Yoghurt has always had an association with probiotic health and the ties of imagery with a healthy choice made by consumers especially for breakfast or snacks, but in recent light and research awareness of what has been included in our foods. This has struck a chord, especially as a parent, that I need to be vigilant in my label reading especially when they say sugar free.
Sugar has always been known as a "unhealthy" food additive, especially artificial sweeteners. So why is it being included in our some what deemed healthier options after multitudes of facts and research being released about how much damage it does to the body.
As far a health goes ever since we are little yoghurt was always
known as a "healthy food" but how healthy is it these days. I have
recently done a lot of researching into different brands and read all the
information until a was full to the brim and realised once again, when
something is being advertised it's best to really read the fine print and in
this case, how much preservatives, additives and sugar was going into my so
called, "healthy and all natural" yoghurt.
Little was left to
choose from, people can advertise alternatives but then taking factors like
saturated fats into consideration again defeats the purpose of why we have
yoghurt, for it probiotic properties. What I did take away though was when
choosing a yoghurt what I should be looking out for and in what amounts, what
was considered too high or how to tell if there was anything that was unnatural
or added.
Choose full fat -
This I was taken aback by as I was told "low fat is less fat." What
is meant by this is, it essentially is healthier and your dietary choices should
be swayed by things that simply say what they are less in but not realise what
they substituted for to try and keep the texture or flavour that was removed with the initial fat layer. Also all the
goodness of is in the top fat layer that is scooped off in low fat and replaced
either with sugars, additives and preservatives and sometimes they try to add
the already inclusive vitamins and minerals.
The less
ingredients the better - You want to see lactobacillus acidophilus, bifidus and
lactobacillus bulgaricus, they are key. For example this is off Chobani Plain
Yoghurt: Cultured Pasteurized Nonfat Milk, Live and Active Cultures: S.
Thermophilus, L. Bulgaricus, L. Acidophilus, Bifidus and L. Casei. That's all
you really want to and need to see. Even when it comes to fruit being in
yoghurt you are better off adding real fruit as their "real fruit" is
really sugar.
An
important tip I learnt was how much sugar was natural and what was added and to
do that this was the guide: anything over 4.7g/100g is added sugar, anything under is natural. So the next time you want some yoghurt add your own fruit and raw honey, if you can find honey with the comb even better!
These links provide a simple and useful breaking down with what you need to know as far as;
Better options for yoghurt:
Breakdown on sugar and the negative effects it has on the body:
It is so important for your health that you know what is in your foods and if it is really "healthy."
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