Weight Loss & Diet Plans

The Benefits of Yogurt

10 Tips for Buying and Eating Yogurt

Here are 10 things to consider when buying and eating yogurt.

1. Decide Between Whole-Milk, Low-fat or Nonfat Yogurt

When buying yogurt, your first decision is whether you want regular-fat, low-fat, or fat-free.  You probably have a favorite brand, with just the right texture or tang for your taste buds. If so, stick with it. But do check the label for sugar content. Some flavors and brands have more than others.

Here are a few examples:

2. Choose Your Sweetener

The other decision is whether you want artificial sweeteners (which are used in most ''light'' yogurts) or whether you’re OK with most of the calories coming from sugar. If you are sensitive to aftertastes, you may want to avoid light yogurts. If you don't mind NutraSweet, there are lots of light yogurts to choose from, and all taste pretty good.

3. Look for Active Cultures and Probiotics

To make sure your yogurt contains active cultures, check the label. Most brands will have a graphic that says ''live and active cultures.''

If you want to know which specific active cultures your yogurt contains, look to the label again. Under the list of ingredients, many brands list the specific active cultures. For Activia by Dannon, for example, L.Bulgaricus, S.Thermophilus, and bifidobacterium are listed. This particular yogurt contains the probiotic culture bifidus regularis, which works to regulate your digestive system. So if constipation is your challenge, this might be the probiotic for you.

4. Team Yogurt With Flaxseed

Get in the habit of stirring in a tablespoon of ground flaxseed every time you reach for a yogurt. A tablespoon of ground flaxseed will add almost 3 grams of fiber and approximately 2 grams of healthy plant omega-3s, according to the product label on Premium Gold brand ground golden flaxseed.

5. Look for Vitamin D

When enjoying calcium-rich yogurt, why not choose one that also boosts your intake of vitamin D? Some brands list 0% of the Daily Value for vitamin D; others have 20%. (See the table above.)