With all the buzz lately, we wanted to take a closer look at Greek yogurt vs. regular yogurt to see which offers more health benefits and to find out if you should favor one over the other or include them both in your diet. Both, whether low fat or no fat, are considered part a of a healthy diet.
Greek Yogurt vs. Regular Yogurt: Nutritional Breakdown
Calories: Both types have roughly the same amount of calories.
Fat: Both types of yogurt are available in no fat and low fat options, but regular yogurt wins the saturated fat battle, as it has much less than Greek yogurt.
Protein: Greek yogurt wins this battle, packing roughly twice the protein compared to regular yogurt.
Sugar: Greek yogurt wins this battle, packing nearly half the sugar compared to regular yogurt.
Carbs: Greek yogurt is better in terms of a low carb solution, but if either type of yogurt is sweetened, it will add more.
Sodium: Greek yogurt contains about half the sodium compared to most brands of regular.
Calcium: Regular yogurt wins this battle, offering 30% of the daily recommended amount in just a serving. While Greek yogurt still contains plenty, regular yogurt has more.
Greek Yogurt vs. Regular Yogurt: What Makes Them Different
Greek yogurt is strained to remove more of the liquid compared to a regular yogurt. This is what gives the Greek version a thicker texture. Straining it is what also removes a great deal of the sugar and lactose, making it lower carb and a better option for people who are lactose intolerant. The straining process is what causes it to lose some of the calcium compared to regular yogurt. This is the reason why the two can have similar caloric and fat amounts, but pack more protein and less sugar (two main reasons why dietitians love it!)
Both varieties will help you lose weight and keep you feeling full longer on less, provided you stick to plain low or no fat versions, not sweetened with extra ingredients. Greek yogurt is an acceptable option for many different dishes and can be used for fruit and veggie dips, sweet dishes with fruit and granola, or even as sour cream for tacos, or in place of mayo or cream cheese. The versatility helps in allowing people to have healthier versions of their favorite comfort foods.
When it comes to Greek yogurt vs. regular yogurt, which do you prefer?
This post was written by...
Cindy Watrous – who has written 146 posts on Its Foodtastic.
Cindy is a wife and mother who works as a freelance writer and WordPress web designer, with a love for good food.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Informative post, though I think your caveat is wrong: “provided you stick to plain low or no fat versions, not sweetened with extra ingredients.”
Most people don’t care for plain yogurt, I often eat a cup of Chobani Apple & Cinnamon for breakfast, suggesting that you have to go to an extreme to lose weight is exactly why most people fail at weight loss. If the extra 12g of sugar is what it takes to make yogurt palatable to someone, they should go for it, still nutritionally superior to many other breakfast options.
I appreciate your input, and I agree with you on the fact that plain yogurt isn’t all that tasty. However, this was not a place for my opinion. I tried to remain as factual as possible for the sake of the piece. It is a fact that adding sweeteners and other ingredients can detract from the health value.
It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat it if you can’t add stuff to it. It doesn’t mean it’s unhealthy if you do. Just less so than the plain stuff. And yes, I agree it is far more healthy in most cases, even with stuff added, than other options.