Product comparison: Yoghurt
Full fat vs low fat per 100g |
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Product | Protein | Total fat | - Saturated fat | Carbohydrates | - Sugars |
Farmers Union |
4.5g | 9.4g | 6.1g | 5.2g | 5.2g |
Farmers Union Light |
5.8g | 3.9g | 2.6g | 6g | 6g |
A common misunderstanding is that low-fat yoghurt has added sugar. In the example above you can see the low-fat yoghurt only has 0.8g more sugar per 100g than the full-fat version, which is a very small amount. The sugar in both types of yoghurt is coming from lactose, which is a naturally occurring milk sugar and there has been no sugar added. Unfortunately, the “sugars” written on the nutrition information panel do not differentiate between natural and added sugars. If you're concerned about added sugar in your yoghurt, check the ingredients list.
Click here for the NDSS factsheet on Understanding Food labels.
Sweetened vs unsweetened per 100g |
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Product | Protein | Total fat | - Saturated fat | Carbohydrates | - Sugars |
Yoplait mixed berry |
4.5g | 1.9g | 1.2g | 12.3g | 12.1g |
Ingredients: Milk, Skim Milk, Milk Solids, Sugar, Fruits(6.5%) (Strawberry, Blackberry, Blueberry), Thickeners (Gelatin, Modified Starch, Pectin), Natural Flavours, Acidity Regulator (Sodium Chloride), Black Carrot & Black Current Concentrate, Mineral Salt (Calcium Chloride), Live Yoghurt Cultures (Milk): S Thermophilus & L Bulgaricus. | |||||
Yoplait Zero strawberry |
4.1g | 0.1g | 0.1g | 4.2g | 3.9g |
Ingredients: Skim Milk, Milk Solids, Strawberries (6%), Water, Polydextrose, Thickeners (Modified Starch, Carrageenan), Gelatine, Natural Flavours, Natural Colour (Black Carrot Concentrate), Acidity Regulators (Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid), Mineral Salt (Calcium Chloride), Sweeteners (Acesulfame Potassium, Sucralose), Yoghurt Cultures: S. Thermophilus & L. Bulgaricus. | |||||
Vaalia creamy natural |
6g | 1.9g | 1.2g | 8.8g | 7.4g |
Ingredients: Milk, skim milk, milk solids, dietary fibre (inulin), live yoghurt cultures (from milk) (incl. L. acidophilus, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus GG). |
Fruit-flavoured yoghurt gets its sweetness from added sugar, sweeteners (natural or artificial) and/or natural fruit sugar (fructose). In the table above you can see the Yoplait Mixed Berry yoghurt has a combination of added sugar, fructose from a small number of berries (6.5%) and some naturally occurring lactose. Together these sugars make up 12.1g per 100g which is the highest of the three yoghurts.
Yoplait Zero gets its sweetness from fructose (6% strawberries), alternative sweeteners and lactose. Alternative sweeteners do not contribute to the “sugars” listed on the nutrition information panel. Yoplait Zero has 3.9g of sugar per 100g which only includes the natural sugars fructose and lactose. Alternative sweeteners do not affect glucose levels.
Vaalia creamy natural yoghurt has no added sugar, only lactose. While the sugar is slightly higher than the Yolplait Zero it has a lot less additives and more protein. The short ingredients list is a sign that the product is less processed. Ideally, try to choose unsweetened yoghurts. If you feel like they lack flavour, add in some fresh or frozen berries.
Protein yoghurts vs regular yoghurt per 100g |
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Product | Protein | Total fat | - Saturated fat | Carbohydrates | - Sugars |
Chobani - light |
9.3g | 0.2g | 0.1g | 4g | 3.3g |
Chobani Fit |
9.6g |
0.2g | 0.1g | 4.2g | 3.1g |
Woolworths high protein |
9.4g |
1g | 1g | 4.9g | 4g |
These high protein yoghurts are a great example of when marketing or labelling can be misleading. Chobani Fit and Woolworths high protein yoghurts are less than 0.5g per 100g higher in protein than the regular version of Chobani yoghurt. Check the nutrition information panel and compare products per 100g to make sure they are providing what they claim. Often these products are also sold at a higher price so it’s good to make sure you are getting what you pay for. The protein in yoghurt will keep you fuller for longer and help keep glucose levels more stable.
Non-dairy yoghurts per 100g |
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Product | Protein | Total fat | - Saturated fat | Carbohydrates | - Sugars | Calcium |
Cocobella – coconut yoghurt |
1.2g | 12.1g | 10.9g | 8.1g |
2.4g |
0mg |
Vitasoy – soy yoghurt |
6.7g | 4.6g | 1.5g | 4.4g | 2g |
120mg |
Non-dairy yoghurts can be quite different in nutrition when compared to dairy yoghurt. As you can see coconut yoghurt has a high level of fat, mostly saturated fat. It is recommended to reduce your intake of saturated fat to maintain healthy cholesterol levels and reduce heart disease risk. Coconut yoghurt is also very low in protein.
Both soy and coconut yoghurt do not naturally contain calcium, so it is up to the manufacturer to add calcium to the product. The nutrition in Vitasoy yoghurt is more similar to dairy yoghurt. It is higher in protein and lower in fat than coconut yoghurt and also contains added calcium.
So which yoghurt is best?
Overall it is recommended to choose yoghurts with no added sugar. The heart foundation also recommends choosing low fat yoghurt if you have high cholesterol levels or heart disease. Remember, the nutritional value will vary across brands so if you can, check the nutrition information panel to compare nutrients like fat, sugar, protein and calcium. Always use the per 100g column when comparing products.
For more information on label reading you can attend the free NDSS program ShopSmart.
All images in this article sourced from woolworths.com.au