From Muller to Weight Watchers, we've compared the best and worst yogurt for your diet to find out which is the healthiest yogurt you should be eating.
Healthy yogurts are a fridge staple in most family homes for the simple reason that they’re quick and easy lunchbox solutions, great dessert options and a good source of calcium (and sometimes fruit, depending on which one you go for). But are you sure you’re choosing the healthiest yogurt for your needs? Take a look through this list of best and worst yogurt for your diet to decide for yourself…
Deciphering the details can be time consuming and confusing, so we’ve done the hard work for you. With the help of nutritionist Dr Sana Khan, we’ve compared different varieties of yogurt ranging from kids’ favourites like Munch Bunch and Petits Filous, well-known healthy yogurt brands like Onken and Danone, to other favourites like Greek yogurt, so you know which healthiest yogurts to bulk buy and those to leave on the shelf.
Read more: The best time to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner if you want to lose weight
With alarming levels of sugar, high calories and lots of fat in some of the most popular supermarket favourites, the presumed ‘healthiest yogurts’ could be doing more damage than good with many people not realising which ones aren’t very good for us after all.
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In fact, one of the healthy yogurts we rated contains a staggering 18.8g of sugar – that’s nearly 40% of your daily allowance in one go!
Dr Sana Khan says, “Yoghurt is a great source of protein but I would recommend the ones that are not packed with sugar. The one rated the best here is the probiotic goats milk yoghurt, which is live and has less sugar. It contains just 3.1g sugar per serving and also contains live bacteria which may help support gut health.”
A new study also revealed that lots of yogurts branded ‘healthy’ contain almost all of a child’s recommended daily sugar intake – that is nearly five sugar cubes!
Worst on Public Health England Liverpool’s list was Muller corner with 4.9 sugar cubes. Aldi’s own brand yogurt took a close second place with 4.7 cubes. Each cube represents 4g sugar.
Read more: Healthy cereal: The best and worst cereals revealed
Total Greek 0% Fat Free Yogurt with Honey
Rating for calorie-counters: 2/10
Cal: 108 kCal
Fat: Nil
Sat Fat: Nil
Sugar: 18.8g - highest sugar amount!
Salt: Trace
Price: £1.10 for 170g from Waitrose
Verdict: Despite containing only the tinest trace of fat and saturated fat as it's aptly named, Total Greek 0% Fat Free Yogurt with Honey has the highest amount of sugar in the twenty yogurts we tested. However, Total is high in protein, so you'll probably find it'll satisfy you for longer than some other pots.
Dr Sana Khan says, "The fat free aspect is quite misleading. Often when fat is removed, it is replaced by sugar as is in this case. Making something low in fat isn’t necessarily healthier and in this case will be more of a reason to result in an insulin surge meaning you are likely to crave for another sugar rich food a few hours later."
Rachel’s Greek Style Natural Yoghurt
Rating for calorie-counters: 7/10
Cal:131 kCal
Fat: 9.0g
Sat Fat: 5.6g
Sugar: 5.0g
Salt: 0.1g
Price: £1.30 for 450g at Sainsbury's
Verdict: While Rachel's contains a rather sizeable amount of fat, it has a much lower quantity of sugar than many of the other yoghurts available, meaning it'll be less likely to add weight to your middle.
Dr Sana Khan says, "This yogurt is great for a snack as it helps support blood sugar levels. It's not packed full of sugar and does contain some fat. You can add a portion of fresh fruit to this if you wish."
Yeo Valley Organic Natural Probiotic Yogurt
Rating for calorie-counters: 8/10
Cal: 82 kCal
Fat: 4.2g
Sat Fat: 2.6g
Sugar: 6.6g
Salt: 0.2g
Price: £1.24 for 500g at Asda
Verdict: Yeo Valley is almost as famous for its advert as it is for its yogurt. As nutritional ratings go, this is fairly middle of the road. It's not particularly high in calories, fat or sugar as long as you're strict on enjoying 100g only per serving. The range of flavours also makes this brand an all-round winner with the whole family.
Dr Sana Khan says, "This yogurt contains gut health supporting live bacteria! With plain yoghurt options you have the option of adding fruit to it to make it more filling and nutrient dense. The fruit flavoured options already have a lot of sugar to start off with so don’t recommend adding fruit to it."
Activia 0% Fat Free Vanilla, Pineapple, Peach & Mango Yogurt
Rating for calorie-counters: 7/10
Cal: 50 kCal
Fat: 0.1g
Sat Fat: Trace
Sugar: 7.4g
Salt: Trace
Price: £3 for 8 pots/125g at Asda
Verdict: While the salt and calorie count is low, these pots still contain a fair amount of sugar, which can go straight to your tummy and be tricky to get rid of. However, as long as you're pairing this with fruit in the morning, it's a quick and easy breakfast for busy mums.
Dr Sana Khan says, " This yogurt is not the lowest in sugar, but it is low in fat and calories. It also claims to contain strains of good bacteria."
Danone Light and Free Greek Style Peach Passion Fruit Yogurt
Rating for calorie-counters: 8/10
Cal: 52 kCal per 115g serving
Fat: 0.1g
Sat Fat: 0.1g
Sugar: 6.7g
Salt: 0.2g
Price: £2.50 for 4 pots at Morrisons
Verdict: With a low calorie count, low fat content, and super low amount of salt, the Danone Light & Free Peach and Passion Fruit yoghurt is one of the healthiest yoghurt choices you can make! While it's in part due to the smaller cartons, it means you can have a delicious sweet treat with almost no guilt.
Dr Sana Khan says, "This yogurt is low in fat, has a reasonable sugar content and is low in calories. The only concern is it may not be as filling as other yogurts with more fat content. It's a good idea to add some flaxseeds or chia seeds on top otherwise you may be hungry again just an hour after consuming."
Alpro Soya Strawberry Yogurts
Rating for calorie-counters: 6/10
Cal: 78 kCal
Fat: 1.9g
Sat Fat: 0.3g
Sugar: 10.0g
Salt: 0.2g
Price: £1.70 for 4 pots/125g at Sainsburys
Verdict: Soya is often considered a healthier alternative to fatty cow's milk, however with 10g of sugar per 100g, Alpro's soya yogurts aren't as 'healthy' as we might have assumed. Saying this, they do taste incredible, we'd bet that even soya-phobes would enjoy one.
Dr Sana Khan says, "Soya makes this yogurt vegan and vegetarian friendly and claims to have good probiotic strains added to it. However, sugar content is pretty high at 10g per serving."
Perle de Lait Coconut Yoghurt
Rating for calorie-counters: 4/10
Cal: 163 kCal -
Fat:10.9g
Sat Fat: 0.1g
Sugar: 9.9g
Salt: 0.1g
Price: £1.50 for 4 pots at Sainsbury's
Verdict: With 163 calories, this is definitely one of the most calorific yogurts we tested - but that doesn't necessarily mean it's bad. Its sugar content isn't as high as some of the more kid-focused offerings, but it's still up there among the highest. So while it may be deliciously creamy, the Perle de Lait coconut might not be the best choice if you're after a healthy snack.
Dr Sana Khan says, "Sugar content is slightly less here which makes this an average option."
St Helen’s Farm Low Fat Goats Milk Yogurt
Rating for calorie-counters: 8.5/10
Cal: 55 kCal
Fat: 1.6g
Sat Fat: 1.1g
Sugar: 3.1g
Salt: 0.1g
Price: £2.29 for 450g at Waitrose
Verdict: Cow's milk doesn't necessarily agree with everyone's skin and digestion, but nut milks (cashew, almond, coconut) can be expensive. Goats' milk, however is relatively easy to find and easier on the purse, plus it's not as allergenic at cow's milk. St Helen's Farm specialises in it and the yogurts are delicious. Plus they're pretty good for us too. Two scoops of this with some berries in the morning and you'll be ready for anything.
Dr Sana Khan says, "Goats milk generally can be better tolerated by our GI system. This yogurt also contains probiotic cultures."
Waitrose Natural Fat Free Fromage Frais
Rating for calorie-counters: 8/10
Cal: 50 kCal per 100g -
Fat: 0.1g
Sat Fat: trace
Sugar: 4.2g
Salt: 0.09g
Price: £1.25 for 500g
Verdict: This creamy Waitrose yoghurt has one of the lowest calorie counts of the lot, and very low amounts of fat and salt, making it one of the most healthy options available! It does have a significant amount of sugar however that you should be aware of.
Dr Sana Khan says, "I like this fromage frais - it can be used over a salad, on top of fruit, or even by itself. It's filling, protein dense and not sugar laden."
Onken Cherry Yogurt
Rating for calorie-counters: 5/10
Cal: 107 kCal
Fat: 2.7g
Sat Fat: 1.7g
Sugar: 14.8g
Salt: 0.2g
Price: £1.20 for 450g from Tesco
Verdict: For flavour, this is without a doubt one of our favourite yogurts. However the calorie and sugar levels could leave a sour taste for those looking to lose weight. Rather than avoiding this altogether, we've been enjoying it on a Sunday morning as more of a treat than our usual healthy yogurt.
Sainsbury’s Basic Low Fat Peach Yogurt
Rating for calorie-counter: 4/10
Cal: 86 kCal
Fat: 1.3g
Sat Fat: 0.8g
Sugar: 13.8g
Salt: 0.1g
Price: 15p for 125g at Sainsburys - cheapest yogurt!
Verdict: While this yogurt pot is light on your purse, it might not help you lose as weight as fast as you'd like to due to the high levels of sugar. If you're trying to budget don't be deterred completely, just try to eat smaller quantities and mix with fresh fruit like blueberries.
Dr Sana Khan says, "Terms such as low fat and peach can falsify that this is a great weight loss healthy option. But this isn’t the case as the sugar content is not exactly low (13.8g per serving)."
Danone Oykos Strawberry Yogurts
Rating for calorie-counters: 3/10
Cal: 160 kCal
Fat: 9.1g
Sat Fat: 5.8g
Sugar: 15.4g
Salt: 0.2g
Price: £2.00 for 4 pots/110g at Sainsbury's
Verdict: Despite their fruit content, Danone aren't as healthy as you might have thought. Plus they're not too friendly on the purse either. Save these for a once-in-a-while dessert, rather than a between-meal snack.
Dr Sana Khan says, "These do contain quite a bit of sugar. There is a protein content and fat content combined, then this should not cause an insulin surge and therefore from a ‘diet’ perspective, it isn’t the worst choice in terms of blood sugar balance. However, the sugars and fat present are far from ideal. The ‘fruit’ aspect may falsify this being a ‘healthy’ option."
Wildlife Strawberry And Peach Fromage Frais
Rating for calorie-counters: 5/10
Cal: 95 kCal -
Fat: 2.3g
Sat Fat: 1.6g
Sugar: 12g
Salt: 0.13g
Price: £2 for 18 pots/45g at Tesco
Verdict: These tasty little pots contain more sugar than you might expect so make sure they're a treat rather than your regular go-to yogurt.
Dr Sana Khan says, "Kiddi’s targeted but not ideal for kids or adults because sugar isn’t ideal. But what is good is the portion size is smaller, it's definitely a cheaper option compared to some of the others, fat content is average and per serving the calories is 95."
Petits Filous Strawberry & Raspberry Fromage Frais
Rating for calorie-counters: 5/10
Cal: 93 kCal
Fat: 2.8g
Sat Fat: 1.9g
Sugar: 12.2g
Salt: Trace
Price: £1 for 4 pots/100g at Asda
Verdict: Who doesn't love a mini pot of Petit Filous? While these yummy little pots aren't the healthiest, they do have a high level of calcium and minimal salt content. If your little one is a fan, limit them to one pot every now and then rather than taking these yogurts out of their diet completely.
Dr Sana Khan says, "Sometimes in my opinion, when yoghurts are packaged in smaller portions, they may be better for someone who can easily indulge in a large family sized pot. It can help with portion control for those who are on a ‘diet'."
Muller Crunch Corner Toffee Hoops
Rating for calorie-counters: 1/10
Cal: 148 kCal - highest calorie count!
Fat: 5.3g
Sat Fat: 3.4g
Sugar: 18.4g
Salt: 0.14g
Price: 55p for 1 pot at Tesco
Verdict: We don't know a family who doesn't like Muller Crunch Corner yogurts. Unfortunately with the highest amount of calories and sugar, these aren't the healthiest yogurt, so one to save for a special treat.
Dr Sana Khan says, "Sugar laden, not so much yoghurt is often present in these muller corners. "
Nestle Smarties Vanilla Split Pot Yogurt Dessert
Rating for calorie-counters: 2/10
Cal: 135 kCal -
Fat: 5.3g
Sat Fat: 3.2g
Sugar: 15g
Salt: 0.25g
Price: £2.10 for 4 pots/120g at Ocado
Verdict: If you're looking for a treat and need a little hit of chocolate, this yogurt it great. It's definitely not one of the healthiest yogurts on the list but it also isn't the worst.
Dr Sana Khan says, "This yogurt is not necessarily the best or worst option. It does contain a whopping 15g of sugar, and the portion of yoghurt seems to be quite small therefore it isn’t ideal choice for kids or adults."
Weight Watchers Tangy Citrus Fruit Yogurts
Rating for calorie-counters: 5/10
Cal: 47 kCal - lowest calorie count!
Fat: 0.2g
Sat Fat: 0.1g
Sugar: 6.3g
Salt: 0.1g
Price: £1.50 for 4 pots/120g at Tesco
Verdict: True to the name, Weight Watchers has come out on top with these tasty citrus yogurts. Whether you're looking for drastic weight loss or simply want to lose a couple of pounds, these healthy yogurts are a great choice for a mid-morning or afternoon snack.
Dr Sana Khan says, "Sugar content is quite high at 6.3g, even though the calories are on the lower end."
