Greek yogurt is healthy, nutritious, uniquely tasty, and easy to grab and go for a quick and delicious meal or snack.
Including Greek yogurt in your diet is especially helpful if you are wondering how you can boost your protein intake. A single serving packs about 15 or more grams—nearly double the protein of regular yogurt. Greek yogurt is also a rich source of probiotics, which support a healthy gut microbiome.
Greek yogurt and regular yogurt start out with the same ingredients, but the end results are most definitely different. Here’s what you need to know about choosing the best Greek yogurt.
What Is Greek Yogurt?
Greek yogurt is the fermented and strained dairy product made just like regular yogurt, except it is strained into a uniquely tangy, thick, and creamy result. It’s higher in protein and some other nutrients than regular yogurt, and people with lactose sensitivity may find it easier to tolerate it.
How Greek Yogurt Is Made
Greek yogurt is made by fermenting heated milk with live bacterial cultures. After it ferments and thickens, it is strained. The milk is heated to ensure only the added beneficial bacteria (Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus) are fermented. Fermentation occurs when these bacteria, or starter cultures, change the milk sugar (lactose) into lactic acid. The lactic acid causes the milk to thicken and curdle, which gives yogurt its tart and tangy flavor. After the fermentation process, which takes up to 12 hours, the liquid, or whey, is strained, leaving thick and creamy Greek yogurt.
Making Greek yogurt at home requires just two ingredients: milk and yogurt that contains active live cultures. The process is as simple as heating the milk, cooling it slightly before adding a small amount of yogurt, letting it ferment, and then straining it once it’s reached your desired thickness. The longer it’s strained, the thicker it becomes.
Health Benefits of Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt is one of the best ways to get more protein into your diet. A single 6-ounce serving typically contains about 15 to 18 grams of protein. At a time when daily recommended levels of protein are increasing—specifically for groups like older adults, growing children and teens, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and athletes—Greek yogurt makes it easier to include more protein in your diet. Protein helps support muscle maintenance and growth, and high activity levels. Also, studies have shown protein to support fullness, or satiety, which can help with weight management and weight loss.
Probiotic-rich foods, including Greek yogurt, are good for gut health. Through the process of fermentation of milk with beneficial live active bacterial cultures, Greek yogurt probiotics help improve the gut’s population of healthy probiotic bacteria. Probiotics are also linked with better digestive health and a stronger immune system.
The many Greek yogurt benefits may particularly apply to people with lactose sensitivity or intolerance. It may be easier for some individuals with this issue to tolerate Greek yogurt, mostly because of the straining process that removes the whey, which contains most of the lactose. The live cultures used to make Greek yogurt help break down much of the remaining lactose.
Greek Yogurt vs. Regular Yogurt
Both Greek yogurt and regular yogurt contain the same ingredients: milk and the starter cultures. The differences between them—specifically their taste, texture, and nutrients—are due to the way they are made. They are both fermented, but straining the whey after fermentation results in the thicker, more concentrated Greek yogurt. Regular yogurt is either partially strained or not strained at all, so it’s much more liquid in texture, sometimes almost drinkable.
“Greek yogurt typically has higher concentrations of nutrients because of the traditional style of production, which includes straining the yogurt to provide a thicker product,” says dietitian Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN. “This process means you get more nutrients—in particular protein and calcium—per serving compared with regular yogurts.” In addition, it’s easy to find plain Greek yogurt, which Palmer says means less additives, such as sweeteners and artificial flavors, which are so commonly found in regular yogurts.
Choosing between Greek yogurt vs. regular yogurt depends on your health and lifestyle goals. Greek yogurt protein levels are nearly double those of regular yogurt. If you’re looking to eat more protein for building muscle or weight loss, the protein in Greek yogurt can help support muscle building and recovery and control hunger by making you feel fuller longer.
However, if you want to increase your calcium intake, you are better off eating regular yogurt. The liquid whey, which is not strained from regular yogurt, contains most of the calcium in yogurt, giving regular yogurt nearly twice the calcium of Greek yogurt. If you like a milder flavor with a more liquid, not-so-thick texture, whether by taste preference or the way you’ll use it, choose regular yogurt.
How to Choose the Best Greek Yogurt
Scan the package labels to be sure you’re selecting the Greek yogurt that best meets your needs. “Look for those that do not contain large amounts of added sugars,” Palmer says. “I recommend using plain, low-fat Greek yogurt to keep added sugars and saturated fats within a healthy level. Look for live active cultures, too.” Choosing Greek yogurt and regular yogurt products with live active cultures is important because they are linked with gut health benefits.
Opting for plain Greek yogurt should mean you’re getting no added sugars, but check the Nutrition Facts label to be sure. All types of dairy yogurts contain natural sugars, so expect Greek yogurt to have some sugar. It will be listed under “total sugars,” but the “added sugars” line should be zero. A 6-ounce serving of sweetened Greek yogurt may contain as much as 20 grams of added sugar—that’s 5 teaspoons. The American Heart Association recommends consuming no more than 25 grams (6 teaspoons) of sugar per day for women and no more than 36 grams (9 teaspoons) daily for men.
Nonfat or low-fat Greek yogurt contains zero to about 2.5 grams of saturated fat per 6-ounce serving, which nutrition experts consider to be a healthy level. Full-fat, or whole-milk, Greek yogurt contains 4 to 5 grams of saturated fat per serving, which means it takes up a larger portion of the recommended daily level of 20 grams for people following a standard 2,000-calorie-per-day diet.
Easy Ways to Use Greek Yogurt
Looking for ways to fit Greek yogurt into your daily meal plan? Palmer suggests starting your day with Greek yogurt as your go-to breakfast. “Just add fruit, granola, and nuts and you have a balanced breakfast with protein-rich dairy, whole grains, fruit, and healthy fats via nuts,” she says. “This is also a nutritious snack and treat the whole family will love.”
If your mornings don’t leave a lot of time for preparing breakfast, purchase individually packaged Greek yogurts, or meal prep yourself the night or weekend before for a grab-and-go breakfast, lunch, or snack. Try Greek yogurt in smoothies, too.
When it comes to any meal of the day, “Greek yogurt offers a thick tangy flavor, which makes it ideal for cooking without the saturated fat, such as in dressings, salads, side dishes, and casseroles,” Palmer says. Swap Greek yogurt for sour cream and mayonnaise, which can contain a lot of fat and calories and even sugar and other unwanted additives and preservatives. Your family will never know the difference.
Possible Downsides
While Greek yogurt can be a healthy part of most diets, there are a few potential downsides to consider before including it in yours. There is always the chance that it could contain added sugars. Flavored varieties are often sweetened, which can add more sugar and calories than you may want in your or your family’s diet. “Just stir in fruit to add natural sweetness and a boost of nutrition,” Palmer says.
Straining means Greek yogurt contains less lactose than regular yogurt, so some people with lactose sensitivity can eat it without digestive issues, like bloating, gas, stomach upset, and diarrhea. The same is not necessarily the case for people who are lactose intolerant or those who have a milk allergy or sensitivity to casein and whey proteins in milk. Always check with your healthcare provider before including Greek yogurt in your diet if you have or are concerned you may have a sensitivity or intolerance.
