Is Yoplait Yogurt Healthy?

Is Yoplait Yogurt Healthy?
Photo Credit Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images

The food company Yoplait is a leading manufacturer of yogurt for retail outlets in the United States. Typically found in the dairy section of grocery stores, yogurt has become increasingly common as both a snack food and a healthier alternative to high-fat dairy products such as cream and regular sour cream. Yoplait and others brands of yogurt are available in various flavors and styles to suit the diverse preferences of consumers.

Yogurt Features

Yogurt is a tangy, thick dairy product with the texture of pudding. It is derived from milk combined with active live cultures such as Streptococcus thermophilus. The taste, texture and thickness result when the added cultures convert the sugar in milk, known as lactose, to lactic acid. Despite its widespread use as a snack food, yogurt is naturally low in fat and high in numerous healthy compounds. The beneficial substances in most yogurts include protein, minerals such as calcium and potassium, and vitamins A, D and B-12.

Types of Yoplait

Yoplait manufactures yogurt for more than a dozen product lines as of March 2011. The varieties include Fiber One, Greek, Light and Original. Each type comes in various flavors, ranging from widespread offerings such as peach and strawberry to less common options such as key lime pie and orange crème. Yoplait promotes the creamy texture and delicious taste of the various yogurt lines, as well as the different nutritional benefits of each brand.

Yoplait Features

Yoplait yogurts provide at least 5 g of protein in a standard 6-oz. serving and 1.5 g or less total fat. Several types -- such as Fiber One, Greek and Light, for example -- contain no fat at all. Other standard nutritional properties per serving include 10 mg or less cholesterol, 170 or less calories, and at least 10 percent of the suggested daily amount of calcium, phosphorous and vitamins A and D.

Additional health benefits distinct to each product line include 5 g of fiber in every serving of Fiber One, twice as much protein in every serving of Greek Yoplait, only 100 calories in every serving of Light Yoplait, and 50 percent of the recommended daily amount of calcium and vitamin D in every serving of Original Yoplait. If you need to restrict your calorie, salt and sugar consumption, however, Fiber One is the best choice. Sold in smaller 4-oz. containers, it has a mere 50 calories, 55 mg of sodium and 4 g of sugar per serving.

Another Health Benefit

Yoplait yogurt supplies more than just a number of nutrients essential for a healthy body. The various yogurt lines also contain live cultures that create beneficial bacteria called probiotics in your small intestine when you consume the products. These bacteria can improve your health further by helping you digest food more efficiently. To get the most nutritional benefits from yogurt, eat it cold and choose a plain nonfat variety. Unflavored yogurt contains active live cultures and milk only, but you can make it tastier by adding fresh fruit or a small portion of nuts.

References

Article reviewed by Julie Mendenhall Last updated on: May 26, 2011

Must see: Photo Galleries

Member Comments