Is It Worth Drinking Yogurts? Fruit Yogurts with Good Ingredients
Which Yogurts Are Healthy?
I completely understand that taste preferences vary widely, and not everyone likes the taste of natural yogurt, especially when dealing with children.
There's nothing wrong with that, but it's important to read the label carefully and pay attention to a few key elements when reaching for fruit yogurts.
In this article, I would like to show you what to look for when buying these products.
Simple Ingredients and Fruit Content
“The shorter the ingredient list, the better” is a rule that applies here as well and often proves true!
The ingredients should primarily include milk/yogurt and fruit, and these should be listed first.
Sugar
This ingredient, aside from its flavor properties, mainly serves to extend the product's shelf life. Therefore, it's challenging to find fruit yogurts without added sugar on the Polish market.
It's worth ensuring that sugar isn't the first ingredient. When choosing yogurts, compare the available options in the store and select those with the least sugar in the ingredient list.
Nutritional Value
First and foremost, compare and choose yogurts that:
contain more protein,
contain less sugar (listed as carbohydrates, below “including sugars”),
contain less salt.
Unnecessary Ingredients
Ideally, yogurts should not contain artificial colors, preservatives, or flavors. Below are the most commonly added unnecessary ingredients in yogurts:
flavoring, starch
pectin
xanthan gum
locust bean gum
guar gum
carrageenan
gelatin
calcium lactate
citric acid
colorings and others
We should avoid these ingredients! If they are present, they should be at the very end of the ingredient list.
Which Fruit Yogurts Are Healthy?
Below are my suggestions for fruit yogurts with good ingredients available in supermarkets:
Source: bakoma.pl
Organic Strawberry Yogurt - Bakoma
Ingredients: Organic pasteurized milk, Organic strawberries 15%, Organic cane sugar, Organic pasteurized cream, Live yogurt cultures and Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis
Source: biedronka.pl/pl/fruvita-pure
Fruvita PURE Yogurt + Fruits + Grains (Biedronka)
Ingredients: natural yogurt 60% (milk, yogurt cultures), pureed fruits 38% (blueberry 20%, banana 18%), oat flakes 1%, flaxseed 1%.
Source: piatnica.com.pl
Piątuś Raspberry
Ingredients: pasteurized milk, pasteurized cream, raspberry puree 12%, sugar, citrus fiber, natural flavors, milk cultures.
Source: biedronka.pl/pl/fruvita
Fruvita - Skyr (Biedronka)
Ingredients: Milk, strawberries 8%, sugar, natural flavor, concentrated lemon juice, carrot concentrate, yogurt cultures.
Source: centrumrespo.pl/dieta/jogurty-owocowe-ranking/
Pilos, Greek Style Raspberry Yogurt (Lidl)
Ingredients: pasteurized milk, raspberry filling (12% raspberry puree in yogurt, sugar, citrus fiber, natural flavors), live yogurt cultures: Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus
Which Yogurt is the Healthiest?
Fruit yogurts can be a good alternative, especially when we need a quick and tasty meal on the go or in busy everyday situations.
However, remember that healthy also means varied!
It's worth including natural yogurts in your diet. They allow us to control the content of additives such as fruits, nuts, or honey, enabling us to adjust the taste and composition of yogurt to our own taste preferences and nutritional needs.
What to Look for When Buying Natural Yogurt?
The ideal yogurt consists of milk and yogurt cultures.
Additives found in yogurts include:
milk powder
milk proteins
probiotic bacterial strains
Milk powder is primarily added to improve texture. However, it also enriches yogurt with protein. Be aware that there are discussions about whether milk powder can be a source of oxidized LDL cholesterol and whether some substances added to it may affect health.
Therefore, if we can choose yogurts without added milk powder, they are a better choice.
Milk proteins and probiotic bacterial strains are desirable additions in yogurts!
Below are my suggestions for natural yogurts with good ingredients available in supermarkets:
Source: biedronka.pl/pl/fruvita
Fruvita - Natural Skyr (Biedronka)
Ingredients: Pasteurized milk, live yogurt cultures: Streptococcus thermophilus; Lactobacillus bulgaricus
Source: maluta.pl
Maluta - High Protein Natural Yogurt
Ingredients: pasteurized milk, live yogurt cultures: Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus
Source: bakoma.pl
Bakoma - Thick Natural Yogurt
Ingredients: milk, live yogurt cultures (10⁸ CFU/g)*: Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus as well as L. acidophilus LA5 and Bifidobacterium lactis BB12
Source: lidl.pl/c/pilos/
Pilos - Lactose-Free Natural Yogurt
Ingredients: milk, milk proteins, yogurt cultures
Finally, Let's Compare Fruit Yogurts vs. Natural :)
Source: piatnica.com.pl/produkty
Natural Skyr Drinking Yogurt
Ingredients: per 100g - 64 kcal, 7.6g Protein, 1.6g Fat, 4.3g Carbohydrates (3.9g of which sugars)
Source: piatnica.com.pl/produkty
Mango-Passion Fruit Skyr Drinking Yogurt
Ingredients: per 100g - 80 kcal, 6.5g Protein, 1.5g Fat, 10g Carbohydrates (10g of which sugars)
No matter which variant we choose, yogurts are a valuable source of protein, probiotics, and other nutrients that positively impact our health. Therefore, it's worth experimenting, trying different options, and enjoying their benefits as part of a balanced diet!
Remember that the main difference between natural and fruit yogurts is sugar, which should be limited in the diet. So I encourage you to choose natural yogurts more often :) Let's maintain balance in everything!
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