Tastewise, yogurt is great. Nutrition-wise too, yogurt can be good for you as it’s filled with protein and healthy fats. It’s always easy to find a yogurt lover. But often, a question comes up if yogurt is great for your weight-loss goals. Yogurt is also packed with calcium, probiotics, and many more essential nutrients that can benefit your body, particularly for your gut health. With that being said, several experts don’t consider most yogurts ideal for your health because of their high sugar content. Foods rich in sugar can lead to heart ailments and Type II diabetes. So are yogurts a strict no-no for you? Is yogurt good for your weight loss goals? Which types of yogurt are ideal for weight loss? We have tried to answer these queries to the best of our understanding. Without further ado, jump in.
Is Yogurt Beneficial For Your Weight Loss Goals?
Yogurt, because it has a good amount of protein, can be healthy for you and can be beneficial for your weight loss goals as well. It keeps you satiated for a good amount of time, thus preventing you from overeating, a big reason for weight gain. Probiotics, beneficial for the proper functioning of your digestive system, great for your body’s immunity, and having the ability to fight off bacterial infection, are present in yogurt.
Yogurt contains live and active cultures – written on the seal of the yogurt is the ideal one for you as it contains around 100 million probiotic cultures for every gram. This means you get plenty of healthy bacteria that are beneficial for your gut’s health.
Which Types are the Best?
You need to choose a yogurt that has a high-protein content. This high-protein yogurt will keep you full for a longer period as compared to the one which has low amounts of protein and is rich in sugar. You can choose a low-sugar or even a no-sugar variety and add your toppings such as nuts, seeds, berries, honey, etc.
The best yogurts you can buy online are the Icelandic Strained Nonfat Yogurt, Organic Aussie Greek Whole Milk Probiotic Yogurt, Greek Non-Fat Plain Yogurt, Organic Plain Grassfed Yogurt, Organic Cream on Top Yogurt, Fat-Free Greek Yogurt, Greek Plain Non-Fat organic Yogurt, Traditional Skyr, Almond Milk Yogurt Alternative, Plain Greek Yogurt, High Protein Plant-Based Blend, and Plain Greek Yogurt.
Does Eating Yogurt Lead to Weight Gain?
Yogurt certainly has several benefits. However, there are a few aspects you need to keep in mind if you have included yogurt in your weight loss diet. Don’t add sweeteners in great amounts. You might add toppings to your yogurt such as nuts, fruit, honey, etc. All these can make your yogurt more delicious. But always remember to add them in moderate amounts. Keeping track of calorie intake can be tricky when you consume yogurts.
You will find many yogurts in the market that are not high on calories and also have low amounts of protein. A yogurt with 100 calories and has only 6 grams of protein is not that great. Instead, you can choose yogurts that have more calories and also 12 to 15 grams of protein. That will keep you full until it’s time for your next meal. Buying a fat-free yogurt might not be a great choice. All yogurts are the byproduct of milk. Therefore, they will contain naturally-occurring sugars. However, some of these yogurts contain added sugars for extra taste. If a fat-free yogurt has more sugar but less protein, you need to stay away from it.
Best Time To Have Yogurt
You can have your yogurt at any time of the day. Since any time is the right time, you can eat it whenever you feel like it. You have a yogurt laden with high amounts of protein during your breakfast. The protein will keep you satiated for a considerable period. You can include yogurt in smoothies, protein pancakes, parfaits, overnight oats, etc. In case you are consuming a snack that helps you to balance your blood sugar levels, include a high-protein yogurt in it.
Greek yogurt can be a better choice than regular yogurt as it can keep you full owing to the high amounts of protein in it. Moreover, it’s thicker and creamier as well.