hi
i love fage (greek yoghurt with honey). since there is honey in it, is it still considered healthy?
A few weekends ago I was in LA with my buddy Vince “No Nonsense” Del Monte and a few other fitness friends for a marketing conference, and upon arriving at our hotel the very first thing Vinny and I did was take a taxi run to the grocery store.
Now, generally we’d be a little more laid back when traveling for the weekend, but fact is we’re both currently “in training” for an upcoming deadline and we know that we’ll make the best food choices when we’re in control of the menu.
So we hit the grocery store, and one of the things I happened to pick up was yogurt.
You see, yogurt can be both delicious and healthy, but the problem is that most people are mistakenly buying yogurt that is TERRIBLE for their health and waistline, even though it’s touted as “healthy as can be”.
Take for example, this label from a popular “low fat” yogurt:
Sounds like a healthy option…”low fat yogurt”. But no. 33 grams of carbs, 27 grams of sugar (most of which is dreaded high fructose corn syrup), and only 5 grams of protein. That is, essentially, a recipe for fat storage despite the fact it’s “low fat”.
So, what type of yogurt should you be eating? Without a doubt the answer is plain Greek yogurt. Compared to the above, plain Greek yogurt has 6xs the protein and 1/3 as much sugar (which is simply the naturally occuring milk sugars lactose and galactose).
That’s 31 grams of protein per 8 oz and just 12 grams of low-glycemic carbs!
Need something a little sweeter than plain yogurt? Throw some mixed berries in (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, etc) and/or sweeten it a tad with some Splenda or Stevia. DELICIOUS.
This is one of my favorite snacks throughout the day, and it packs a ton of high quality nurtients in to a very filling meal.
Take home message: Ditch the sugar-laden “junk” yogurt and go with delicious, thick, plain Greek Yogurt instead (look for the 0% fat variety).
P.S. The above yogurt and berry blend was actually a small part of tonight’s HUGE dinner, which also included an ample-sized lean steak, mashed sweet potatoes with cinnamon, quinoa mixed with pumpkin seeds and cranberries, green beans sauteed with garlic and roasted tomatoes, a huge spinach salad with roasted tomatoes, goat cheese, artichokes, blackened chicken and avocado, and jumbo grilled asparagus topped with organic blue cheese crumbles.
And you know what? Dinners like that are the norm EVERY SINGLE DAY of my brand new rapid fat loss 28-day diet, The HUGE Dinner Diet.
Want a copy of the Huge Dinner Diet? Well, although you can’t even buy it for another 6 months, I’ve decided to give a free copy of the HDD to any one of my readers that picks up a discounted copy of my buddy John Romaniello’s brand new Superhero Workout program. Even if you never even open John’s program, you’re going to get my brand new 28-day rapid fat loss Huge Dinner Diet system 6 months early, and cheaper than it will be later. Think of the Superhero Workout as a “bonus” to an already ridiculous, exclusive deal.
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199 comments - add yours
Hey Joel
Thanks for your warning here on so-called healthy yoghurt. I knew it was too great to be true this so-called low fat yoghurt that taste so sweet can be great for waistline.
Very good info, Joel !!
I am a Dietician and know a lot about food, but still learning more and more from you.
I like the way that you milk things down.
Keep up the good advices, it’s a pleasure to read your articles!
Yvette Nai (Netherlands)
I have been eating Greek yogurt for a few months now. Took a little getting used to but with a little Truvia (Stevia) and/or fruit and some times a handful of all natural almonds, it is good!
I am in process of applying the caveman approach to my diet and eating only stuff that contains no refined sugars, chemicals or unneccessary ingredients which is difficult but when applied thoroughly last september dropped lbs of fat without counting any calories. keep up the good work, woop, woop ,rolonde u.k.
Much needed and vital wisdom for a regular dairy consumer like me.
Does the farm raised, straight from the source yogurt(prevalent in this part of Asia, India) also get a bad rap from you?
Thank you very much for the post. I was wondering what type of yoghurt I should get besides the tubs with deceiving ‘low fat’ claims. It’s time to get them out of the fridge.
Thanks for the great tip, Joel! Would a bit of raw honey be a viable choice to sweeten the greek yogurt too? Fresh berries are hard to come-by here in South Africa, and when available they are prohibitively expensive. Take care! Andrew
What about Natural Sheeps Milk Yoghurt?
I am Greek, so I can’t argue!
Hey everybody, if you can, get your hands on a yoghurt named “Total” from FAGE. It’s the best Greek yoghurt, imho.
Hi Joel,
There is also Great Turkish Yogurt that is on a par with the Greek one..
The problem is our society is so JUNK infested thats all we know. Convenience is a BIG factor in contributing to the ease of accessing not so healthy food. Thank you for pointing out the unhealthy side of yogurt. Who knew? We all need to stop and read before we just shovel it in with out a care :0)
Excellent point – Just read the label and you know what you are getting yourself into! … I love yogurt and natural is an acquired taste but once you get used to it and if you do add somethings things its quite enjoyable!
Raymond
Thanks for the tip. Really was not aware of how bad some other yogurts could be. Sometimes I guess I put a little to much trust in corp America.
You are right on track to let people know the ugly side of yogurt. It is an advertising nightmare for people trying to loose weight.
Hi Joel,
I just love plain yoghurt and fresh blackberries straight off the bush. Wonderful start to the day.
Go start your own plain yoghurt bar with a selection of blackberries, rasberries, cranberries, blueberries and even gooseberries if you can get them.
Invite all those overly indulgent souls to start the day right and then get them on to your other programmes and diets.
Have fun!
Arthur
Hello Joel
I have recently started to make my own yogurt so i know what goes into it. My yogurt is so easy to make, contains no sugar and is cheap nutricious and the best i have ever tasted.
Mike (From the UK)
Hi,
What id we can get yogurt made from real pure milk. wouldnt that be an awesome health food. what is better on a fitness diet, milk or yogurt?
I am in Australia, on the flooded side. Just finished my bowl of greek yoghurt and berries. Nice to hear I’m eating something right and satisfies my sweet tooth.
Thanks Joel
Hey Joel, great info as always!
Was that really “low fat”?? I don’t know how things go in the states, but in France a low fat yoghurt has half the calories of that! In any case, as Raymond says, the take home message is you HAVE to read the ingredients list and nutritional info!!
I will also add that your yoghurt (and any other dairy product) should be organic (from grass fed animals). Then you really will have all the benefits from it.
P.S.: yoghurt + berries is also one of my favourite snacks, along with yoghurt + cinnamon + apple + walnuts… mmmm!! ;)
Hi Joel,
Quick comment/question. For years now we’ve being making our own yoghurt using a strain of yoghurt culture that some researcher over here (Japan) found near the Caspian Sea communities. To whit it’s called Caspi-kai (Caspian sea) yoghurt. It’s a really strong culture that is a cinch to whip up. We buy a carton of non-fat milk (with no additives), add a half a cup or so of the pervious batch, shake and set it out for a few hours, (depending on how cold/warm the house is) and boom, the next batch is ready. Not as wonderfully refined as store-bought but we know exactly what’s in it and it tastes great. Have you heard of this?
Hi Joel,
Thanks for your invaluable information. I feel so cheated by the food industry. After all it is the source of our health and they lie and deceive us so much. If it wasn’t for your information and dedication to being truthful and being so generous to share your knowledge, I would be constantly making what I think are good choices and wondering why I fail constantly to lose weight. Again, thanks.
Hi Joel,
Great info. I switched to Greek yogurt a year or so ago. I even bought myself a little yogurt make for under $15 and make my own. I use Calorie Countdown milk which has only 3 carbs per cup. No additives or preservatives.. great stuff. For breakfast I add a spoonful of SF preserves and a few nuts or berries and I am good to go. Very filling.
You mentioned the 0% variety or what in South Africa would be called the plain fat-free yoghurt. Many nutritionists are now saying that low-fat and fat-free dairy products are bad for you because of the things that are done to the products in order to “stabilise” them. We all know that the brain needs fat in order to function properly.
I already buy the greek yogurt but not the plain, it has fruit in it. I think it tastes really good. But after reading this article I will buy the plain and add some sweetener to it. Thanks so much for all of your tips.
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Hey, it’s Joel! So you want to know a little more about me, huh? Well, I’d be happy to oblige :-)
I guess it all started back in 2001 (my freshman year of college) when I was just a “skinny fat” 19-year old kid. At the time, I was spending close to 2 hours a day in the gym (now my workouts last about 30 minutes), and despite my efforts, you’d probably never guess I worked out a day in my life by looking at me...