5. Go organic when you can.
Though all yogurts are generally nutritious, some provide non-nutritive ingredients like artificial colors, flavors, and sweeteners. After all, no one needs red #40. The bottom line: if your body doesn’t need it, why eat it? The easiest way to steer clear of these unnecessary ingredients is to choose organic brands when you can. That means they’re also produced without antibiotics, synthetic growth hormones, or harmful pesticides and fertilizers. It’s best for your health—and our planet’s. But when not going organic, read the ingredient list closely to make sure there’s nothing artificial. And if it’s a dairy yogurt, check for wording to indicate it was made using milk from cows that were not given artificial growth hormones.
6. Don’t be fooled by fruit.
Fruit yogurt is not as fruity as you might think. Even when it contains real fruit, some look fruitier because of added color. And some taste fruitier due to added natural or artificial flavors. With few exceptions, most fruit yogurts contain no more than 4 percent of the Daily Value of vitamin C. That’s quite unimpressive! So if you really want a fruit serving with your yogurt, one of the healthiest and tastiest approaches is to enjoy plain yogurt and add your own fresh seasonal fruit. But if you still prefer to buy fruit yogurt, check to see that you’re getting real fruit and that each serving provides at least 25 percent of the DV of vitamin C.
7. Buy for benefits.
Today, yogurt is becoming most notable for good-for-you ingredients that provide added benefits, such as probiotics. You’ll notice the presence of probiotics by the phrase “live active cultures” or listed by their unique names, like bifidus, S. thermophilus, L. acidolophilus, and L. casei. Research suggests that these cultures can play a role in enhancing digestive health and strengthening the immune system. There are some yogurts with added fiber and omega-3s, too. This means everyone can find a yogurt that’s not only perfect for their palate, but just right for their body.
By Jackie Newgent, RD for Betty Confidential
Updated October 29, 2010
