Yogurt is a deliciously creamy snack, and people in the health and fitness world and advertisers herald it as a wonderful health food. Yogurt has some very real benefits especially from the beneficial bacteria, but is there a downside?
Have you considered how much added sugar is in your yogurt?
I usually recommend no more than 25 grams (about 6 teaspoons) of added sugar per day as a starting point. If you’re not sure why added sugar intake is a problem for you health, check out this post first. Even the American Heart Association recommends no more than 24 grams (6 teaspoons) of added sugar per day for women and no more than 36 grams (9 teaspoons) of added sugar per day for men.
One of the problems with yogurt is that most of us don’t think of yogurt as our dessert, even though it some cases it has just as much, if not more sugar, than ice cream! We eat yogurt, and then we also eat dessert or drink sugar-sweetened beverages or eat other foods with added sugar. In some cases, one serving of yogurt can use up all of your daily sugar! So then piling on sweet beverages and desserts leaves us way over our daily limit.
The problem is determining how much added sugar is in your yogurt is really confusing! The label only tells you total sugar, which includes the naturally occurring sugar or lactose in the yogurt. Proposed changes to food labels include reporting added sugar, but it remains unclear if and when those changes will go into effect. Until then, if you subtract the naturally occurring sugar from the total sugar listed on the label, you get the added sugar content.
To try to make this a little easier, I analyzed many of the popular yogurt brands for added sugar including: Activia, Dannon, Oikos, Fage, Yoplait, Nancy’s, Wallaby, Siggi’s, Stonyfield, and Chobani. The natural sugar content of yogurt varies considerably depending on whether it’s regular versus Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt usually has significantly less lactose than regular yogurt, because Greek yogurt is strained to remove extra liquid. Removing the extra liquid also removes some of the lactose.
Regular (non-Greek) yogurt has about 15-16 grams of natural sugar (lactose) per 8-oz (1 cup) serving, though there are a few exceptions like Wallaby (9 grams) and Stonyfield (12 grams) that are lower in lactose. For the purpose of this analysis, we are going to assume that most regular yogurt has about 15 grams of natural sugar.
Greek yogurt averages about 6-9 grams of natural sugar per cup, so for simplicity, we’ll say it’s about 8 grams. Chobani, Wallaby, and Yoplait Greek have slightly less with about 6 grams per cup. Siggi’s, an Icelandic yogurt, is similar to Greek yogurt, in that it’s strained and has about 6 grams of natural sugar per cup.
Based on these assumptions (15 grams of natural sugar per cup of regular yogurt and 8 grams of natural sugar per cup of Greek yogurt), I’ve calculated the BEST and WORST yogurts when it comes to added sugar content. The BEST have 10 grams or less of added sugar per cup, and the WORST have over 30 grams of added sugar per cup!
When you look at this data, remember that these numbers are per 8-oz serving. Each specific brand/flavor or yogurt may come in a 4-oz, 5.3-oz, or 6-oz serving, so the sugar content of that serving size will be less than what is listed here. In order to level the playing field, I needed to make the serving size consistent.
The WORST
Chobani Flip clover honey: 36 grams added sugar
Fage 0% and 2% honey: 36 grams added sugar
Dannon caramel macchiato: 33 grams added sugar
Stonyfield fat free chocolate underground: 32 grams added sugar
Dannon chocolate covered strawberry: 32 grams added sugar
Dannon bananas foster: 32 grams added sugar
You notice that the top two highest sugar yogurts are sweetened with honey. I consider honey a superior sweetener to refined white sugar, but always caution that it still needs to be limited that same way that refined white sugar does. Just because it’s sweetened with honey definitely doesn’t mean you can ignore the amount.
The BEST
Nancy’s vanilla low-fat: 0 grams added sugar
Nancy’s lemon low-fat: 0 grams added sugar
Nancy’s honey whole milk: 3 grams added sugar
Chobani flip blueberry power: 7 grams added sugar
Siggi’s 0% pomegranate & passion fruit: 8 grams added sugar
Siggi’s 0% orange & ginger: 8 grams added sugar
Siggi’s 0% vanilla: 8 grams added sugar
Siggi’s 2% cococnut: 8 grams added sugar
Wallaby black cherry: 10 grams added sugar
Wallaby lemon: 10 grams added sugar
Wallaby orange passion fruit: 10 grams added sugar
Wallaby peach: 10 grams added sugar
Wallaby raspberry: 10 grams added sugar
Nancy’s strawberry fruit on the bottom low-fat: 10 grams added sugar
Nancy’s blueberry fruit on top organic: 10 grams added sugar
Siggi’s 4% mixed berries: 10 grams added sugar
Siggi’s 4% strawberry & rhubarb: 10 grams added sugar
Siggi’s 4% fig & lemon zest: 10 grams added sugar
Siggi’s 4% vanilla: 10 grams added sugar
The Nancy’s vanilla and lemon low-fat yogurts are actually unsweetened, but they are flavored and are thus great options. Nancy’s honey yogurt is only very lightly sweetened with honey, so that’s a great low sugar option. Chobani flip blueberry power, Siggi’s, and several flavors of Wallaby’s regular yogurt have 10 grams or less of added sugar, and are definitely viable options.
The Bottom Line
There are a handful of yogurts out there that are lower in added sugar, but some of the very commonly eaten yogurts like Activia and Yoplait have around 20 grams of added sugar per 8-oz serving. (If you’re having only 4-oz and taking, then it’s only about 10 grams of added sugar. This can fit in as long as you’re watching your other sources of added sugar.) If you’re taking in 20 grams of added sugar from yogurt in day, you’re 5 grams of away from your daily added sugar limit.
What’s the alternative? Choose from the handful of low sugar yogurts out there, OR eat plain yogurt (which has no added sugar) and add some fruit and a drizzle of honey, maple syrup, or molasses. One teaspoon of any of these sweeteners provides about 4-6 grams of added sugar. These sweeteners still definitely count as added sugar even though they are more natural sweeteners.
You may wonder whether artificially-sweetened yogurts are a better choice? I don’t think so, though I’m sure some people would argue with me on that. New research is showing us hazards of artificial sweeteners including their ability to change the way our body responds to carbohydrates in a negative way. The other factor to consider is that when you are consuming something hundreds of times sweeter than sugar, it often makes naturally sweet food taste less sweet. Thus, we are no longer satisfied by the natural sweetness of fruit.
Do you have a favorite yogurt? Is this information surprising to you? Please leave any questions or comments below!
70 replies to "Healthiest Yogurts: How Much Added Sugar is in Your Favorite Yogurt? – Updated March 2016"
Great article! I found it very helpful to have a “best” and “worst” list. My all time fav. yogurt is Traderspoint Creamery (plain, whole milk), and Stonyfield (plain, whole milk). Both contain 0 grams added sugar. I prefer to add fresh fruit for sweetness – especially ripe cantaloupe.
Is low-fat yogurt better for us than full fat? Why is the sugar factor in low fat so high? Today I had “The Greek Gods Greek Yogurt”, NonFat, Probiotic . Its has 18gm. per cup, which seems like a lot. Are they adding sugars because it is non-fat? I want to lose 30 lb. by next year (2017) and am looking for ways to get as much added sugar out of my diet as I can. I love sugar things like cookies, pastry, etc. but that I can control. But, the hidden sugar is every where. I use Splenda when I bake at home, but we also eat fruit daily. My husband and I are in our 80’s and plan to live well past 100. We both love yogurt, and up to this point we thought we had a healthy choose over other things like ice cream. What should we be looking for?
Thanks for your comment, Rosemarie, and congratulations on your excellent health! You’re so right that it’s really challenging to figure out how much added sugar is in certain foods, especially yogurt. Food labels tell you the total sugar including both the naturally occurring sugar and added sugar. Yogurt contains lactose, which is a naturally occurring sugar. Even plain yogurt will have sugar listed on the label, but you won’t see any type of sugar in the ingredient list. For your nonfat Greek yogurt, about 8 of that 18 grams is lactose while the the other 10 grams is added sugar. 10 grams of added sugar is low enough to have made it onto my “Best Yogurts” list. Generally, the lactose content (natural sugar) is pretty similar between nonfat, lowfat, and full fat yogurt. Greek yogurt has less lactose than regular yogurt. I would suggest trying plain yogurt with some fresh or frozen fruit or a small amount of no added sugar or low sugar preserves – this should provide plenty of sweetness with very little added sugar. I don’t consider there to be a hard and fast rule about fat content of yogurt. Generally, I think that full fat can be more satisfying. When we try to take the fat out of everything, we usually end up less satisfied with our food and potentially missing important fat-soluble vitamins. That being said, there are scenarios where a lower fat yogurt would be a better option.
Sugarless yogurt taste like sourcream or cream cheese. Horrible, even when adding fruit
Thanks for the comment, Kimberly! Sometimes it’s all about what our tastebuds are used to, so this can change over time. You could also add a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup to sweeten it 🙂
when you make it low fat it tastes terrible.. so they have to cover up the terrible taste with tons of sugar. Full fat tastes great with no added sugar.
Some of the regular Activia zero fat yogurt advertises that it has no added sugar.
Thanks so much for your comment! I haven’t seen any Activia with no added sugar, but the Activia 0% now has less sugar along with stevia for sweetness and no artificial sweeteners.
Great article and it helps me explain to some of the families I work with how to determine the total added sugar in their child’s yogurt. With the new dietary guidelines posted two weeks ago, this is a big topic and concern for families.
I’m so glad this was helpful for you, Katharine! I really hope food labels change to display added sugar content, because it would make it SO much clearer for consumers. I’ll be adding an update to this post soon to include Siggi’s yogurt, which is really quite low in added sugar and could be a great alternative for those not ready to switch to plain yogurt.
I happen to buy yougart stonyfield and Trader Joe,s I like them boath but I don,t like the amount of sugar even if ot,s organic.I feal about 5 grams is enough in a 6 oz. cup. I may have to buy plane yougut and add my own fruit.thats one way of dealing with the too much sugar in these brands of yougut.Thank you for the imformation about grams of sugar in some youguts.
[…] Yogurt is more difficult to judge since it includes milk sugar on the total sugar on the food label. Yogurt has about 8 grams of natural milk sugar per 4 oz vs. Greek yogurt, which has about 3 grams of natural milk sugar per 4 oz. When looking at this Greek Yogurt with 16 grams of sugar for a 5.3 oz cup, you’ll have to like math in order to determine that there isalmost 12 grams (3 tsp) of added sugar for this serving of yogurt. For a better understanding on how much sugar is added to yogurt, I encourage you to read this excellent blog post “Healthiest Yogurts“. […]
For years now I’ve been doing what you recommended, buy plain yogurt and add one’s own mixins. It’s way cheaper to buy a 2lb container and dip into it as you like, assuming that you’ll use it up in a reasonable time. I like to shift back and forth between maple syrup and all-fruit spread, like Polaner preserves. If that’s the choice of the day, I put a spoonful in a bowl and microwave it for a few seconds, then put the yogurt on top. Maple syrup I pour on top and try to eat it evenly, no cheating. I’ve also used agave syrup but I really didn’t like it as much.
Now I want to know why granola may be Mother Nature’s Favorite Breakfast but it’s always loaded with sugar. Why not leave the sugar out and let the consumer add however much sweetener seems right, or none? You have to get muesli if you want to avoid sugar. It’s also good, but not quite the same.
Thank you for this article! Very helpful. I was shocked when I decided to look at the sugar amount in the yogurt I eat. I think I will swich to plain and add fruit and maybe a little honey. Artificial sweeteners always make me feel sick, since I’ve been a kid. Somehow my mom can handle it, but I never could.
Awesome, Mary! I hope you like the plain yogurt with fruit and honey 🙂
Thank you so much for this article! I was wondering why the natural sugar content of both milk and plain regular yogurt is higher than plain greek-style yogurt. Your explanation is very helpful and informed!
Great to read your article on low fat yogart,I didn’t realize there was so much sugar in them,I had my last one today ad deffinetly not buying anymore.
I went for a blood test last November 2015,I live in Spain.my result was a little high, instead of 6.0 being the highest mine was 6.1 not a lot higher but I was told to cut down on sugar,and go back in June 2016.
I am a bit confused because my GP said no fruit only kiwi pears plus 1 banana with my bran flakes for breakfast.
1 scoop of ICECREAM wich I adore!!!! no cake, fruit,and only chicken & fish, but I do have to excesses, so I am going to take up walking for 2 hours a week wich my GP said. I have to get this sugar down before I go to have my next blood test in June.I do use a sweeter in my drinks,wich is Coffee,about 3 cups a day 3 of them are decaffeinated.
I drink GREEN TEA, INFUSION RELAX & 2 LITRES OF WATER A DAY IF NOT MORE.
I Don’t have fizzy drinks anymore and I haven’t had any Alcohol for 11 YEARS.
IF you could give me some tips I would be very grateful.Thank you.
Thank you for the great comparison article!
Don’t know if this is too many calories – but do know it tastes great, is filling and helps me get some fiber and cholesterol breakers in too. I usually eat it on the weekend for breakfast … Or a reduced ingredient version sometimes during the week.
Prefer Fage 0% plain (used to use Chobani 0% plain, but found it a bit too tart on its own with nothing added). Also the Fage 0% plain doubles as “sour cream” for me, which I think is more healthy (assuming monitored quantities).
Recipe:
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
8 oz yogurt. (Although I just discovered Siggi’s – YUMMY. But higher in sugar (agave) than Fage; so I split the difference: 5 oz Siggi’s + 3 oz */- Fage.)
About 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
About 1 1/2 Tablespoons chia seed
Add a “smidge” of almond milk – no sugar added (to keep.it more “liquid.”)
1/4 cup All-bran Bran Buds
1/4 cup Thick Oatmeal (uncooked)
A sprinkling of sunflower seeds (raw, no salt)
Mix it all together in the order the ingredients are listed.
Enjoy!!
I honestly think I could live on this – tastes like real food and yet a little bit like dessert too. (As I said though, the calories could be doing me in? That’s why I use “a little of this and a little of that”)
Feedback on the recipe would be helpful. Also, do you know when your Siggi’s comparison info will be available?
Thanks!!
Thanks so much for your comment, Justina! I just added the Siggi’s information to the post – thanks for the encouragement to get it added in. I’m glad you’re enjoying that breakfast and that it’s a relatively high protein breakfast. Whether it’s too high calorie or not really depends on what your goals are. Also important to check in with how you feel after this. If you feel like you could be satisfied with less, you could skip the All bran buds and/or have smaller portions of the seeds – experiment a little bit. All the best to you 🙂
At last some raiatniltoy in our little debate.
Thank you for explaining all the different sugars in yogurt and supplying brands. It is all so confusing. With a father, mother and brother who have diabetes I am trying to do the right thing and educate them along the way as I am educated. Another concern is that many people do not know that 4 grams converts to 1 teaspoon. Why don’t labels just list the sugar in teaspoons? I think I know the answer, a selling tool. It would freak people out if they really knew the sugar content. Try checking sugar in Smucker’s jam! I feel I am on the right track as I have been buying Nancy’s yogurt for sometime. Being informed is so important. Thank you, Carla J.
You’re so right, Carla! It would be so helpful to have teaspoons of sugar on the food labels. I would love to this change implemented!
This article has been really helpful in guiding me toward some yogurts (including my favorite, Dreaming Cow) and away from others due to added sugar. I’m a big fan of cream top yogurts, and I’m hoping that as they become more popular, more low-sugar options will be available. Right now most of the cream top brands and flavors I’ve found are really sugary. If you run across new lower-sugar options for cream top, it’d be great to hear about!
Most people doing their own fruit compote on the side will do worse than what is included by some brands.
Few will do a “drizzle” of honey with their fruit, or it will be quite a thick drizzle, probably more than 1 tsp worth..
A single serving 6 oz Fage yogurt with a blueberry/acai compote has 16 grams sugar. Let’s say the lactic sugar is 6 grams (about 5 oz yogurt). The 1 oz or so of blueberry/acai will have 3-4 grams of sugar. So that’s about 10 grams right there. That leaves 6 grams of the added cane sugar. That is about 1 .5 tsp of sugar.
From another site: “a teaspoon of honey contains 23 calories and 6g of sugar, compared with a level teaspoon of sugar, which contains 16 calories and 4g of sugar.”
You will get more sugar and calories with a, er, “healthy” drizzle of honey. I love honey & know it may offer other “benefits”, but it is something to think about.
Personally, I will not do any honey or sugar if possible, although I prefer a sugar fix off yogurt such as the above than caving to a pastry mid-afternoon at work 😀 . Anyhow, I like to put frozen fruit inside a container with yogurt overnight in the fridge, because as it melts the natural sugars mix in with the yogurt better than adding fresh fruit right before eating. My favorite to do this with is frozen mango. It is pretty sweet that way and there is no added sugar at least.
So i like to make a fruit smoothie in the morning before work… about a cup of frozen mixed fruit, one banana, and about 4 table spoons of yoplait original strawberry and a can of juminex mango nectar. After reading this and looking at all the sugar in these products mainly the nectar juice and yoplait. Can you give me any other alternatives… i dislike greek yougurt as much as 4 dollar gas. Thank you
Thanks for your question, Jared! I would recommend using plain yogurt and skipping the mango nectar in your smoothie. You can just use regular plain yogurt – it doesn’t have to be greek yogurt. The banana and other fruit should provide plenty of sweetness. If it’s too thick without the mango nectar, you can also dilute it with some water or unsweetened coconut water. It will taste significantly less sweet, but I bet over time your tastebuds will adjust. Enjoy! 🙂
My quest to find the sugar and protein content of yogurts led me to your site, which is now on my Favorites list! I usually eat Stonyfield low fat plain with fruit or a bit of granola. I would like to add that our taste buds can be trained over a short time to “enjoy” less sugar. When I first tried plain yogurt, it tasted pretty bland, so I would add something sweet to counterbalance it. Then I began cutting back on the additions and began to appreciate the subtle nuances of plain yogurt, such as its slight tartness and light creaminess. In fact, I prefer it over Greek yogurt which, to me, is too dense. I find your statement about artificial sugars interesting. I have been using Splenda in my morning coffee. For years, and now I wonder if I should stop.
Good information. Does plain 2% Fage contain added sugar? Confused that it isn’t listed in best category.
Thank you.
Yes, all plain yogurts are the best bet for sure! For those who aren’t eating plain yogurt, my best list only covers flavored yogurts.
Wegman’s “plain” Super (probiotic) yogurt has added sugar. I asked them about this, and they replied that the added sugar is for taste. They said that they are allowed to label the yogurt as “plain” as long as the added sugar doesn’t do above a certain small amount.
Margaret your analysis is terribly flawed especially in regards to fruited yogurts. For one major point, your analysis fails to distinguish the naturally occurring sugar (fructose) found in the fruit that is added to fruited yogurt. Under FDA’s new food labeling rule, these naturally occurring sugars are not classified as “added sugars.” Failing to account for this other component of total sugar content grossly inflates your “added sugar” calculations.
Calculating added sugar is not a math problem (as you inferred by your analysis) where you simply subtract the naturally occurring milk sugar (lactose) from the total sugar listed on the label.
Luckily, FDA has issued a new labeling rule which will address added sugars. Manufacturer’s need to implement the new labeling rule by 07.26.18. As these come about, the public will see a more accurate picture of added sugars in yogurt – and not the misinformation presented by your erroneous analysis.
Hi John. Thank you for your comment! I can’t wait until the new Nutrition Facts labels are in use, because it will bring so much more transparency to this issue. As far as natural sugar from fruit is concerned, I did not capture that in my analysis, but I do not think that my added sugar estimates are terribly flawed or grossly inflated. The amount of fruit in fruit flavored yogurts is minimal to not make that significant of difference. Even if fruit flavored yogurts had 1/4 cup of blueberries (which I don’t think they have that much), that provides 3.7 grams natural sugar. 1/4 cup sliced strawberries provides 1.9 grams natural sugar. So it does make a difference, but my method at least gives a reasonable estimate until the new labels come out.
I enjoyed reading the article on different yogurts. I eat yogurt just about everyday. I have tried them all but my favorite is Yoplait light, very vanilla and I add my own fruit and a sprinkle of granola., it’s only 90 calories and 10grams of sugar in a 6 oz cup. While it sounds better than 30 grams I was wondering if their is a reason it didn’t make one of the Best list. Just didn’t know if I was missing something.
Thank you
Becky Jones
Eye-opening to say the least! Yogurt companies have had great success selling their products as healthy, when in reality their sugar content pushes them into the dessert category. I’ll admit that I was a victim of this marketing, but have wised up. I haven’t bought yogurt for years, but may change that if I can find the yogurts on your low-sugar list. I do make my own “yogurt” by mixing frozen blueberries, almond milk, chia seeds, and dates. It works great on top of oatmeal.
I have just been told that I am diabetic but I love activists prune yogurt please can you tell me how much is natural sugar in a pot?
Pauline Cook
I’m Pre-diabetic, & I’m trying to eliminate sugar from my diet. I’d rather give up sugar, than have to start giving
myself shots of Insulin. I like added fruits, but no sugar.
Hi, thanks for a helpful advise. my son’s doctor has advised us to cut sugar out of his diet. When we first thought of it it came to mind, sweets, cakes, smoothies etc… So, now we realised it is more complex then that for the reasons you highlighted above. Do you have any tips if natural occurring sugar is ok or if that should be avoided to? Can I buy food containing Stevia for children – 4 year old or is that not advisable? I will be great for some ideas. Thanks.
Wonderful article! I’ve been annoyed for years at the amount of added sugar in yogurts and the fact that those with the lowest calorie counts seem to have artificial sweeteners. I’ve ended up eating either Oikos plain, fat free, or even better, Fage, plain, fat free, and add a little honey or agave to take the edge off the tartness. For a treat once in a long while, I get an Oikos raspberry or lemon blended yogurt or a full fat honey yogurt over at Trader Joe’s. It’s definitely dessert. I wish Yoplait and Oikos and all the other popular brands would introduce a low sugar option with no added artificial sweeteners. Why they choose to contribute to the ill health of millions is beyond me! Americans WANT to eat healthier…why does it have to be so hard? At least the chocolate companies have awakened and now I can buy Lindt 90% dark chocolate with only 4 grams of sugar per serving. It tastes amazing and I can feel good about it.
Margaret, I don’t typically like to eat the plain yogurts although I do eat the Vanilla brands from Yoplait & Trader Joes. My question is how bad are the novelty yogurts that Yoplait makes like orange creme or Boston Cream Pie varieties that typically contain 10g of sugar per 6 oz container?
I like plain, Greek yogurt with a square of 72% dark chocolate, finely chopped, mixed in. It’s just enough to sweeten it and make it taste interesting. Sometimes I splurge and have 2 squares, but it’s still only about 6 grams of added sugar then.
I also sometimes put a teaspoon of Simply Fruit spread and mix it in. Works great!
Great ideas, Anne! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Great article, thanks. I am still amazed that no company will produce a yogurt product with fruit but no added sugar. I asked this question to Stonyfield but did not receive a response.
Question about the sugar (lactose) as found on the nutrition label for plain Greek yogurt. somewhere I had gotten the info that what the label says might be misleading as the beneficial bacteria that are put in the yogurt eat the sugar – somewhat like yeast and sugar. Is that anywhere close to true? Does that alter the sugar composition at all?
The bacteria in yogurt do break down the lactose when milk is cultured into yogurt. There is still lactose remaining when it becomes yogurt, which shows up as “sugar” on the nutrition label. So the answer is yes, the lactose does get broken down, but the label should accurately reflect the remaining lactose in a plain yogurt. Hope this helps!
[…] pomegranates, and bananas.Plain yogurt or Greek yogurt have less sugar than most yogurt brands, which have a lot of sugar, and are a better alternative for nutrients and weight loss. (Click here for a list of the most […]
Great article. It is very difficult to determine natural sugar vs added sugar to products. My question is, what about the fruits that are added to yogurt, how to their natural sugars factor in? If I can estimate 8grams for the yogurt, how much for the fruit? Because fruit contains natural sugars. I’m looking at the Chobani Greek yogurt drinks. Not as a drink but I usually have one as my lunch. It has 22g of sugar. They add evaporated cane juice and organic honey, so two types of added sugar. I’m just learning to watch the sugar in food and this is frustrating trying to determine added a natural. I have a family history of diabetes and I’m try to get ahead in the game. I’ve conquered the salt monster added to foods now I’m tackling sugar. Thanks for your help in advance.
ey
I am attempting to make the transition to a no processed sugar and hydrogenated flour diet. I am a dedicated Chobani consumer and was wondering what the actual sugars were contained in their vanilla yogurt. It states there is 6 grams of sugar per 5.3 ounce serving but then goes on to list “evaporated cane sugar” in the ingredients. I am confused and curious if the 6 grams of sugar is from the lactose or if it is 6 added grams of evaporated cane sugar. Cheers to happy and healthier 2017!
please what is the recommended grams of sugar and sodium one should look opt for in any product nutritional facts
The article only seems to mention flavoured yoghurts which we’ve been warned to stay away from by experts for years. I don’t even know why the article suggests that any of them are healthy??
[…] Great article on some low sugar yogurt options […]
[…] decrease the amount of sugar I consume, I’ve been paying special attention to the amount of added sugar in popular yogurt brands. Surprisingly enough, some yogurt brands have more added sugar than ice cream! Double U, Tee, […]
Cabot Greek yogurt wasnt on list. Is it a good choice?
Yes, the Cabot plain greek yogurt would be great! For the flavored varieties, subtract 12 grams from the total sugar listed to give you the amount of added sugar 🙂
Interesting article. Recently I’ve been looking for an after work snack that’s a bit healthier so I decided to try yogurt rather than cookies. At work one day they were sampling out Stonyfield’s yogurt and saying it was low in sugar so I bought some.
I think recently they changed their recipes because i see a lot of sites listing the amount of sugar around 33 grams but the ones that I have say 13-15 on the label. I even have the chocolate one and it still says 13 grams. They all say they have less sugar now but they still taste awesome. maybe they got a lot of complaints.
But thanks for the suggestions, I’ll look into some others even though so far Stonyfield is my favorite ^_^
I really appreciate this “Best” and “Worst” list. But what does one do when one can’t find any of the brands that you mention as the best? I live in Arkansas where we get Chobani, Stonyfield, Dannon, Yoplait and a few others that I’ll have to check at Whole Foods. We don’t have a Trader Joe’s yet; they may be coming in a year or so… Thanks for more recommendations!
Hi Helen! You can actually buy any brand of plain yogurt, and it won’t have any added sugar. Stonyfield, Chobani, and Dannon all make plain varieties.
Just need to know what’s the best yoger that have less than 5gm of sugar.
Even plain yogurt has “sugar” when you look at the label, but these sugars are the naturally occurring lactose that remains after the milk is cultured into yogurt and not a cause for concern at all. Thanks for your question!
I’m looking for a yogurt that is extremely low in carbs and sugars. The lowest I’ve been able to find is Liberte plain yogurt but it still has 6g of carbs and 6g of sugar. Are there any out there that have 0g or 1g of carbs and sugars?
Hi Mary. The sugars in plain yogurt are from the naturally occurring lactose that remains after the milk is cultured into yogurt. I’m not aware of any that have less than 6 grams lactose, but I don’t think this is cause for concern at all.
Hi I liked your article on the yogurts. I need to know if I go to Greek plain yogurt how can I add fiber to it. I was eating yogurt with fiber. I’m Pre Diabete because I have PCOS. I also have CHF and thyroid disorder. I need to eat meals that help me to get my daily fiber and potassium and lower my sugar intake. I would appreciate any advice you can Provide me Thank you have a nice day. ..Wendy
Hi Wendy. There are lots of great ways to add fiber to plain greek yogurt, such as adding fresh or frozen berries (raspberries and blackberries are especially high in fiber), ground flaxseed, hemp seeds, and/or nuts. Enjoy!
[…] offender of added sugars is non-fat yogurt with fruit added. One serving can have as much as 36 grams of sugar added. By buying plain, low-fat yogurt and adding a touch of sweetener (such as honey), local seasonal […]
Thanks! Great information
I usually take Chobani vanilla Greek yogurt with strawberries to eat when I eat lunch with my daughter. I looked at the sugar content and it said the 5.3 oz cup had 8 grams of sugar. I did not see anything but evaporated sugar cane, it did not say anything about high fructose corn syrup. I am trying to find healthier alternatives for myself and my daughter. Any suggestions? Thank you.
You mentioned you looked at Oikos but I don’t see it in either list. We live the 2% Oikos Greek yogurt – the strawberry and vanilla flavors. Where do they fall on your list? I see the vanilla has 10g of sugar and 8g of protein. There is corn starch in the ingredients, in relation to the ‘vanilla preparation’.
*love the 2%
‘Producers’ brand low fat Yoghurt has 33 Grams of sugar per serving. You can bet I’ll never buy it again but especially that I’ll read and not assume the sugar content.
I’d never heard of that brand before buying that one on sale.
I thought a true yogurt only contained 3 ingredients. I look at our two grocery stores and most yogurt s contain plenty of ingredients. Please help
We are 85 and 76 years old and married for 37 years. We do not eat cane sugar. We do not have arthritis My husband can eat any other sweet things,but with about 3 days if I do my r. Thumb , r. Shoulder get painful. We have arthritic changes ,but no pain. What this has todo with YOUGART is this:Dannon made Coffee YOUGART that taken with medication protected my gut. Dannon added cane sugar,and 365 days,at a $1.00 a day they lost customer…Avoid CANE sugars and see . I want my Dannon Betty Park…