Greek yoghurt is generally considered the most nutritious option when it comes to yoghurts. Due to the way it is made, it is naturally higher in protein, which makes it a great addition to breakfast, leaving you feeling satisfied throughout the morning.
Consuming one to two cups of lowfat Greek yogurt daily can be a healthy addition to your diet without making it difficult to maintain your weight.
According to recent studies, eating a small amount of full fat yogurt or dairy (containing around 4-5% fat content), is still better than eating a larger amount of low fat yogurt or dairy which could contain stabilisers and hidden sugars that mount up the calories.
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Kefir contains more probiotics than any yogurt. With up to 61 different strains of microbes, it can be an excellent source of probiotics. People use specific clusters of microbes called kefir grains to ferment the milk.
Boosting metabolism
Despite its protein content, eating Greek yogurt alone is unlikely to make a person burn more calories. But eating Greek yogurt, as part of a balanced diet that includes enough protein, fibrous carbohydrates, and healthful fats may aid weight loss and boost metabolism.
You don't have to give up dairy to follow the Mediterranean Diet. In fact, low-fat yogurt and cheese are an important part of the plan. Choosing low-fat milk, Greek yogurt, or kefir are perfect swaps.
Greek Yogurt proves to be a great food to promote weight loss, as it boasts a high protein content while being low in fat, carbs, calories, and sugar. Plus it's rich in probiotics to help with immune and digestive health, providing good bacteria for a healthy gut biome.
Though the initial process of making yoghurt is the same, the Greek variety undergoes an additional straining process, which removes the liquid whey and lactose, making it a thicker, less sugary yoghurt. As such, Greek yoghurt contains more proteins and less sodium and carbohydrates than its regular counterpart.
The best time to eat yogurt is in the morning and on an empty stomach. Yogurt is an important component of diet as it is rich in essential minerals and vitamins. The probiotics reach the large intestine the most when yogurt is eaten on an empty stomach, especially during the morning.
Keep it refrigerated after you bring it home from the store, and do not leave yogurt at room temperature for longer than two hours or one hour if the temperature is 90 degrees F or above. If left unrefrigerated longer, bacteria can start to grow.
Being rich in protein and calcium, Greek yogurt may help you feel more satisfied after eating. This is because this combination of nutrients helps to increase levels of appetite-suppressing hormones. Including yogurt in your diet is also associated with a lower body weight, body fat percentage and waist circumference.
Greek yogurt is best thought of not as a yogurt, but as a soft white cheese. In Greece, there is a strained fermented dairy product called “straggisto” which is fairly similar to what is branded as Greek yogurt here.
Greek yogurt does contain higher amounts of protein and slightly lower amounts of sugar compared to to regular yogurt. That being said, it also requires more milk to produce, therefore it contains slightly more calories and tends to be more expensive than regular yogurt.
“Ideally, you want your Greek yogurt to have about 200 calories, a minimum of 2 percent fat, less than 10 grams of total sugar, and at least six grams of protein per serving,” says Feller. “The lower the fat content, the more likely they'll add extra sugar in, so you need to be mindful of that.”
Both regular yogurt and Greek yogurt are good sources of probiotic bacteria, assuming they are made through the traditional process and only include milk and active bacterial cultures. Due to its slightly acidic nature, regular yogurt has a slightly sour taste, however, it's still slightly sweeter than Greek yogurt.