Finding the healthiest yogurts is a difficult task, as many of the most famous brands come complete with hidden sugars and additives.
Yogurts are already a staple in most people’s kitchens, as much like healthy cereal, they’re a quick and easy go-to for low-calorie breakfasts, dessert and afternoon snacks. But the debate around yogurt, everything from whether Greek yogurt is actually good for you to whether frozen yogurt is a good replacement for ice cream, carries on as myths around the food seem to be created and debunked almost every day.
To figure out the healthiest yogurts, we’ve ranked 17 different yogurts from best to worst. These rankings are based on the yogurts’ nutritional values per 100g, looking particularly at calories, sugar and salt content. Particularly high or low values are spotlighted throughout, so you can pick the yogurt that works best for you.
Healthiest yogurts at a glance
The healthiest yogurt overall is St Helen’s Farm Low Fat Goats Milk Yogurt. As well as having the lowest sugar content of all the yogurts we evaluated, it also has the second lowest calorie count (by only 2 calories). It also scores well in fat and saturated fat as it only has trace amounts.
Best yogurt overall: St Helen’s Farm Low Fat Goats Milk Yogurt
Best yogurt for sugar content: St Helen’s Farm Low Fat Goats Milk Yogurt
Best yogurt for saturated fat content: Danone Light and Free Greek Style Peach Passion Fruit Yogurt
Muller Crunch Corner Toffee Hoops comes in as our least healthiest yogurt overall. With 16.8g of sugar per portion, it also has the highest calorie content of all the yogurts we reviewed.
Worst yogurt overall: Muller Crunch Corner Toffee Hoops
Worst yogurt for sugar content: Total Greek 0% Fat Free Yogurt with Honey
Worst yogurt for saturated fat content: Perle de Lait Coconut Yoghurt
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.
Credit: Getty
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 improve your gut health.”
Healthiest yoghurts ranked from best to worst
Healthiest yogurt overall and lowest in sugar: St Helen’s Farm Low Fat Goats Milk Yogurt
Credit: Ocado
Rating for calorie-counters: 8.5/10
Calories: 47kcal per 100g
Fat: 0.3g
Saturated Fat: 0.2g
Sugar: 3.9g
Salt: 0.2g
Price: £2.40 for 450g from Tesco
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.”
Rachel’s Greek Style Natural Yoghurt
Credit: Sainsbury’s
Rating for calorie-counters: 7/10
Calories: 109kcal per 100g
Fat: 8.3g
Saturated Fat: 5.2g
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.
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
Credit: Yeo Valley
Rating for calorie-counters: 8/10
Calories: 82kcal per 100g
Fat: 4.5g
Saturated Fat: 2.9g
Sugar: 5.6g
Salt: 0.13g
Price: £2.80 for 1kg at Tesco
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.”
Danone Actimel Strawberry Drink
Credit: Getty
Rating for calorie-counters: 7/10
Calories: 76 kcal per 100g
Fat: 1.5 g
Saturated Fat: 1.0 g
Sugar: 12 g
Salt: 0.10 g
Price: £3.75 for 12 x 100g from Tesco
Verdict: The famous Actimel yogurt, advertised mainly to increase gut health, is low in calories, fat and saturated fat but very high in sugar. So while it’s a good one for people exclusively counting calories, it’s important to consider the impact of the 12g of sugar on your daily intake.
Best yogurt for low saturated fat: Danone Light and Free Greek Style Peach Passion Fruit Yogurt
Credit: Sainsbury’s
Rating for calorie-counters: 8/10
Calories: 54 kcal per 100g
Fat: 0.1g
Saturated Fat: None
Sugar: 6.2g
Salt: 0.15g
Price: £2 for 4 x 115g from Tesco
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!
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
Credit: Tesco
Rating for calorie-counters: 6/10
Calories: 68 kcal per 100g
Fat: 2.1 g
Saturated Fat: 0.4 g
Sugar: 7.9 g
Salt: 0.23 g
Price: £1.60 for 500g from Tesco
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.”
Worst yogurt for saturated fat: Perle de Lait Coconut Yoghurt
Credit: Sainsbury’s
Rating for calorie-counters: 4/10
Calories: 131kcal per 100g
Fat: 8.7g
Saturated Fat: 6.0g
Sugar: 7.9g
Salt: 0.12g
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.”
Waitrose Natural Fat Free Fromage Frais
Credit: Waitrose
Rating for calorie-counters: 8/10
Calories: 50kcal per 100g
Fat: 0.1g
Saturated Fat: 0.1g
Sugar: 4.2g
Salt: 0.09g
Price: £1.20 for 500g from Waitrose
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 healthiest yogurts 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.”
Best yogurt for low calories: Weight Watchers Summer Fruit Yogurts
Credit: Asda
Rating for calorie-counters: 5/10
Calories: 45kcal per 100g – lowest calorie count!
Fat: 0.1g
Saturated Fat: None
Sugar: 5.5g
Salt: 0.15g
Price: £1 for 4 x 110g from Asda
Verdict: True to the name, has come out on top with these tasty yogurts. Whether you’re looking to battle lockdown weight gain or simply want to lose a couple of pounds, these healthy yogurts are a great choice for a mid-morning or healthy afternoon snack.
Dr Sana Khan says, “Sugar content is quite high at 6.3g, even though the calories are on the lower end.”
Worst yogurt overall: Muller Crunch Corner Toffee Hoops
Credit: Tesco
Rating for calorie-counters: 1/10
Cal: 144kcal per 100g – highest calorie count!
Fat: 5.2g
Saturated Fat: 3.3g
Sugar: 16.8g
Salt: 0.18g
Price: 50p for 130g pot from 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. “
Onken Cherry Yogurt
Credit: Tesco
Rating for calorie-counters: 5/10
Calories: 100kcal per 100g
Fat: 2.7g
Saturated Fat: 1.7g
Sugar: 13g
Salt: 0.22g
Price: £1.30 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.
Spelga Low Fat Peach Yogurt
Credit: Sainsbury’s
Rating for calorie-counter: 4/10
Calories: 93kcal per 100g
Fat: 1.7g
Saturated Fat: 1.1g
Sugar: 13.0g
Salt: 0.10g
Price: 50p for 120g from Sainsbury’s – 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 (13g per 100g).”
Worst yogurt for sugar content: Total Greek 0% Fat Free Yogurt with Honey
Credit: Tesco
Rating for calorie-counters: 2/10
Calories: 106 kcal per 100g
Fat: None
Saturated Fat: None
Sugar: 18.8g – highest sugar amount!
Salt: 0.08g
Price: £1 for 170g from Tesco
Verdict: Despite containing only the tiniest 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 seventeen 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.”
Danone Oykos Strawberry Yogurts
Credit: Tesco
Rating for calorie-counters: 3/10
Calories: 145kcal per 100g
Fat: 8.2g
Saturated Fat: 5.3g
Sugar: 14.2g
Salt: 0.13g
Price: £2.00 for 4 pots x 110g at Tesco
Verdict: Despite their fruit content, Danone aren’t the healthiest yogurts out there. 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
Credit: Tesco
Rating for calorie-counters: 5/10
Calories: 89kcal per 100g
Fat: 2.4g
Saturated Fat: 1.6g
Sugar: 10.0g
Salt: 0.13g
Price: £2 for 18 pots x 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
Credit: Tesco
Rating for calorie-counters: 5/10
Calories: 86 kcal per 100g
Fat: 2.4g
Saturated Fat: 1.6g
Sugar: 9.4g
Salt: 0.12g
Price: £1.50 for 6 x 47G from Tesco
Verdict: Who doesn’t love a mini pot of Petit Filous? While these yummy little pots aren’t the healthiest yogurts, 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’.”
Nestle Smarties Vanilla Split Pot Yogurt Dessert
Credit: Iceland
Rating for calorie-counters: 2/10
Calories: 135kcal per 100g
Fat: 5.5g
Saturated Fat: 3.4g
Sugar: 14.8g
Salt: 0.25g
Price: £2 for 6 x 107g from Iceland
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.”
