If you're starting out on keto, you might be wondering - can you eat yogurt on keto? Finally, plain Greek yogurt is a staple with its high protein content and low calorie count. In addition, milk snacks are simply more filling when it comes to the last calorie.
But now that carbs matter more than calories, is yogurt keto-friendly?The good news isketo friendly yogurtexists! The not-so-good news: Which keto-friendly yogurt is best is a little more complicated.
Read on to learn what makes yogurt keto. You'll also learn the health benefits that make yogurt a great addition to a keto diet, how to incorporate keto yogurt into your plan, and the best low-carb yogurt brands.
is it keto
Before we talk about yogurt, let's talk about that oh-so-common phrase – is it keto?
There's literally no one person who can answer that, as foods don't fall into the keto or non-keto categories. There are only foods that are better for keto than foods that aren't.
In fact, there are foods I can eat while easily staying in ketosis that you could kick out right away. These are the breaks, kid.
The only way to tell if a food like yogurtis keto for youis to try it. Since you don't want to be constantly eating foods that could knock you out of ketosis, using the macros (including the carb count) is a great way to find out.
The best way to do this isLearn your personalized macros. Then check the nutrition label to find out if the yogurt fits into your plan. If this seems confusing, we'll talk more about it in a minute.
How is yogurt made?
Yogurt is made by adding bacteria to milk. Because milk contains the natural sugar lactose, yogurt contains sugar. How much sugar depends on how the yogurt was made and how much sugar was added during processing.
When you open most yogurts, liquid usually floats on top. This is mostly lactose. Technically, you can drain the excess liquid instead of stirring it in, making the yogurt lower in carbs. However, there are two problems with draining the upper liquid:
- This liquid contains nutrients (such as calcium, vitamin B12 and phosphorus).
- There's no way of knowing how much sugar you're removing from the yogurt. If you're someone who counts carbs, it's going to be difficult to determine the amount of carbs to add to your daily total. Since some keto dieters only eat 20 total carbs daily, that little bit could nullify or break your plan.
Health benefits of yogurt
Aside from natural sugars, there are some health benefits to including yogurt in your low-carb diet. Here's why adding more keto-friendly yogurt is a great option:
- It fills you up:If you're struggling with hunger on a ketogenic diet, adding yogurt can make you feel fuller for longer.
- Great for bones:The calcium found in yogurt helps with bone density. That's important in old age.
- Good for your gut:If you want to maintain your lost weight, it depends on the gut! Yogurt can help balance the bacteria in your gut to more easily maintain gut health.
- Helps with heart health:Correspondingthis study, eating fermented products 1-2 times a week can help lower blood pressure. This helps your entire cardiovascular system.
Why does the carbohydrate count vary so much?
At this point I know what you're thinking.Sure, the health benefits sound great—but what about weight loss? Will yogurt help or hurt my quest?Body transforming ketosis?
Like any ketosis, it's all about the carbs! And if you compare different brands of yogurt, you might find that the carb count is skyrocketing everywhere. If it's just strained milk, what makes the difference?
This depends on how the yogurt was processed. For example, has more of the lactose been strained out – like in Greek yoghurt? And how much added sugar was smuggled in during processing? (We know how much food manufacturers love to add sugar to everything from processed snacks to bacon!)
Since the process of making yoghurt turns milk from sweet to bitter, plain yoghurt is the perfect opportunity to beat any of them 56 different names for sugaron this label!
Regular yogurt vs. Greek yogurt
So what's the difference between regular and Greek yogurt, and which one is better for a ketogenic diet?
Both yogurts start with the same method. The manufacturer starts by heating the milk, adding some safe bacteria, and then letting it ferment until it reaches the desired pH level. But that's the end of the road for regular yogurt.
When it comes time to complete a batch of Greek yogurt, it's strained further to get rid of most of the liquid whey and lactose. This results in a product that has fewer carbohydrates, more protein, a thicker texture and a more bitter taste.
Because Greek yogurt is lower in sugar, it's better for a keto diet — right?
The answer is yes and no. So I think the answer is: It depends!
Which yoghurt suits you?
The type of yogurt you choose depends on what type of keto diet you're following.
When Traditional Yoghurt Works Best:
Folgt man aHigh fat version of keto, then regular yogurt will suit your macros better since traditional yogurt is typically higher in fat and lower in protein than its Greek counterpart. Remember, we're talking about the low-carb versions - not high-sugar yogurt.
Greek yogurt might not fit into your macros, as high-fat keto keeps grams of protein moderate. Regular dairy yogurt has a good amount of fat as long as it's made from whole milk, while not having too much protein.
Is Greek Yogurt Keto?
If you're on a high-protein keto plan, Greek yogurt could be a perfect fit for your macros as it's higher in protein and lower in fat.
Greek yogurt is a great source of protein, but doesn't work well in a high-fat diet since most versions are close to zero grams of fat. No matter how hard I try, it's hard to find a full-fat Greek yogurt.
While you could add your own healthy fats by adding a little MCT oil, coconut oil, or chopped nuts, you still need to be mindful of the amount of protein you're eating when adding more fat to a ketogenic diet. The key to ketogenic weight loss is figuring out the carb/fat/protein balance that your body is responding to.
Eating too much fat with too much protein can cause weight loss to stall for many.
carbohydrate intake:
One thing to watch out for, whichever route you take, is the carb grams. Since there are natural sugars in both variants, you have toAccount for the carbohydratesin yogurt to ensure that even a low-carb brand of yogurt fits into your macros.
Different brands use different processing methods, so you'll need to look at the nutrition facts to determine the best yogurt for your plan.
High Fat Keto vs. High Protein Keto
Not sure which keto approach is right for you? While many experts are quick to say that a higher-protein, lower-fat plan works for everyone because it contains fewer calories, I tend to disagree.
This is because mostWomen who achieve amazing successwith the keto fast-start course didn't give up their bodiesenough food to lose weight. For many women, your body needs to realize that it's safe enough to let go of stored fat by giving it more nutrients, not by severely restricting calories in the name of weight loss.
The Best Keto Yogurt Brands
When it's time to weigh your options, here are some of the best keto yogurts to find on most store shelves.
One thing to keep in mind is just because a product is marketed as keto-friendly doesn't make it the best option. Always check the nutrition facts and ingredient list before leaving the grocery store to determine the best low-carb yogurt options.
Ratio keto yoghurt:
With only 2 grams of total carbs and 15 grams of fat per serving, this is a good keto option macro-wise.
Think ketoratio yoghurtalso has 15 grams of protein, so if you're someone who needs to keep protein moderate in order to get results - that's something to consider.
One thing I don't love about this brand is the sweetener sucralose. While many can stay in ketosis when consuming sucralose, it's not a sweetener I recommend for healthy weight loss. Not only can it stop some from losing weight, but there are severalnegative health effectsderived from this zero-calorie sweetener.
Are two good keto yogurts?
Two Good is a Greek yogurt that's marketed as low-carb because it only has 2 grams of sugar per serving. With14 different flavorsall at 2g net carbs, this is one of my favorite keto yogurt options.
The main ingredients of this brand are cultured low-fat milk and water. This means that there is only a little bit of fat in each container. So if you're hoping to use this keto yogurt recipe to add more fat to your plan, you're out of luck. But with so few calories and only 2 grams of net carbs, you can surely find other ways to add more fat if needed. (Fat Bombs. The answer is always fat bombs).
Aside from the fact that this yogurt is filling and just plain delicious, I also love that they only use stevia instead of other toxic artificial sweeteners. While low-fat yogurts aren't always the best choice for keto, I'll make an exception for this type.
Is Chobani Yogurt Keto Friendly?
Chobani Null Zuckeris another option that's low in carbs and sweetened with a fewketo-friendly sweeteners. In the case of this low-carb yogurt, the sweeteners used are allulose, stevia, and monk fruit extract.
Aside from being low in calories (only 60 per pack), it's also one of the lowest carbs (5 grams), has no fat, and has 11 grams of protein. While the low carb content makes this a keto-friendly option, you also need to consider whether you're getting enough fat in your diet from other sources to actually get into ketosis.
Is Siggi's Yoghurt Keto?
Siggysis a skyr yoghurt that is similar to Greek yoghurt. It's usually less flavorful, thicker, and even higher in protein than Greek yogurt. The carbs are higher too, with 6 grams of carbs in the plain version. If you get a sweetened version, that's about 10 carbs per container.
While I like that they don't use sweeteners in plain yogurt, I don't like that they use skim milk. But if you're looking for a plain yogurt that might fit into your plan - this might be it.
How to choose the best yogurt for keto
These are just a few examples of low carb yogurt that you can find in the yogurt section. I could honestly be here all day talking about the different brands, but I'm sure you're dying to get out there and find your new favorite keto-friendly yogurt.
It all comes down to picking the type of yogurt that works for your keto macros and has the least amount of junk ingredients.
While I personally like the Two Good brand, you might want to stick with a no-sweetener yogurt, like Siggi's Plan yogurt. Since then, it's been important for some people to keep all sweeteners out of a keto plantoo many sweetenerscan lead to cravings and weight gain.
Either way, keep this blog handy when you're ready to choose the low carb yogurt that's right for you!
Make keto easy
All the chatter about which keto plan is the best makes no difference if it's not the right keto plan for you! Why notenter the coursethis has helped hundreds of women finally lose weight on keto — even when no other plan worked?
The Keto Quick Start Course teaches you how to make keto work for you...instead of being constantly confused as to why eating more fat only makes you fat.
Keto friendly yogurt
Other helpful articles:
How Much Fat Should You Eat on Keto?
Is Gatorade Zero Keto Friendly?
Is Keto-Friendly Coffee a Good Idea?
Let's connect!
