Bright jars and promises of “naturalness” are most often just cunning marketing and not an indicator of quality. Most of the products presented are yogurt desserts with excess sugar and chemical additives. Real, healthy yogurt can be found if you follow a few key rules.
Carefully study the composition of yogurt; its composition should be minimalistic. Ideally, in the first place he should have milk (normalized, whole, reconstituted) and a starter of living microorganisms (thermophilic lactic acid streptococcus and Bulgarian bacillus – Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus).
Sugar, sweeteners, vegetable fats and thickeners in the composition indicate low quality of the product.
How to choose the right yogurt
Nutrition experts recommend looking at these facts and figures to make the right choice.
- The sugar content is no more than 6–8 g per 100 g. Many “fruit” yoghurts add up to 15–20 g of sugar—that’s 3–4 pieces of refined sugar per small jar. Choose natural yogurt without additives and, if desired, add fresh berries yourself.
- Live cultures minimum 10⁷ CFU/g (10 million live cells per gram). This indicator must be indicated on the packaging. It is these probiotics that benefit the intestinal microflora and immunity.
- The shorter the shelf life, the better. The optimal period is from 5 to 30 days at a temperature of 2-6°C. Yogurt with a shelf life of 3-6 months is usually sterilized, meaning all living cultures in it have died.
- The inscription “yogurt” according to GOST 31981-2013. The presence of this designation is a good sign, since the standard imposes strict requirements on the composition and content of microorganisms. But even without it, you can find a good product if the composition meets the criteria above.
Healthy yogurt is not always the most expensive or advertised. This is the simplest product in composition, which passes a strict test for the purity of the composition. By taking 30 seconds to read the label, you're not buying a sweet strawberry-flavored mousse, but you're investing in health by choosing a real source of protein, calcium, and live probiotics.
Important: This information is not a substitute for consulting a doctor. The body's response to changes in diet/training may depend on individual physiology, genetic predisposition and health status. It is recommended to consult a specialist.
