Your Guide to Yogurt

I counted 24 types of yogurt in my small local grocery store. There were at least five flavors for each type, meaning more than 100 yogurt choices. No wonder it's tough to figure out which yogurt to buy!

When yogurt first started appearing on grocery store shelves in the U.S. in the 1970s, we ate, on average, three 4-ounce containers a year. By 2005 Americans averaged more than 10 times that much, according to the University of Wisconsin. Personally, I eat about 1.5 cups a day. That's a lot of yogurt!

Yogurt in many forms

Drinkable, squeezable, blended with fruit, fruit on the bottom, whole pieces of fruit mixed in, dessertlike flavors, candy crunchies, soy based -- what will they think of next? The healthiest yogurt is probably the least purchased: plain nonfat organic with active cultures. I love the tart flavor, there are no added sweeteners, and I can add my own mix-ins, such as fresh fruit and granola. If you haven't tried plain yogurt, give it a chance!

Yogurt types to avoid

Anything with sprinkles, candies or granola in a little container on top of the yogurt. The mix-ins are basically sugar and fat, meaning unnecessary calories.
Most smoothies and drinkable yogurts, which are typically a fancy way of adding more sugar. We should be consuming fewer sweeteners, not more, and should be especially wary of high-fructose corn syrup. Some drinkable yogurts, such as DanActive, come in plain, though that might be harder to find. You can make your own smoothies using plain yogurt and fruit for an honest-to-goodness healthy treat.
Yogurt in neon colors that aren't found in nature. Look for brands that color their yogurt using natural fruits and juices and avoid those with dye.

Say yes to these yogurts!

Plain nonfat organic yogurt.
Yogurt with the "Live and Active Cultures" seal, such as Dannon Activia. Such yogurt contains helpful bacteria that keep the digestive tract healthy. And brands such as DanActive promise to boost the immune system with their probiotics (beneficial microorganisms).
Yogurt enriched with vitamin D. Vitamin D is added to all the milk we drink, but not all yogurt manufacturers add it to their products. All Yoplait yogurts contain the vitamin.
Stonyfield Farm. These yogurts are either organic or all natural; neither variety contains artificial colors or dyes.

Yogurt label-reading tips

Look for "skim milk" or "yogurt" as the first ingredient. After all, that's what you expect you're getting, right?
Pay attention to the serving size. Most Stonyfield and Yoplait varieties, Dannon Fruit on the Bottom and some Dannon All Natural flavors come in 6-ounce containers. Dannon Activia, some other Dannon varieties and Yoplait multipacks are packaged in 4-ounce containers. Stonyfield's Oikos Greek yogurt comes in 5.3-ounce servings, DanActive in 3.3-ounce containers. If you buy yogurt in a 32-ounce bulk container, the nutrition info may be for an 8-ounce or a 6-ounce serving.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest recommends choosing yogurt with no more than 0.25 grams of saturated fat per ounce (that's a max of 1.5 grams of saturated fat per 6-ounce container) and no more than 5 grams of sugar per ounce (a max of 30 grams of sugar per 6-ounce container). Yogurts that meet these guidelines include Dannon Activia, Dannon Light 'n Fit and Yoplait Light.
Compare calories carefully. Breyers Fruit on the Bottom and its Smooth & Creamy in strawberry each have 170 calories per cup, compared to 80 calories in its Light version of the same flavor. Six ounces of Dannon's strawberry Fruit on the Bottom or vanilla is 150 calories, compared to 100 calories for plain low-fat and 80 calories for plain nonfat.
Yogurt labeled "light" or "lite" typically uses either sucralose or aspartame instead of sugar to cut down on calories. Some brands, such as Yoplait Light, use high-fructose corn syrup and aspartame. High-fructose corn syrup has been linked to an increased rate of obesity, and some research suggests it may cause more weight gain than other types of sweeteners. As for sugar substitutes, some people can't tolerate certain kinds, other people just prefer a particular kind, and some recent research suggests that artificial sweeteners may also promote weight gain. Read labels to know exactly what type of sweetener you're getting.

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