Greek Yogurt That's Not Good for You...

The trend of adding a “hot” ingredient to a food to attract more consumers is definitely nothing new. It has happened in the past (and continues to) with oats, flaxseeds, omega-3 fatty acids, and acai berries, to name a few. Unfortunately I feel sometimes this is more of a marketing ploy than an opportunity to really enhance a product’s nutritional value!

The latest craze is Greek yogurt, and it seems like almost every food company wants to join this bandwagon. A typical 6-ounce container of low-fat plain Greek yogurt provides 130 calories, 17g protein, 7g sugar, and 200mg calcium (10 percent of the daily value). It is not surprising that it is so popular, especially among nutrition experts, with this nutrition profile. But a lot of the new products that use Greek yogurt as an ingredient don’t even come close to these numbers.

There are products like, granola bars, cereal and  a trail mix that features Greek yogurt front and center on the packaging, fails in comparison. One serving can have up to 160 calories, 3g protein, 12g sugar, and 80mg calcium. The yogurt actually comes in the form of “Greek yogurt drops, coated or swirls,” with the first ingredient of these being sugar. Probiotics were added to these items since obviously there isn’t much real Greek yogurt to begin with.

What’s the lesson here? Don’t always believe what you read front and center. Turn the package over and read the nutrition facts label and ingredients list closely. And in the case of Greek yogurt, at least for now, buy plain, fat free, go grab your spoon, open up your container, and pile on the berries.