Yogurt....why so much sugar?!

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jedinight32
jedinight32 Posts: 39
in Food and Nutrition
Hi everyone,

I am happy to report that I have lost 2 out of the 5 lbs that I would like to lose by Halloween; however, I have been looking at my logs for the past two weeks and noticed that I am over in my sugar minimum quite often. I also noticed that some of the extra sugar is coming from the non-fat or low-fat yogurt that I have been having for breakfast or as a snack. I find it a little disturbing that there is between 18-22g of sugar in these supposedly "healthier" yogurts...any suggestions on some yogurt brands that have less sugar? I love my yogurt and would hate to give it up.

Replies

  • jsjaclark
    jsjaclark Posts: 303
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    I have been buying Publix brand no added sugar yogurt. It still has 8g of sugar, but that is less than most low fat ones out there.
  • liftingbro
    liftingbro Posts: 2,029 Member
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    Sugars are not bad for you, particularly natural sugars.

    MFP gives pretty low baselines for sugar. A single piece of fruit or yogurt will make up most of your daily limit for MFP. Realistically, you can probably 2x the amount they suggest and be fine.
  • ladybug1620
    ladybug1620 Posts: 1,136 Member
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    Can you buy plain yogurt and add your own fruit to it? That should save you some if you're buying the flavored types.
  • SixCatFaerie
    SixCatFaerie Posts: 690 Member
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    I eat Fage Total 0 % Greek All Natural Greek Strained Yogurt which has 9g of sugar in 1 cup. Better, but not sugar free. Not even sure if they make sugar free yogurt! Good luck!

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    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods
  • Helenatrandom
    Helenatrandom Posts: 1,166 Member
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    Nonfat plain greek yogurt has a lot less sugar. I use it in the place of sour cream on a baked potato, or lean taco, or mixed with cucumber for a cucumber salad.
    I know a baked potato for breakfast sounds unusual, but there really are no rules about what foods one can and can't eat for breakfast. We make up our own. (Says the woman who ate cold pizza for breakfast when she was young...,)
  • penelofur
    penelofur Posts: 81 Member
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    I eat Chiobani plain 0% fat greek yogurt. It is thicker than regular yogurt and it has a very tart (almost bitter) taste. However, I add some splenda (you could add fruit or honey) and it is super yummy!
  • akgrl1020
    akgrl1020 Posts: 179
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    Yogurt, in and of itself IS healthy for you. However, a lot of yogurts these days are filled with sugary sweets, making them more of a dessert item. Have you checked out Greek yogurts? I like to get the plain, and add my own fruit and a packet of stevia.
  • awkwwward
    awkwwward Posts: 73
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    Sugars are not bad for you, particularly natural sugars.

    MFP gives pretty low baselines for sugar. A single piece of fruit or yogurt will make up most of your daily limit for MFP. Realistically, you can probably 2x the amount they suggest and be fine.

    This is basically what I was going to say. MFP told me I was over my allotment of sugar the other day when I had an apple for breakfast with two tablespoons of peanut butter. I wish it differentiated between natural sugars and artificial in that way.
  • awkwwward
    awkwwward Posts: 73
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    Sugars are not bad for you, particularly natural sugars.

    MFP gives pretty low baselines for sugar. A single piece of fruit or yogurt will make up most of your daily limit for MFP. Realistically, you can probably 2x the amount they suggest and be fine.

    This is basically what I was going to say. MFP told me I was over my allotment of sugar the other day when I had an apple for breakfast with two tablespoons of peanut butter. I wish it differentiated between natural sugars and artificial in that way.
  • jgic2009
    jgic2009 Posts: 531 Member
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    I eat Fage Total 0 % Greek All Natural Greek Strained Yogurt which has 9g of sugar in 1 cup. Better, but not sugar free. Not even sure if they make sugar free yogurt! Good luck!

    This is what I use as well.

    Yogurt is made from milk, which naturally has sugar (lactose) in it.
  • Timeforme714
    Timeforme714 Posts: 189 Member
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    I buy plain yogurt and sweeten it with agave nectar. It's delicious :)
  • kristilovescake
    kristilovescake Posts: 669 Member
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    My husband and I forked out the cash for a yogurt maker and are SO GLAD we did! We make our own yogurt and it's healthier for you (more good bacteria and less natural milk sugar) AND you control exactly what goes in it.

    If you don't want to pay for a yogurt maker, google how to make homemade yogurt and you can see how to make it in your oven with just having the oven light on and leaving it for 24 hours.

    After the initial purchase of the yogurt maker, it's really cheap yogurt since the packets of good bacteria for the starter are pretty cheap and you just need milk. After you make the first batch then you can use some of that to start the next batch.

    Thanks for reminding me that I need to make some more!
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    Natural sugars are not bad for you. If you are concerned, buy the plain yogurt and add a little maple syrup (real) or honey and some nuts or fruit/dried fruit. If your sugar is coming from natural sources there's nothing to worry about.

    I once read an article that stated "Show me someone that got diabetes from too many strawberries and I'll eat my hat" (from a scientist).
  • jpamplin28
    jpamplin28 Posts: 76 Member
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    I get the Carbmaster Yogurt from Kroger and it only has 3g sugar in it. Dannon makes a lower carb/sugar light and fit too.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    I get the Carbmaster Yogurt from Kroger and it only has 3g sugar in it. Dannon makes a lower carb/sugar light and fit too.

    Just be careful, often the light yogurts have added chemicals to keep the calorie count low. If you do not mind artificial sweeteners that is okay. Otherwise check out the natural choices that are low fat or no fat with no added chemicals.
  • jedinight32
    jedinight32 Posts: 39
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    Wow! These are all great suggestions! Thanks so much!
  • o0oAliciao0o
    o0oAliciao0o Posts: 70
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    It's LACTOSE. Ie the sugar that people who are lactose intolerant are intolerant to. It's a natural "sugar" in milk but it's not like table sugar (sucrose) and it's different than sugar in fruit, which is mainly fructose. Be aware though on packages that say they contain glucose-fructose because glucose-fructose is the same as table sugar (sucrose). Lactose won't spike your blood sugar as much as white sugar (sucrose) so don't worry about the sugar in milk and yogurt unless you're diabetic (in which case it does count as a carb and you have to take insulin for it). Hope this helps!
  • o0oAliciao0o
    o0oAliciao0o Posts: 70
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    Just to add to my previous reply, lactose is the main source of sugar in yogurt but sometimes they do add sugar too. Look on the label for sugar, glucose-fructose, or sucrose to see if they add sugar. Greek yogurt is the best! And it contains like 18g of protein per serving. And it's so thick you can turn it upside down in a bowl and it doesn't move (reminds me of a Blizzard commercial). Cheers!

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