The yogurt aisle: Greek. Icelandic. Fruit flavored. Fruit on the bottom. Nonfat. Lowfat. Full-fat. Soy yogurt. Goat’s milk. Organic. All-Natural. Have you ever stood in front of the yogurt aisle utterly overwhelmed by the choices, especially since all of them claim to be “healthy?”

A common assumption is that yogurt is a healthier choice for a snack than, say, a can of soda, right? Not always. Some yogurts are loaded with sugar, making those selections more akin to a dessert than a healthy snack. Some single serving yogurts can contribute over half of your sugar intake for the day without actually satisfying any cravings or providing much nutritional value.

Why should you care? Excessive sugar intake is associated with the development of type II diabetes, obesity, and other chronic health conditions. That being said, there is currently no established value or recommendation for total sugar intake as this number varies greatly from person to person. Someone that is very active can tolerate more sugar in the diet than someone who is sedentary and not using the extra sugar for energy.

The FDA recommends that added sugar does not exceed 10% of your total daily calories. For someone on a 2,000 calorie diet this would be 200 calories from added sugar or 50g of added sugar. For reference, a 16oz bottle of Coke has 50g of added sugar.

THE SCOOP ON SUGAR IN YOGURT

All yogurt has some natural occurring sugars from the milk, but many also have added sugars from fruit mixed in, or toppings like chocolate chips, etc. While the natural occurring sugars are a good source of carbohydrates, the added sugars can significantly contribute to your total daily added sugar intake. For instance, Dannon Fruit on the Bottom can have as many as 24 grams of sugar per serving!

That being said, yogurt can still be a healthy snack. The key is to look for yogurts that have more protein and less sugar (see below). Yogurts are also a good source of calcium which is important for bone health and many are also rich in probiotics which are important for the gut microbiome and digestion.

HOW TO FIND THE YOGURT WITH THE LEAST AMOUNT OF ADDED SUGAR

Take a look at both “total sugars” and “added sugars” on the nutrition label of your favorite yogurt, and follow this example: a 4 oz raspberry yogurt has 16 grams of total sugar with 12 grams of added sugars. That means 4 grams of sugar is naturally occurring from the milk, but 12 grams of cane sugar is added. Try to stay away from yogurts with more than 10g of added sugar and ones that are lower in protein (less than 10g). The extra protein in the yogurt will slow the digestion of the sugars which are absorbed quickly, making you feel fuller longer.

ALWAYS READ THE LABEL

• Look for a protein content of at least 12-20 grams; your best bet is Greek yogurt.

• Look for the National Yogurt Association seal; it ensures 100 million cultures of healthy bacteria (live active cultures) per gram.

• Look for limited added sugars; 6 oz of plain, unsweetened yogurt has about 6-10 oz of naturally occurring sugars from the milk. Fruit, honey, and sugars add more. Stick with unsweetened flavors and add your own natural sweeteners (like fresh fruit or 1 tsp of honey).

• Look for fat content; low-fat yogurts are the best bet.

SOME YOGURT SUGGESTIONS

• StonyField Farms Organic Plain Regular or Greek Yogurt

• Wallaby Organic Plain Regular or Greek Yogurt

• Trader Joe’s Organic Low Fat Plain Regular Yogurt

• Chobani Plain 0% Greek Yogurt

• Fage Total 2% Greek Yogurt

• Dannon Oikos Plain 0% Greek Yogurt

• Siggi’s Icelandic Plain Yogurt

If you are curious as to how sugary some yogurt styles can be, I urge you to browse the yogurt product lines in your local supermarket. You’ll be shocked! Let us know what you find out in the comments below!