Yogurt Has More Sugar than Ice Cream
You might think that “Greek Yogurt” would mean something healthy…it doesn’t. In fact, when it comes to Ben & Jerry’s, it means 26 grams of sugar. Contrast that with their ice cream. Their Cherry Garcia Ice has 23 grams of sugar. Yogurt is often nothing more than warm ice cream – but not as healthy. People think yogurt is healthy, it isn’t. It is a product that has been remade by American food companies with lots of sugar added. The most obvious example: Greek Yogurt from Ben & Jerry – which has more sugar than their Cherry Garcia Ice cream!
The American Heart Association recommends NO MORE than 6 teaspoons a day of sugar for women and 9 teaspoons a day for men. Translated into grams that is no more than 24 grams of sugar a DAY for women and no more than 36 grams a day for men. One teaspoon of sugar equals 4 grams of sugar.
Generally people think of Greek Yogurt as “good for you” – so let us examine the nutritional content of a few more of the popular brands of Greek Yogurt:
Greek Yogurt
Chobani Greek Style Yogurt: Strawberry has 19 grams of sugar. Someone will point out the 14 grams of protein, but lets be honest, when was the last time you saw someone who was protein deficient in the United States? This is five teaspoons of sugar – FIVE.
Dannon Plain Greek Yogurt: 19 grams of sugar with 11 grams of protein.
Fage Greek yogurt: well, you have to be careful here – their 0% has 7 grams of sugar. In that one bit of yogurt you are getting 1/4 the maximum dose of sugar for women.
Activia Greek Yogurt: 19 grams of sugar.
Yoplait: 19 grams of sugar.
Oikos: 18 grams of sugar.
Ice Cream
Blue Bunny Ice Cream: 15 grams per scoop.
Haagen Dazs Ice Cream Bar: 19 grams.
Breyers Extra Creamy All Natural Vanilla: 13 grams.
Dreyers Grand Vanilla Bean: 14 grams.
There is some more fat in some of the ice creams than in some of the yogurts. But not too much difference. Here is the plan: if you think you want to lose weight – then a low-fat dairy, or regular fat dairy, or yogurt is probably not on your menu. If you think ice cream is a once a week product- you should think that yogurt should be too.
I don’t know about you- but when it comes to what I eat- I will take ice cream over yogurt every single time.