Yogurt, know how to pick a good one

Yogurt is among the most popular fermented foods in the world, and enjoys wide consumer acceptability, due to its taste and health benefits. It can be used as an accompaniment to the main meal or as a snack during the day.

The word yogurt probably originates from the Turkish term “yogurmak,” which means to thicken, coagulate, or curdle. It is believed that yogurt was accidentally discovered around 5000–10,000 BC with the domestication of milk-producing animals. At that time, shepherds in the Middle East carried milk in sacks, constructed of the intestinal gut, which caused the milk to curdle and sour when it came into contact with intestinal secretions, thus naturally preserving it and enabling a longer storage period for a vital commodity such as milk.

However, not all yogurts are equal so it is important to know what to look for when shopping for a yogurt.

Traditional yogurt is unstrained, which means it still contains whey which makes it thinner than Greek and Icelandic styles of food. Nutrition-wise, it has more calcium and natural milk sugar than all the other varieties.

Greek yogurt is thick, strained yogurt that now makes up more than a third of all yogurt sales in the United States. Straining means that it removes some of the lactose, calcium, milk, sugars, and minerals from the yogurt but the result is higher protein. This translates into one cup of Greek yogurt can have up to 20 grams of protein whereas traditional has 11 to 13 grams.

Now, here are a few yogurts that everyone might not be so familiar with. The first one is Icelandic. This type of yogurt is the thickest of all the varieties. One cup of this strained yogurt is typically made with four cups of milk. Because of that, Icelandic yogurt often has the highest protein content. It also has the longest incubation process, so it’s the tartest of all varieties and has the lowest amount of milk sugar.

Or what about Australian yogurt? This creamy unstrained variety is commonly made with whole milk. This results in higher fat than any of the traditional varieties, but otherwise has a similar nutritional profile.

The alternatives, many nondairy yogurts, such as coconut, soy, and almond yogurt are cultured, so it is important to check the label for probiotics. They also have added calcium so look for varieties with at least 15% of your daily calcium dose.

As for probiotics, look for the live and active cultures seal on the label of both dairy and nondairy yogurts. This means that they have the highest amount of probiotics available.

Plain yogurt with nine grams or less of natural sugar per serving is the healthiest choice for yogurts. In the flavored yogurts, try to go with less than 15 grams of sugar. Anything higher than 17 grams has the same sugar content as two fun-size Snicker bars.

Finally, fat is back! Full-fat yogurts can be a creamier, healthier choice; consumers just need to figure the higher saturated fat and calories into their overall daily fat intake, which should be less than 7% of their total daily calories for it to be deemed healthy.

Eating one cup of yogurt can provide almost half of a person’s daily calcium needs. Older adults have higher calcium needs than younger adults. Needs among older women increase sooner than for men. It’s important to get the right amount of calcium; too little can cause a condition known as hypocalcemia, weak bones, and increased risk of bone fractures.

Yogurt also contains other vital nutrients with protein and probiotics - it is one of the healthiest foods available if you choose wisely.

In honor of National Milk Day on Jan. 11, eat some yogurt!