Written by Catherine Saxelby
on Wednesday, 30 November 2016.
Tagged: dairy, health, healthy eating, nutrition, review, yoghurt
Have you ever come home with the wrong yoghurt? In other words, did you think you were buying plain, natural and unsweetened yoghurt only to find you had plain, sweetened yoghurt when you opened the tub? It’s a common mistake and easy to do when you’re shopping in a hurry and aren’t familiar with the labels. Here’s a review of three plain, sweetened yoghurts with our verdict on whether or not they’re a healthy choice.
We purchased:
1. Danone Ultimate Yoghurt
2. Gippsland Dairy Smooth and Creamy Yoghurt
3. Harris Farm plain sweetened Yoghurt
All are full-fat, thick yoghurts that look creamy-white in appearance. They have the firmish texture of sour cream. Think dollops of yoghurt in your bowl, not a thin runny stream.
Taste-wise, we really like the Gippsland yoghurt which we found thick and rich with a smooth rounded flavour.
Danone has the runniest consistency of the three and has a slight vanilla aftertaste – but still nice.
Harris Farms reveals a sour after-note compared to the others but it’s not offensive and you wouldn’t spot it if you weren’t eating them one after the after.
Nutrient | Danone | Gippsland | Harris Farm |
Unsweetened |
Total fat, g | 7.8 | 6.4 | 7.6 | 6 |
Sat fat, g | 5.2 | 4.2 | 5.5 | 3 |
Sugars, g | 12.0 | 16.2 | 17.3 | 6 |
Calcium, mg | 120 | 170 | NR | 120 |
Protein, g | 3.0 | 5.8 | 5.5 | 6 |
NR = Not Reported
If you’re after the ideal yoghurt for cereal and to create a nutritious dessert, then buy a 100% natural unsweetened yoghurt and add your own fruit or honey.
Yes, these sweetened yoghurts are not ‘perfect’ but are comparatively better than ice-cream and dairy desserts (think crème caramel or tiramisu) when you are craving something sweet. We could eat these in a bowl on their own, unlike some other yoghurts.
Despite their added sugar, these yoghurts make an important nutritional contribution in terms of their dairy content, calcium, protein and B vitamins such as riboflavin. They are worth buying for families and anyone who dislikes natural yoghurt.
Thank you to student dietitian Caitlin Delaney for help in taste-testing and fact finding.
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