The best yogurts for diabetics are plain, unsweetened Greek or Icelandic (Skyr) varieties due to their high protein and low sugar content, which helps control blood sugar, with top brands including Fage, Chobani, Oikos Triple Zero, and Siggi's, focusing on options with minimal added sugar (under 10g/serving) and a short ingredient list, or using natural additions like berries for flavor.
What Yogurt Is Best for People with Diabetes?
Greek yogurt contains 8 g of sugar per serving, while cottage cheese is slightly higher at 9 g per cup. The difference is small, but both foods naturally are free of added sugar. However, flavored varieties can vary in the amount of added sugar they contain, so be sure to check the label.
Eat a healthy breakfast
Your breakfast should include a balance of carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats. Some good breakfast options for people with diabetes include oatmeal with nuts and berries, a vegetable omelet, or a smoothie with Greek yogurt and spinach.
Is Activia® suitable for diabetics? Yes, Activia can be part of a healthy and balanced diet. It provides a source of dairy and it has no added sugar. It's fresh, delicious and naturally sweetened.
Over time your pancreas can't keep up, and your blood sugar rises, setting the stage for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. High blood sugar is damaging to the body. It can cause other serious health problems, such as heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease.
8 Simple Snacks That Won't Spike Your Blood Sugar
Some of the healthiest options are Greek yogurt, Icelandic skyr, and kefir. They are highest in protein and the tangiest. Most yogurts support digestive, heart, and immune health. You can enjoy them on their own, in smoothies, or in marinades and dressings.
Greek yogurt's disadvantages include lower calcium/potassium than regular yogurt, potential histamine/inflammatory issues for some, high added sugar in flavored versions, and potential interactions with certain antibiotics, though plain, low-fat options minimize risks, making moderation and label-checking key.
No Added Sugar
Chobani Zero Sugar Yogurt, Multiple Flavors
It's sweetened with allulose and monk fruit, and each serving packs 11 grams of protein. Great for when you want something grab-and-go that won't spike your blood sugar.
The top picks for high protein, low fat, and low sugar are:
Top yogurt choices for people with diabetes
The #1 worst food for blood sugar is sugary drinks (soda, fruit juice, sweetened teas) and other highly processed sweets like candies, donuts, and baked goods, because they contain refined sugar and low-quality carbs that cause rapid, sharp blood sugar spikes with little nutritional value, leading to weight gain and insulin resistance. Fast food, processed snacks (chips), and some energy bars also rank high on the list of offenders.
For T2D, life expectancy was 74.34 years (95%CI: 72.81–75.87; PI: 61.32–87.28) in men and 79.63 years (95%CI: 78.32–80.95; PI: 68.36–90.83) in women.
Two of the breakfast cereals - Nestle Shredded Wheat and Weetabix - were all green, meaning they're low in sugar, fat, saturated fat and salt. Other cereals were found to have moderate to high amounts of sugar and fat.
Diabetics can freely enjoy non-starchy vegetables (leafy greens, broccoli, peppers), lean proteins (fish, chicken, beans, tofu), healthy fats (avocado, nuts, olive oil), and some fruits (berries, apples, citrus) and whole grains (quinoa, oats) in moderation, focusing on whole foods, fiber, and portion control to manage blood sugar. Key is balancing meals around non-starchy veggies, choosing low-GI carbs, and limiting added sugars and refined grains.
The healthiest yogurt brands often feature low sugar, high protein, and live cultures, with Siggi's, Fage, Chobani, YoPRO, and Stonyfield frequently recommended for their quality, simple ingredients, or high protein content (like Icelandic Skyr), while plant-based options like Kite Hill (coconut) and Coconut Cult are great dairy-free choices, but always check labels for added sugars and check for probiotics.
We've all seen the catchy commercials, but Activia is not your best bet when it comes to Greek yogurts, purely based on its sugar to protein ratio. In fact, this little pot packs more sugar than you'll find in a Double Chocolate Glazed Cake Donut from Dunkin'.
There are a lot of tasty things that people with diabetes should not eat. But butter is not one of them, a study found. Butter may not be so bad for diabetics and others, according to an international meta-analysis .