The less it says on the label, the better. In general, yogurts that aren't loaded with added preservatives and sugar are best for your health. When you look at the ingredients label, you should only see a few things.The only three ingredients natural yogurt needs are milk, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, and Streptococcus thermophilus. You should not see much more than this on the label.
Some yogurts may have a added sugar and fruit. These are normal ingredients; however, long lists of ingredients are indicative of an unhealthy yogurt.;
, Probiotics, which are good bacteria that help keep you healthy, are one of the main benefits of yogurt. When scanning a yogurt label, look for the words "live and active cultures" on the yogurt's label. This indicates that the yogurt was not heat-treated, which removes probiotics from the yogurt., Another benefit of yogurt is that it's a huge source of calcium; however, not all yogurts have as high a calcium count as they should. Look for yogurts that have at least 15% of your daily calcium. Amounts vary from yogurt to yogurt. Some have as high as 35%, so if you're trying to get more calcium, look for calcium rich yogurts., Yogurt does contain some natural sugar. A small amount of sugar listed on the ingredients label should not be surprising; however, artificially flavored yogurts contain high amounts of sugar. Make sure to see how many grams of sugar your yogurt contains. High-sugar yogurts are not a health food.Whole milk generally naturally comes with 10 to 15 grams of lactose (a naturally occurring sugar) per cup. Greek yogurt has around 5 to 10. Flavored yogurt may contain more sugar, even when flavored with natural fruit.
In general, look for yogurt with less than 22 grams of sugar.
 Fruit can be a healthy addition to yogurt; however, some fruit in yogurt is really a mix of sugar, food coloring, and vegetable juice. If yogurt claims to contain fruit, check the label. Fruit should be one of the first items listed as an ingredient, before sugar or any preservatives. If you don't see fruit on the label, the fruit is probably fake., Fat in yogurt is not always a bad thing. Your body needs healthy fats to thrive. It's generally healthy to buy yogurt between 1 and 2% fat content. Be careful with low-fat yogurts, as lots of low-fat yogurts add flavor by adding a lot of sugar. Always check the label.If you choose low-fat yogurt, go for yogurt that's flavored with fresh fruit over sugar.
 Heat-treated yogurts remove much of the good bacteria from yogurt. Bacteria in yogurt is not bad, and things like probiotics make yogurt healthy. Heat-treated yogurt is generally not as healthy as other varieties. It should say somewhere on the yogurt's label if it was heat-treated.If you are lactose intolerant, be particularly careful about heat-treated yogurts. Lactose intolerant people have a hard time digesting heat-treated yogurts.
 If you're using yogurt for a protein boost, Greek yogurt is probably your best option. Greek yogurt tends to have higher protein and is also lower in sugar.However, Greek yogurt does not have that much calcium. Icelandic Skyr yogurt has both high protein and calcium levels. If you're looking to up your protein and calcium, go for skyr yogurt.
Many Greek yogurts have around 6 grams of protein per a 15 ounce container., Plain yogurt is usually the best nutrition-wise. It only has two ingredients and is not sweetened like other yogurts. While plain yogurt is more sour than sweet, you can mix it with things like fruit and granola or use it in smoothies.Things like blueberries, strawberries, mangoes, and other fruits can add flavor to plain yogurt.
You can also add plain yogurt to a smoothie, adding texture to the smoothie with yogurt while also throwing in fruits and green vegetables.
 While flavored yogurts have more taste, which can make for a better snack, the sugar content can be very high. If you want to add flavor to yogurt, it's healthier to buy plain yogurt and flavor it with natural ingredients.The best option is to add your own fresh fruit to yogurt. This keeps the yogurt natural and healthy.
You can also drizzle it with natural maple syrup or honey.
Choose yogurts with minimal ingredients.
Look for live and active cultures on the ingredients list.
Opt for the right calcium content.
Pay attention to added sugars.
Be careful of fake fruit.
Approach non-fat yogurt with caution.
Stay away from heat-treated yogurts.
Choose Greek yogurt for protein.
Weigh the benefits of plain yogurt.
Flavor yogurt on your own.
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