Yogurt is also a very valuable source of protein, calcium, potassium, and B vitamins. Whether enjoyed on its own for a snack, topped with nuts and berries at breakfast, or used in everything from veggie dips to muffin batter, yogurt is a major food staple enjoyed by many.
Yogurt gets its classic taste from the two most common bacterial strains added in making it – Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus. And it’s the bacteria that makes it such a great choice for maintaining gut health.
Selecting a quality yogurt
As a basic starting point, look for a product that is named yogurt. It seems straightforward enough, but steer clear of yogurt-esque terms like YotoGo, Yocrunch or others that may indicate the product contains more add-ins than actual yogurt.
Check the ingredients list. As with other wholesome foods, the shorter and simpler the list, the better. Healthy yogurts will have milk as the main ingredient along with healthy bacterial cultures and perhaps fruit if it is flavoured.
There should be some milk fat in the product (% mf). Although it might seem like zero percent mf yogurt is ideal, the vast majority of those ‘no’ or ‘ultra-low fat’ yogurts have very high carbohydrate and sugar counts and a far less creamy texture. Generally, choose a yogurt in the range of 1.5-5% mf. If yogurt is what you opt for instead of a rich dessert, or if it’s for kids or anyone who needs to keep weight on or gain weight, a 9% or higher mf, as is typically found in Mediterranean-style yogurt, is a great way to go.
Gut Instincts
Yogurt naturally contains bacterial culture and if the label states that it has active bacterial culture, it will have probiotics which are microorganisms that can contribute to a healthy gut flora. Read claims carefully to ensure the digestive system benefits of the product are not being overstated. To be called a probiotic food, yogurt must contain at least one billion live probiotic cultures of a recognized probiotic species per serving.
Source: guide to choosing yogurt