Greek Yogurt Olympics

Hey T4S Fans!

If you’ve been watching the Olympics like I have, you’re sure to have seen tons of commercials for Chobani Greek Yogurt, one of the sponsor companies for the Team USA. I thought I’d write a post about the benefits of Greek yogurt in general, as well as giving you a little help in comparing and choosing between the different brands in honor of the Olympics this week!

Why should I eat Greek yogurt over regular?

Greek yogurt is most well known for its increased protein content over that of regular yogurt. It can have up to twice as much protein as classic yogurt, which is great for helping you stay full and satisfied with a smaller portion and for a longer amount of time. But there are many other lesser known benefits of Greek yogurt as well!

Greek yogurt can also have up to 50% less sodium than regular yogurt, which is very beneficial in American diets, as sodium tends to be very high among us. High sodium intake has been linked to high blood pressure, stroke and other chronic diseases as well as affecting your appearance negatively by causing bloating and puffiness.  The limited sodium of Greek yogurt can allow you to get a jumpstart on cutting sodium from your diet.

Greek yogurt also tends to have a lower carbohydrate (sugar) content than regular yogurts. This can limit the blood sugar spike you get after eating it, which helps contribute to its staying power in keeping you full. Low carbohydrate content means lower lactose content as well, making the Greek yogurt easier for you to digest and again helping to limit bloating and discomfort after eating.

With all these benefits, it’s no wonder that Team USA has turned to Greek yogurt as a healthy grab-and-go item for their time in Sochi…but is Chobani really the best brand for them to eat? I’ve compared nutrition facts from the strawberry flavor individual portion cup size (150 g) of several major brands to find out.

Turns out, of the major brands, Chobani is the clear front-runner. With its low added sugar, lower calorie and high protein content, the brand more than makes up for their higher sodium content. Coming in second, Dannon’s Oikos Greek yogurt has lower calories and higher protein, both good things, but with more than twice as much sugar than Chobani’s version, it will have to settle for silver. Fage and Yoplait’s strawberry Greek yogurts are both higher in calories and sugar, as well as lower in protein than the other brands, meaning they will have to settle for bronze medals in today’s Greek Yogurt Olympics.

Have fun watching the rest of the Sochi Games and consider switching from regular to Greek style yogurt in the future!

-Cailey