The Nutritional Value of Yogurt

Yogurt seems to be a popular snack among patients we see. However, is it really the “health food” that it claims to be? Most people are not eating the right kind of yogurt for their Hauser Diet Type. We even had one patient say they don’t like yogurt, but eat it because they know it’s good for them! When we asked the patient what health benefits he thought he was getting from it, he said it was a good source of protein and contained good bacteria. This is what advertisements tell us, but we need to examine it a little more closely.

Have you ever looked at the yogurt section in a grocery store? It’s a little overwhelming. Just a few of your options are low fat, low carb, creamy, light, whipped, organic, and we don’t want to forget "Go-Gurt"! So how do you know which one to choose? First you have to know what you need.

If you are someone who needs to follow the Giraffe or Monkey Diet, then checking the label for lower sugar, and minimal fat is necessary. However, the Otters and Lions need to choose full fat, low sugar options. Bears can have 2% fat. And really – all of the Hauser Diets should avoid excessive amounts of sugar.

Listed below are the nutrient values in common yogurt brands.

	Ounces	Total Calories	Fat Grams	Sugar Grams	Protein Grams
Dannon Low Carb	4oz	60	3g	1g	5g
Dannon Fruit Blends	6oz	170	1.5g	29g	6g
Dannon Light‘n Fit	6oz	60	0g	8g	5g
Yoplait Original 99% Fat Free Cherry	6oz	180	1.5g	26g	8g
Yoplait Whips	4oz	160	4g	23g	5g
Horizon Organic Fat Free Cherry	6oz	170	1.5g	29g	6g

The take home point is that yogurt can be good for you if you choose the right one. Although, it does have some protein and good bacteria, the amounts small when looking at the big picture. So if you don’t like yogurt, don’t feel that you need to eat it or you’ll be missing out on something big, there are plenty of other options for you! For example, a piece of meat the size of a deck of cards contains 21 grams of protein. See the difference?

Fruit-flavored yogurts contain too much sugar – period! We recommend that if you are going to consume yogurt, you purchase plain yogurt. If you are a Monkey or a Giraffe, add a serving of berries or peaches to your yogurt – you’ll get the added benefit of fiber from the whole fruit. If you are a Lion or an Otter, add nuts, coconut or nut butters to give you more protein and fat.

Something to note is that just because the label says organic doesn’t mean it’s healthy! As you can see above, the organic yogurt contains just as much sugar as the traditional brand. Sugar is sugar in this case!

If you want to know options are best for your particular Hauser Diet Type, we would love to give you some suggestions. Give us a call!