Yogurts... Healthy or Unhealthy?

Over the last few weeks, we’ve discussed all the live bacteria in our guts that can improve our health, our mood, and digestion. One of the wonders of the modern world is the way that our food producers respond to changing science.  I can remember it seems like just yesterday when the first Greek style of yogurt appeared on the shelves of my local grocery store.  Now there’s an entire cooler section dedicated to yogurts and other probiotic foods.

Given the many options out there in the world, we’re going to take some time this week to discuss several of the options and their pros and cons.

Let’s start with yogurt.  

If you’re looking to put probiotic yogurts into your diet, look for those with “Live & Active Cultures” on their seal.  This indicates that these yogurts have been carefully prepared to support the beneficial bacteria and keep them alive until consumption.  Not all yogurts are prepared this way, so do your homework when choosing which product to add to your diet.

While you’re considering different yogurts, be aware that the sugar and protein content of yogurt varies drastically between brands and preparation methods.  You can find low-fat and even fat-free yogurts on the shelf, but check the label, many of these compensate for the lost fat by adding sugar back in.  Not to confuse you too much, but you may notice that even low-sugar options still list “sugar” in the ingredients. Let’s be real though… plain yogurt (the only yogurt that truly has NO added sweetener) is a bit bitter. Even if it is a keto yogurt, or a low-carb yogurt, or even a low-sugar or sugar-free yogurt, they often have some sort of chemical sweetener in them along with “natural flavors” which remains unknown and unregulated (you can’t unhear some of the stuff I’ve heard about “natural” flavorings… let’s just say it involves anal glands of beavers in some situations). Well- here goes… first, I always recommend sweetening your plain yogurt. Get the plain stuff, and add some natural syrups like honey or agave. Then switch to no syrups, and only add fruit. It’s slightly less sweet. Then eventually you’ll find you like the taste of plain yogurt with little to no sweetener even added. Yep… living proof that you can retrain your taste buds to enjoy the REAL natural flavors that you can name and know all about! Sometimes this just refers to lactose, which is a natural milk sugar found in all yogurts.  

The key though… is the fermentation. There are all kinds of yogurts, even many that are dairy free. I have a friend who makes cashew yogurt by fermenting it in the instant pot. I’ve also known people to make it with coconut milk. Oh, the possibilities are endless these days. The fermentation of the yogurt packs the dairy with AMAZING good gut bacteria (probiotics) that make your gut super happy. Good stuff makes me happy too…

Ok… cutting to the geeky stuff…let’s briefly discuss the way yogurt is made.

The basic process is common to all yogurts: bacteria are introduced to milk and the bacteria change the milk, consuming some of the sugar that is already in the milk (in most cases, lactose), altering the flavor and consistency of the mixture that remains.  Here is where we start to find distinctions.  

• Unstrained milk includes both thick and creamy proteins but also more liquid, giving the yogurt a smooth texture common in traditional yogurt found in American grocery stores. 
• Greek yogurt is strained, which removes some of the liquid content, giving a firmer yogurt with a smooth taste and as much as twice the protein content. 
• Icelandic Skyr is a yogurt preparation that is even more strained than Greek, leading to an ultra-thick yogurt that is often very low in sugar with a tart taste. 
• Middle Eastern Labneh is yogurt so thoroughly strained that it is almost cheese. With a similar dietary profile to other probiotic yogurts, it is often used as a sort of hybrid between yogurt and cheese. With a savory taste, it works well as a dip or spread.

You may be well used to all of the yogurt products we discussed above.  These yogurts are thick enough to be consumed with a spoon, but there remains an entire other forms of yogurt you may have little experience with, drinkable yogurt!

• East European Kefir is a milk product that is fermented using bacteria that creates a creamy drinkable yogurt. The amazing thing about kefir is that it can have three times the probiotics as other yogurts. I prepare my kefir on my kitchen counter, and I blend some fruit in with it once the magic is done and my kids love it! It’s a little like a tart milkshake, except since most of the lactose is consumed it doesn’t have a heavy feeling like traditional milkshakes.

Key to the production of probiotic bacteria is the fermentation process.  If you’re not a yogurt fan, feel free to explore the globe for ideas on producing and consuming fermented foods.  Some common options are sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, and pickles.

And yes I did say producing your fermented foods.  I don’t have a tutorial prepared, but there is a wealth of knowledge on how to create these simple and delicious products. Also- check out my Instagram and you can see my Kefir recipe! https://www.instagram.com/p/CqWnCrmh6zB/ 

My children and I made fermented dill pickle spears a few weeks ago and they are fantastic.

Cheers!