How To Choose A Healthy Flavored Yogurt

Made with live active cultures, yogurt is a good source of probiotics and oftentimes important nutrients like calcium and protein. 

However, yogurt can quickly go from a healthy choice to more of a dessert thanks to the high amount of added sugars in many products.

And while the most nutritious choice is to buy plain yogurt and then sweeten it yourself with fresh fruit and a drizzle of honey, buying pre-flavored yogurt can oftentimes be more convenient. 

But with so many options on the market, how do you decide which yogurt is the best option for your health goals? 

Today I’m breaking down my main criteria when shopping for yogurt and sharing some go-to products to look for. 

How to choose a healthier flavored yogurt 

Here are the 5 things I always look at when buying yogurt: 

1. Protein

Whether you’re eating yogurt at breakfast or as a snack, the most important thing is to choose an option that will keep you full for longer. And that means protein. 

Unless you’ll be adding other high protein foods to your yogurt, such as hemp seeds or nut butters, I recommend choosing a product with at least 6 grams (but ideally 10 or more) grams of protein. 

While not a set rule, in general I try to look for products with as much or more protein than sugar.

In general, Greek and Icelandic-style yogurts are going to be higher in protein than regular yogurt.

While there are certainly exceptions, most dairy-free yogurts are going to have less than 6 grams of protein so you’ll likely need to add additional foods to them to help keep you full. 

2. Sugar

As milk contains natural sugars, what you want to focus on is the amount of added sugar in your yogurt as added sugars are what have been linked with increased risk for weight gain, obesity, and heart disease.

When shopping for yogurt, try to keep added sugars as low as possible, ideally 10 grams of added sugars or less.

However, if the label doesn’t specify added sugars, look for a product with 15 grams or less of total sugars and double check the ingredient list to see how high sugar is on the list. 

If sugar is the first or second ingredient, that means that a high percentage of the yogurt is made from added sugars, so I’ll usually move on and try to find a different option. 

As for sugar substitutes, I tend to avoid artificial sweeteners. Whether artificial sweeteners are bad for our overall health is controversial.

However, my personal bias is to choose more natural foods over processed ones, plus I find that artificial sweeteners are either too sweet tasting or leave a bad aftertaste. 

If you prefer a yogurt that is sweetened with a zero-calorie sweetener, then I recommend looking for ones containing natural sugar substitutes like Stevia or monk fruit. 

3. Live active cultures 

One health benefit of yogurt is that it traditionally contains beneficial bacteria called probiotics. 

While exactly how probiotics benefit our health is still being researched, so far it’s clear that having a healthy gut is linked with benefits for digestive, brain, heart, and immune health, as well as may influence our weight.

However, due to processing, some yogurts don’t actually contain these beneficial bacteria. Make sure to choose a product that specifically states that it contains live active cultures. 

4. Ingredient list

Ideally, opt for yogurts with short ingredient lists as that generally means that they’re less processed.

Yes, you still want to read through and see what the ingredients actually are, but if you’re in a rush, I’ve found a quick glance can oftentimes let you know if it’s worth examining the yogurt further. 

5. Calories and fat

The ideal amount of calories and fat will depend on your individual health goals. 

Personally, I prefer 2% or whole fat yogurt as I find it keeps me full for much longer. However, higher fat also means higher calories, so a low-fat or fat-free option may be a better choice. 

Just be careful as low-fat and fat-free flavored yogurts often make up for the lack of fat by adding in more sugar.  

Recommended flavored yogurt products

Ready to start shopping? Below are 7 flavored yogurt brands and products to keep your eyes out for at the store.

To make them easier to compare, I only included nutrition info for vanilla flavors. 

1. Icelandic Provisions 

One 5.3-ounce container of Traditional Vanilla Skyr (1.5% fat) provides 130 calories, 2 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 13 grams carbs, 0 grams fiber, 9 grams total sugar (7 grams added sugar), and 15 grams protein. 

Also known as skyr, Icelandic-style yogurts are almost always higher in protein and lower in sugar than even Greek yogurt due to how they’re made. 

And while Siggi’s (which we’ll touch on next) is arguably the most popular brand in the U.S., I personally like Icelandic Provisions a bit better as it isn’t quite as tart. 

All of Icelandic Provisions Traditional flavored skyr products contain 1.5% milk fat, 15 grams of protein, and just 9 to 10 grams of total sugar. 

For those who want a little more filling-power, they also offer whole fat skyr as well. However the higher fat options come in smaller portion sizes and are slightly lower in protein with 11 grams of protein and 9 to 10 grams of total sugar. 

2. Siggis 

One 5.3-ounce container of Siggi’s Vanilla & Cinnamon (2% fat) provides 140 calories, 3 grams fat (1.5 grams saturated), 14 grams carbs, 0 grams fiber, 11 grams total sugar (7 grams added sugar), and 15 grams protein. 

If you like your yogurt really thick and tart, then Siggis is for you.

In addition to being low in sugar and high in protein, Siggis also has a wide variety of options, including nonfat, low-fat, whole milk, lactose free, and triple cream.

Plus their Pumpkin and Spice yogurt that only comes out in the Fall is one of my all-time favorites! 

Most of their flavored yogurts contain around 15 grams of protein and just 10 to 11 grams of total sugar. 

3. Chobani Less Sugar 

One 5.3-oucne container of Chobani Less Sugar Greek Yogurt Madagascar Vanilla & Cinnamon provides 120 calories, 2.5 grams fat (1.5 grams saturated), 11 grams carb, 0 grams fiber, 9 grams total sugar (5 grams added sugar), and 12 grams protein. 

While regular Chobani flavored yogurts are often high in added sugar, their Less Sugar line is a great alternative that’s still made with real sugar and is free of artificial sweeteners. 

Each flavor has just 8 to 9 grams of sugar and 12 grams of protein to help keep you full.

4. Wallaby Organic No Sugar Added Aussie Greek Yogurt

One 5.3-ounce container of Aussie Greek Whole Milk Vanilla Chai No Added Sugar provides 130 calories, 5 grams fat (3.5 grams saturated), 10 grams carb, 1 gram fiber, 7 grams total sugar (0 grams added sugar), and 11 grams protein. 

What makes Wallaby’s line of no-sugar added Greek yogurts different from many others on the market is that it doesn’t use artificial or natural sugar substitutes. 

Instead, these yogurts are sweetened with organic fruit purees (apple and pear for the vanilla flavor), spices (like cinnamon and cardamom), and lemon juice. 

And before you jump to the conclusion that they must still be high in overall sugar due to the fruit purees, each flavor contains just 5 to 7 grams of total sugar per 5.3-ounce container.

All three flavors all also provide 11 grams of protein. 

5. YQ Protein 

One 5.3-ounce container of YQ Protein Vanilla provides 130 calories, 2.5 grams fat (1.5 grams saturated), 12 grams carb, 0 grams fiber, 11 grams total sugar (10 grams added sugar), and 15 grams protein. 

Yoplait’s YQ Protein line of yogurt is another good flavored option that’s high in protein and lower in sugar. Each flavor contains approximately 15 grams of protein and 10 grams of added sugar. 

Ingredient-wise they’re pretty impressive as well with overall short ingredient lists that are free of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.

They’re also free of protein powders, getting all the protein-goodness from ultra-filtered and regular non-fat milk. 

6. Two Good

One 5.3-ounce container of Two Good Vanilla Greek Lowfat Yogurt provides 80 calories, 2 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 3 grams carb, 0 grams fiber, 2 grams total sugar (0 grams added sugar), 12 grams protein. 

Two Good Greek yogurts are lower in sugar than many other flavored Greek yogurts due to a unique straining process that helps remove sugar from the milk. What’s left is just 2 grams of natural sugar (hence the name “Two Good”).  

All of their flavors contain just 80 calories, 2 grams of sugar, and 12 grams of protein.

However, they do include Stevia as a natural sugar-free substitute. So they may not be the best option if you dislike the aftertaste of Stevia.

7. Nancy’s Oatmilk Non-Dairy Yogurts

If you’re looking for a dairy-free yogurt alternative, you’ve likely noticed that many of them are very high in added sugars and quite low in protein. 

Nancy’s Oatmilk Non-Dairy Yogurts are one of the best options as they’re made with live active cultures, contain 6 grams of protein, and are all under 10 grams of total and added sugar. 

As for texture, Nancy’s Oatmilk Non-Dairy Yogurts have a smooth and creamy texture that’s very similar to traditional yogurt.

Just note that the plain flavor is quite tangy, so it’s one of the few times I’d recommend sticking with the flavored options instead. 

The Bottom Line 

With many flavored yogurts having 20 or more grams of added sugar, your seemingly healthy breakfast or snack can end up looking more like dessert. 

Luckily, there are flavored yogurt products out there that are both delicious to eat while also high in filling protein and reasonable in sugar. 

Of course, you can always skip the pre-flavored yogurts and take control over the sweetness level by buying plain yogurt and adding your own flavorings at home. 

Don’t forget to use the scanner in your Lose It! app when at the store to see how various flavored yogurts can fit into your nutrition goals for the day.