Hi all,
I was wondering with all these plant based yogurts becoming popular in the last couple of years, how do they compare to the regular dairy yogurt from a nutritional point of view.
Assuming all types are “regular” natural yogurt (e.g. no sugar added), is there any plant based yogurt that would be preferable for a specific reason (or should be avoided):
For me it is a bit striking that all of these plant based yogurts are technically highly processed foods, which usually do not have a great reputation.
No. It’s all preference. Some have more or less saturated fat, sugar, protein, calories, etc. so that’s really what it comes down to. I actually prefer regular Greek yogurt as I find the probiotic cultures help my digestion, plus I like the protein it has.
I mean the best yogurt on the list that you provided would probably be Almond Milk or Cashew milk yogurt. The best brand I’ve ever eaten has been Kitehill Farms. The yogurt surprisingly tastes just like regular low-fat yogurt, but there’s really nothing that has that full-fat yogurt taste. I do agree somewhat. I don’t see the utility of shying away from regular yogurt. The natural probiotic benefits alone make it far superior to just drinking regular diary like milk. I usually just eat these yogurts when I want to keep my diary consumption done for a bit. You also can’t beat the ;ricing for low fat greek yogurt.
the biggest benefits from normal (dairy) yogurt are probiotic bacterial strains, calcium, b12, and some protein. protein is significantly higher in strained/hung/greek yogurt, while iodine may be present in dairy products in some countries. if the yogurt is pasteurized post fermentation, it won’t have the good bacteria.
all plant based yogurts can offer similar levels of good bacteria, if not the exact strains. this does depend on their method of preparation, strains used, pasteurization state, etc (just like dairy yogurt).
legume based yogurts, especially soy, can provide protein amount comparable to dairy yogurt. other yogurts will generally have lower protein content.
unfortified plant based yogurts won’t have the other major benefits of dairy yogurt - calcium, b12, potential iodine, etc. but this is solved if you simply buy a good fortified yogurt. you could also take a multi for b12 and iodine, and eat other calcium rich foods throughout the day (calcium set tofu, calcium fortified juice, brassica greens, etc).
does plant based yogurt have any benefit over dairy yogurt? yes - they contain some fiber, and they are naturally lactose free.