by Roelien Steenkamp

Created on: July 08, 2011   Last Updated: July 09, 2011

Eating yoghurt is a great way to stay healthy. There are so many brands and flavours to choose from, so it helps to look at the label and know if you are fooling yourself or not. Picture the following: you walk into a supermarket. At the yoghurt isle, you place in your trolley the following: fat free yoghurt, low-fat strawberry yoghurt and slimmer’s yoghurt. Now look at the ingredient labels of each. After a careful study, you’ll be wishing you stayed with full cream Greek-style yoghurt. A consumer must always be on the lookout for nasty additives. Here are five tips on how to make the right kind of yoghurt work for your health.

Be wary of fat-free and low-fat yoghurts. These yoghurts have the fat removed from them, but  this usually means replacing the fat with other ingredients to make the yoghurt more tasty/ palatable. Sugar-free yoghurts usually also contain additives, in order to make the yoghurt sweet. These may be fructose (which, although fruit-derived, is still a sugar)or aspartame (the controversial artificial sweetener). Also check the ingredient label for the amount of sodium.

Lactose-intolerant individuals usually look for soy yoghurt as a replacement. Such consumers are either uninformed or ignore the fact that soy is a big allergen for most people. Make sure you’re not one of them. Much research has shown that allergens can make us pick up weight. Unfermented soy products such as soy milk and soy yoghurt (unlike fermented soy products (miso, tempeh and tofu) which are healthy) contain anti-nutrients. Anti-nutrients, as the name suggests, are harmful to one’s health.

Steer clear of adding granola/muesli (usually those that come from a box and have ingredient names you can’t pronounce)to your yoghurt. Most of them are laden with artificial sweeteners and syrups, as well as high levels of sodium. Rather make your own natural muesli from organic oats, millet, raw nuts, seeds and raw honey. If you want variety, replace the honey with organic maple syrup or yacon syrup. Avoid agave nectar. Like fructose, the sugar found in this syrup does not have a preferable GI content.

Don’t add the rainbow nation of fruits to your yoghurt bowl. Fruit still contains high levels of sugar, which can play havoc with blood sugar levels, especially if you are diabetic. Limit the variety to 2-3 fruits, rather adding protein such as raw nuts or seeds to balance your portion intake. For a delicious snack, or pudding, to curb late

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