Healthy yogurt contains only two ingredients---live cultures and milk. The more ingredients listed, the less healthy the yogurt is. In general, the higher the protein and the lower the sugar content, the more nutritious and healthy the yogurt is. The major health benefits of yogurt are derived from the live cultures they contain.
Calcium Content of Yogurt
According to pediatrician Dr. William Sears, the best yogurts provide 35 to 40 percent of the recommended dietary allowance for calcium for every eight ounces of yogurt. When the calcium is less than 30 percent per eight ounces, the yogurt most likely contains non-nutritious filler ingredients.
Heat-Treated Yogurts
Heat-treated yogurts are pasteurized after the the live cultures are added. Companies heat-treat their yogurt to prolong their shelf-life, but the pasteurization process kills the live cultures. It also deactivates an enzyme called lactase. Lactase is responsible for breaking down the milk sugar, lactose, and is the reason why most lactose-intolerant individuals can eat yogurt. The enzyme does the job their bodies cannot.
When the enzyme that breaks down lactose is deactivated and the live cultures are killed, the nutritional benefits of yogurt no longer exist. In fact, in January of 2009, the FDA considered the petition by the National Yogurt Association that asked the FDA to only allow products that contain live and active cultures to be called "yogurt."
Milk Content of Yogurt
Yogurt can be made of three types of milk---whole milk, low-fat milk or nonfat milk. Whole milk yogurt contains approximately 7 grams of milk fat for every 8 ounces of yogurt. Low-fat contains from one to four grams, and non-fat contains less than half a gram. Healthier yogurts are made with non-fat milk.
Swiss Yogurt and Kefir
Swiss yogurt is also known as custard-style or blended yogurt. It is yogurt mixed with fruit.
Kefir contains different types of bacteria than standard custard-style yogurts. These bacteria include Lactobacillus caucasus, Leuconostoc, Acetobacter and Streptococcus. They also contain yeasts such as Saccharomyces kefir and Torula kefir. Because the curd size of kefir is smaller than yogurt, it is also easier to digest, making it an excellent, nutritious food for babies, the elderly and people experiencing chronic fatigue and digestive disorders.
Kefir, however, can also contain added sugar in the form of corn starch.
Plain Yogurt is the Most Nutritious Flavor
Plain yogurt is the most nutritious variety of yogurt. It contains about half the calories, twice the amount of protein, fewer fillers, more calcium, and no added sugar compared to yogurt with fruit and other flavorings.
To improve the flavor of plain yogurt, it is more nutritious to buy fresh fruit and mix it in than to buy pre-flavored yogurt.
Yogurt as a Healthy Substitute
Yogurt can be a substitute for a variety of higher fat, less nutritious foods. For example, non-fat plain yogurt can replace mayonnaise in many recipes. If plain yogurt does not have the desired taste or consistency for a particular recipe, even using a mixture of half plain yogurt and half mayonnaise increases the nutritional aspect of the recipe.
Yogurt can also be used as a dip for fresh fruits and vegetables.
Yogurt can be used as a substitute for sour cream in dip and dressing recipes. It has less calories, fat and cholesterol. Even whole milk yogurt or low-fat yogurt would be healthier than sour cream, and can work well in sauces. Just be careful not to heat sauces too quickly or they can curdle.
Yogurt can replace milk in many recipes, adding increased nutrition to baked goods such as waffles, pancakes, and muffins.
Frozen Yogurt
Healthy frozen yogurts have a seal indicating that they contain at least 10 million live and active cultures. This is known as the LAC seal. Frozen yogurt has less live and active cultures than refrigerator yogurt, but does have calcium and is more nutritious than ice cream.
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