The amount of Greek yogurt calories can vary widely by brands. But if you are worried whether the cup of Greek style yogurt that you are getting contains too much calories, then choosing the right one is crucial.
While Greek yogurt is originally made from sheep’s milk, today’s variant includes all sorts of milks such as cow’s milk, goat’s milk or even a mixture of both. Today, the term Greek simply refers to the richer, thicker and creamier texture of the yogurt and no longer is it any more about what type of milk is it made of.
As Greek yogurt includes extra straining steps during processing to drain away liquid whey, the process also reduces the amount carbohydrates and sugars. This is why the yogurt contains naturally less calories compared to regular ones in terms of sugars.
Greek Yogurt Calories
Although it is true that less sugar usually means fewer calories, the yogurt in this concentrated form also means that more milk is needed to produce this same cup of yogurt. With more milk come higher price as well as more protein and fat content. Yes, you read it right! More fat content is what shoots up Greek yogurt calories besides sugar. Read Greek yogurt vs regular yogurt comparison here for more information.
As each gram of fat contains 9 calories vs. 4 calories for each gram of carbohydrates and proteins, a regular cup of 6-ounce Greek yogurt would easily contain more than 100 calories from fat alone. Worse still, manufacturers tend to add sweeteners and additional sugars to improve the flavor and taste. This makes the calories contained in each cup to skyrocket. For instance, the strawberry and kiwi flavored yogurt by Greek God contains more than 300 calories for a 6 ounce serving!
Fortunately, not all Greek yogurts are loaded with that much of calories. There are a variety of choices to choose from. Today, you can easily find yogurts with calories fewer than 150 calories from the fridge aisle. All you need to do is read up the label before buying.
You can get a low fat or even a fat free one with energy count starting from a range of 80 to 100 calories for a 6 ounce cup. Typical low fat version has calories ranging from 150 to 200 calories, a little higher than zero fat ones. Also, flavored varieties usually contain more calories than plain ones as the taste includes additional sweeteners.
For instance, a plain Greek yogurt by Yoplait contains 100 calories while its flavored varieties contain about 30 percent more. Fage Total 0% Greek yogurt on the other hand has 130 calories while a regular vanilla flavored low fat variant has 208 calories.
As such, if calories count is really a concern for you, it would be best to stick with fat free plain yogurt. That’s the lowest calories count you can get from any yogurt. However, if you prefer flavored yogurt, get one with reduced fat at least. As Greek yogurt calories vary according to brands and type, always remember to read the label and choose wisely. After all, it’s a great dairy food, and you want it best for your health.
Next Reading : Health Benefits of Greek Yogurt
Leave a Reply