Your Guide to the Yogurt Aisle

Three tips to select the best yogurt. Plus 25 yogurts that check all the boxes.

This week, we’re diving into the world of yogurt. While the category is broad, many of the products are surprisingly similar. Still, the endless variety of brands and trendy product twists can feel overwhelming. To help you navigate the yogurt aisle with confidence, I’ve put together a simple shopping guide. And because I know you’re busy, I’ve also included a list of great shoptions to make your next grocery trip easier.

You can check out my other grocery aisle guides below:

• Your guide to choosing a protein bar

• Your complete guide to the cereal aisle

• Your Complete Low-Sodium Grocery List

First, let’s do a quick review of the different types of yogurt currently on the market.

Dairy-Based Yogurts

• Traditional Yogurt: made by fermenting milk with live bacterial cultures. It’s widely available from many brands and typically has a thinner texture compared to other varieties. Traditional yogurt is lower in protein than other types of yogurt, offering around 6 grams per 3/4 cup serving.

• Balkan yogurt: thicker than traditional yogurt, thanks to its unique fermentation process. It’s made in smaller batches, and once the bacterial cultures are added, the yogurt is poured into its final container and left undisturbed until it's ready to eat. This results in a denser texture. Like traditional yogurt, it contains around 6 grams of protein per 3/4 cup serving.

• Greek yogurt: made by straining traditional yogurt to remove excess moisture and whey. This process creates a much thicker texture and concentrates the protein content. Most Greek yogurts contain at least 15 grams of protein per 3/4 cup serving, making it a popular choice for those looking to increase their protein intake.

• Skyr yogurt: an Icelandic-style yogurt made in a similar way to Greek yogurt but strained even further, resulting in an even thicker texture. It’s typically less tart than Greek yogurt and slightly higher in protein, with around 18 grams per 3/4 cup serving.

• Lactose-free yogurt: both traditional and Greek-style yogurts are available in lactose-free versions at most grocery stores. These yogurts are made by adding lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose. By breaking lactose into simpler sugars, lactase makes these products easier to digest for people with lactose intolerance, without significantly changing the taste or texture.

Goat Milk Yogurt

Although less common, several brands offer yogurt made from goat’s milk. These products seemed to gain some attention when the wellness industry was anti-dairy (around 2015?), though they’ve never fully taken off in the mainstream. Goat milk yogurt is made using a process similar to that of cow’s milk yogurt. Its protein content varies by brand and processing method, typically ranging from 6 to 12 grams per 3/4 cup serving. Despite a common misconception, goat’s milk does contain lactose, though in slightly lower amounts than cow’s milk, and may be better tolerated by those with mild lactose intolerance.

Plant-based yogurt

Plant-based yogurts, including almond, coconut, and other nut-based options, are made by fermenting a plant base with live bacteria. These yogurts serve as a dairy-free alternative for those who have dairy allergies or do not consume dairy. To improve texture, manufacturers often add starches, gums, and sometimes additional protein. The texture and consistency can vary significantly depending on the base used and processing method. For example, almond yogurt tends to have a more gelatinous texture, while coconut yogurt is typically smoother and closer to traditional yogurt in feel.

Some plant-based yogurt options are specifically formulated to offer higher protein content, often marketed as plant-based alternatives to Greek yogurt. These varieties are typically made from almond or coconut bases, but with added protein, starches, and gums to mimic the creamy, high-protein profile of Greek yogurt. These higher-protein plant-based options typically contain at least 10 g of protein per 3/4 cup serving. The overall nutritional content of plant-based yogurts, including vitamins and minerals (like calcium which is found in dairy-based yogurt), will vary depending on the base used, fortification, and the specific brand.

Common marketing claims used on yogurt

Claims related to the probiotic content and gut health.

Claims related to gut health are common on yogurt packaging. While all yogurt contains live bacteria from the fermentation process, most varieties don’t provide enough of the right strains to deliver a therapeutic probiotic benefit (such as noticeable relief from digestive issues). That said, even if a yogurt doesn’t contain a therapeutic dose, regularly consuming foods with live cultures can still generally support gut health by promoting a diverse and balanced gut microbiome.

In Canada, for a yogurt brand to legally use a claim on their packaging related to a probiotic benefit, it must contain 1.0 x 10^9 CFU per serving of one or more of the probiotic strains that are approved for this claim. This is a lot, and most yogurts available on the market do not qualify to make probiotic claims by these standards.

In the U.S., general gut-health claims like “supports digestive health” are considered structure/function claims and are not pre-approved or regulated by the FDA. However, manufacturers are still responsible for ensuring that such claims are truthful, not misleading, and supported by evidence.

Claims related to nutrients

Protein

If you’ve been to a grocery store lately, you’ve probably noticed that protein is having a moment. It’s being marketed across nearly every food category as the must-have nutrient, and yogurt is no exception. In the yogurt aisle, this trend really took off with the rise of Greek and Skyr yogurts, both of which naturally contain higher amounts of protein. Over the past decade, the high-protein yogurt category has grown rapidly, and it’s clear that it’s here to stay.

Yogurt can be a great source of protein. Protein helps slow digestion and keeps you feeling full between meals, so it’s worth choosing a yogurt that provides a good source. That said, most Greek and Skyr yogurts already offer excellent protein content. A yogurt that highlights its protein on the label may not be much different from one that doesn’t, so just skip straight to the nutrition facts table and try not to get swept up in marketing.

Calcium and Vitamin D

Yogurt may feature nutrient claims such as being a source of calcium or vitamin D. These claims are regulated by the FDA and Health Canada. Because yogurt is made from milk, it’s naturally a good source of calcium. This is important for bone health and may be a key reason people include yogurt in their diets.

If you consume plant-based yogurt, know that the calcium content can vary depending on the base used and whether or not it’s fortified. If you're choosing a plant-based yogurt and looking to get calcium from it, be sure to check the label to confirm it's fortified. If not, you'll need to find calcium from other dietary sources.

Some yogurts are also fortified with vitamin D, which is a bonus since vitamin D helps the body absorb and use calcium effectively. That said, food sources alone usually don’t provide enough vitamin D to meet our daily needs. We also rely on sunlight and, for many people, supplements. So, if you find a yogurt that meets your needs but isn’t fortified with vitamin D, it’s not necessarily a dealbreaker from a nutritional standpoint.

Sugar

Low-sugar flavoured yogurts have surged onto the market in the last decade as consumers look to reduce their sugar intake. As such, there are many yogurts using “low sugar” or “no added sugar” type of claims on their packaging. These types of yogurts use non-sugar sweeteners to maintain the flavour with the low sugar content. The most common non-sugar sweetener used in yogurt was previously sucralose (brand name Splenda), but newer yogurt formulations have been released in recent years using stevia or monk fruit as natural non-sugar sweetener alternatives.

Claims related to chronic disease

In 2024, the FDA announced a qualified health claim regarding yogurt and its potential to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. After reviewing the available literature in response to a petition submitted by Danone, the FDA concluded that while there is some credible evidence supporting a relationship between yogurt consumption and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, the evidence remains limited. The claims approved for use are as follows:

• "Eating yogurt regularly, at least 2 cups (3 servings) per week, may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. The FDA has concluded that there is limited information supporting this claim."

• "Eating yogurt regularly, at least 2 cups (3 servings) per week, may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes according to limited scientific evidence."

To date, I haven't seen any products prominently marketing this claim on their packaging, but since this approval is recent, it may take some time for packaging updates. Expect to see this claim appear more frequently in the future.

Note: Health Canada does not have a similar health claim approved for use on yogurt.

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How to choose a yogurt

With all this in mind, I’m sharing three simple targets to use when selecting a yogurt that can support a healthy dietary pattern, plus 25 yogurt options that check all the boxes¹.

🔓 This is where we get into the practical stuff: how to read labels, spot better products, and shop with more confidence. Paid subscribers get access to the full post and the tools to make better food choices without second-guessing.

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