May 7, 2012

A Greek Yogurt Taste Test (5 brands) and Nutrition Review


The popularity of Greek yogurt has been skyrocketing in recent years. The product is now popping up everywhere: TV commercials promote the product, news and talk shows reference it, and even my limited-options-discount-superstore carries an ever expanding selection. But what is the difference between regular and Greek yogurt, and why all the hype?

For starters, Greek yogurt differs from regular yogurt in the way it is made. By straining off the liquid whey, Greek yogurt has a thicker, fluffier texture. Celebrities praise it's hunger satisfying properties, calling it the perfect snack. Nutritionists tout Greek yogurt's decreased sugar and more than doubled protein content as the clear winner of the greek vs. regular yogurt battle.

But does it taste good? I decided to find out for myself.

My initial evaluation included four popular brands; Danonon Oikos, FAGE, Chobani, and AE. I  have since tried a fifth brand, Yoplait's Greek version. I assessed flavor, and compared nutrition labels. When possible, I chose the peach variety for this taste test. Areas of particular interest to me on the nutrition labels were protein, sugar, and the ingredient list.



BrandSizeProteinSugarFatCaloriesArtificial Ingredients?
FAGE5.3 oz13g16g0g120 calno
AE6 oz14g19g3g170 calyes
Dannon Oikos5.3 oz12g19g0g130 calyes
Chobani6 oz14g19g0g140 calno
Yoplait6 oz12g20g0g160 cal
Regular yogurt6 oz5g26g1.5g170 cal


Nutritionally, Greek yogurt is the clear victor in terms of protein and sugar content when compared to regular yogurt. And the taste isn't bad either, although the mousse-like consistency does take a little getting used to. The only brand I disliked on taste was AE (Anderson Erickson).  Their Greek yogurt had a sickenly sweet "fake" taste about it.

Overall, I chose FAGE and Chobani as the two winners. They scored the best nutritionally, come in a variety of flavors, and they both taste great. Chobani is a tad bit cheaper, so that's the brand I've been buying. But FAGE is fun because you control how much flavor goes into your yogurt with the separated fruit cup. 




Has anyone else made the switch? Have you found a favorite brand, that maybe I missed?


~Mischele

4 comments:

  1. Chobani is our favorite! It is the only kind of yogurt that we buy and eat now (unless FAGE is on sale :).

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  2. Wow, good job on that review! I've been wondering about greek yogurt too. I love fruit cups and mixing the yogurt myself, so Fage sounds like fun!

    ~Lisha

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  3. Thanks for the review! I usually make my own yogurt but I'm glad to have this info on the Greek varieties.

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  4. Thanks for this@ I buy FAGE at Costco - a huge container is only $5.99!

    Thank you for linking up with me last week at Drab to Fab!

    http://www.amynjesse.com/2012/05/drab-to-fab-17.html

    Come on back by and share more of what you have been doing :)

    Have a great one!

    Amy@Sugar and Spice

    ReplyDelete