogurt, which is strained, compares nutritionally to regular, unstrained yogurt:

The bottom line is, there are culinary and nutritional benefits to both strained and unstrained yogurt, so although Greek yogurt is often aggressively marketed as “more protein, less sugar,” there are advantages to regular yogurt too. Go for the one that suits your recipe needs and tastebuds at the moment, without stressing over the minute details.

Beyond the Bowl: Exciting Ways to Use Yogurt