All yogurts are not made equal

The healthiest yogurt, whether plain or flavoured, should contain no more than 200 calories. Yogurt is mainly made from milk, and one cup of fat-free milk contains just 86 calories. Extra ingredients shouldn’t add on more than another hundred calories.

Because no other fats are added to yogurt, the total fat content reflects what kind of milk it’s made from. More than four grammes probably means whole milk was used, or even cream. Both are heavy and contain unhealthy saturated fat you should be avoiding to protect your heart.

Even plain yogurts have some sugar because milk naturally provides 12 grammes per cup. In flavoured varieties, the rest usually comes from fruit and/or sweeteners such as honey, fructose, or plain old sugar. Unfortunately, the grammes listed don’t separate natural from added, but this cup will keep surplus sugars to a minimum.

Stay away from products with high fructose corn syrup listed in the ingredients; it’s the same sweetener used in soda that’s been linked to weight gain and type 2 diabetes.

Healthy yogurt should contain at least six grammes of protein. Any less indicates that metabolism- boosting, protein-rich milk, has been watered down with sugar, gelatin, or cornstarch.

It should also contain at least 20 percent of the daily value for calcium — about 200 mg out of the1,000 to 1,200 mg of calcium you need each day.

Yogurt with “live active cultures”, also known as probiotics, keep “bad” bacteria in check or restore the good types wiped out by antibiotics. They may also boost immunity and help prevent or manage constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, and gas. But read labels: Two bacteria, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, are used to ferment milk to make yogurt.

To reap the benefits of probiotics, choose brands bolstered with additional potent bacteria by looking for the words Lactobacillus (L Acidophilus) and/or Bifidobacterium (B Bifidum) in the ingredients

Soy yogurts are made with soymilk (from soybeans) rather than cow’s milk but are otherwise the same. They may offer a few health advantages. A recent study concluded that natural compounds in soy yogurts could help control blood sugar by slowing carbohydrate digestion. They also tend to be all-natural. Most are organic. Unlike the majority of soy cheeses, which contain dairy-derived proteins, most soy yogurts are entirely dairy free.