Yogurts With More Sugar Than A Twinkie !
We all like to think of yogurt as a healthy breakfast, but as it turns out, many of the most popular yogurt brands have more sugar than a junk food you'd never consider eating.
Navigating the Yogurt aisle these days can be a daunting experience and confusing!
The US and Canadian Heart Association recommends that men eat no more than 36 grams of sugar per day, and women no more than 20.
One Twinkie makes a big dent in that recommended daily max, packing 19 grams of the sweet stuff.
Many of the top-selling yogurts have even more.
Part of this high sugar count is due to sugar that occurs naturally in yogurt, but the amount of natural sugar varies dramatically, depending on the kind. Lowfat yogurt, for example, is notorious for being high in sugar. The first 17 grams of sugar per serving, in lowfat varieties, is naturally occurring lactose. In original yogurt, it's common to see anywhere between 12 and 15 grams of natural sugar The best option and what I recommend to anyone who asks is "going Greek." Greek yogurt has as little as 6 grams in plain flavors.
What really ups the sugar, though, is what we put into that plain yogurt. Fruit, especially the syrupy kind mixed into store-bought yogurts, is a common culprit. Plus, once you start throwing in candied nuts or sweetened granola, you've can quickly find yourself well beyond the sugar content of an entire Twinkie.
If you're going to add toppings, always stick to a plain flavor, you can even add a little cinnamon to sweeten it up!
But many would-be yogurt eaters will tell you they just don't care for the bitter taste of a plain scoop. I get it, it CAN be boring but what I do is add a couple pieces of sliced strawberries and some cinnamon and it tastes more like a treat !
To make it more palatable, nearly all big brands, like Yoplait and Dannon, offer a large selection of fruit, and sometimes even dessert-flavored options. It's often these sweet additions that give the yogurts like the five below more sugar than a Twinkie.
SO READ YOUR LABELS! And always check the "per serving" at the top for the container you are holding in your hand!
Below some of these will look familiar to you as you stroll down the Yogurt aisle......
One Twinkie makes a big dent in that recommended daily max, packing 19 grams of the sweet stuff.
Many of the top-selling yogurts have even more.
Part of this high sugar count is due to sugar that occurs naturally in yogurt, but the amount of natural sugar varies dramatically, depending on the kind. Lowfat yogurt, for example, is notorious for being high in sugar. The first 17 grams of sugar per serving, in lowfat varieties, is naturally occurring lactose. In original yogurt, it's common to see anywhere between 12 and 15 grams of natural sugar The best option and what I recommend to anyone who asks is "going Greek." Greek yogurt has as little as 6 grams in plain flavors.
What really ups the sugar, though, is what we put into that plain yogurt. Fruit, especially the syrupy kind mixed into store-bought yogurts, is a common culprit. Plus, once you start throwing in candied nuts or sweetened granola, you've can quickly find yourself well beyond the sugar content of an entire Twinkie.
If you're going to add toppings, always stick to a plain flavor, you can even add a little cinnamon to sweeten it up!
But many would-be yogurt eaters will tell you they just don't care for the bitter taste of a plain scoop. I get it, it CAN be boring but what I do is add a couple pieces of sliced strawberries and some cinnamon and it tastes more like a treat !
To make it more palatable, nearly all big brands, like Yoplait and Dannon, offer a large selection of fruit, and sometimes even dessert-flavored options. It's often these sweet additions that give the yogurts like the five below more sugar than a Twinkie.
SO READ YOUR LABELS! And always check the "per serving" at the top for the container you are holding in your hand!
Below some of these will look familiar to you as you stroll down the Yogurt aisle......
- Dannon Fruit On The Bottom BlueberryThis blueberry offering from Dannon is proof that you should always check nutrition labels -- or you could end up with 24 grams of sugar per 6-ounce serving!!!!
Educated Label Reading is very important and a must for anyone looking to make serious fitness and nutrition changes in their life! Remember Nutrition is 60% of the puzzle when you want to reach your goals!
Start checking out labels and you will be so surprised with what you learn! Then share your new found knowledge with everyone you know! Share the wealth of good health !
"Peace, Love and Fitness"
