How to Choose the Idea Yogurt For Your Health

Dairy dynamo or sugar bomb? We have the scoop on yogurt! Tap into all of its benefits with this guide to choosing the ideal yogurt for your health.

Sarah Burns, SELF

Dairy dynamo or sugar bomb? We have the scoop on yogurt! Tap into all of its benefits with this guide to choosing the ideal yogurt for your health.

Yogurt has belly-flattening abilities. People on a low-cal diet that included fat-free yogurt lost 81 percent more ab fat than did those on a similar plan that didn’t include yogurt, a study from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville found. The balance of carbs and protein can keep blood sugar levels steady and stave off hunger, while calcium may help your body store less fat.

Size up your cup.
To guarantee your yogurt’s slimming powers, stock up on 6-ounce selections that have these calorie caps: 90 for nonfat plain, 110 for lowfat plain and 130 for flavored. Plus, avoid lowfat types with more than 1 gram saturated fat.

Be on sugar patrol.
Six ounces of most plain yogurts have about 12 g of natural milk sugar. Every 4 g on top of that is a teaspoon of added sugar—if yours has 25 g, consider it dessert!

Get your fill.
Look for an unflavored yogurt with at least 8 g of satiating protein. Greek yogurt (which is thicker and tangier) could contain nearly twice as much protein, but there’s a catch: less calcium. Alternate regular and Greek for the best of both worlds.

Build your bones.
Six ounces of unflavored yogurt should have 30 percent of your daily calcium needs. Aim for 19 percent in fruity flavors, which swap some calcium-rich yogurt for fruit.

Love bugs.
Probiotics, the healthy bacteria in yogurt, have been linked to strong immune systems and a lower risk for gum disease and even some cancers. But not all yogurts have enough of the good stuff. The National Yogurt Association’s Live & Active Cultures seal appears on some cartons that do (such as Yoplait’s, at right). Add honey for a lift. It contains prebiotics, a carb that helps yogurt’s bugs thrive.

Snag smart add-ins.
Plain varieties with added vitamin D are good picks, as many people are D-deficient, says self contributing editor Janis Jibrin, R.D. Feel free to skip fiber-fortified selections—they get their grams from inulin, which doesn’t have heart-helping benefits—and top with whole-grain cereal instead.

Give it a whirl.
The watery layer that sometimes settles on top of your carton is a yogurt boon. It’s whey protein, which contains muscle-building amino acids. Stir it in; don’t skim it off.

Serve it for dinner.
Coat baked salmon with yogurt and dill—vitamin D in fish helps your body absorb yogurt’s calcium. For burgers, add a cup of nonfat Greek yogurt and 3/4 cup breadcrumbs to a pound of ground beef; the lactic acid tenderizes meat.

Tame your tummy.
Great news: Plenty of lactose-intolerant people can still eat yogurt. Probiotics produce an enzyme that breaks down troublesome lactose, says Fritz Francois, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at New York University Medical Center in New York City. Sample a spoonful and wait 20 minutes to check for symptoms before finishing the cup.