Skinny Girl's Quest for Muscle

Skinny Girl's Quest for Muscle
Comparing Protein in Yogurt

Updated: 8/12/2009

When increasing protein in your diet without simultaneously increasing fat, one could easily fall into a bland and boring meal rut, consuming endless chicken breasts, protein shakes, foil packets of tuna, and the everlasting dullness of egg whites. In my case, being a pescetarian (vegetarian + fish) I don't even get the variety from fowl, pork, or other landlocked meats. Certainly there are other sources of good clean protein. One shining example is yogurt, Greek yogurt specifically. To demonstrate how good this source actually is, lets compared the label of a Greek style yogurt to one of the candy-like pots of a national brand product.

First, the most important aspect of any comparison, Ingredients.

Meet our two Greek contenders:

First, Chobani Greek Yogurt, Nonfat, Plain
Ingredients:
1) Cultured Pasturized Nonfat Milk
2) Five Live Active Cultures (S. Thermaphilus, Bulgaricus, L. Acidophilus, Bifidus, and L. Casei)

Second, Chobani Greek Yogurt Nonfat Blueberry
Ingredients:
1) Cultured Pasteurized Nonfat Milk
2) Sugar
3) Blueberries
4) Five Live Active Cultures (S. Thermaphilus, Bulgaricus, L. Acidophilus, Bifidus, and L. Casei)

And, the competition:

First, a national brand* Plain, Nonfat Yogurt
Ingredients:
1) Cultured Pasteurized Grade A Nonfat Milk
2) Modified Corn Starch
3) Kosher Gelatin
And Active Yogurt Cultures: L. Acidophilus.

Second, a national brand Light, Fat Free, Blueberry Yogurt
Ingredients:
1) Cultured Pasteurized Grade A Nonfat Milk
2) Blueberries
3) High Fructose Corn Syrup
4) Modified Corn Starch
5) Nonfat Milk
6) Kosher Gelatin
7) Natural Flavor
8) Tricalcium Phosphate
9) Citric Acid
10) Aspartame
11) Potassium Sorbate
12) Red 40
13) Vitamin A Acetate
14) Blue 1
15) Vitamin D3
And Allergen Warning: Contains Phenylalanine
And Active Yogurt Cultures: L. Acidophilus

Even when I started out to write up this article, I had no idea that a yogurt could contain 15+ ingredients! Oh my.

Nutritional Comparison of Plain Flavored Varieties

(re-calculated to equal 170grams of each product)

Nutrient ...... Chobani ...... National Brand
Calories ...... 100 .......... 97
Fat ........... 0 g .......... 0 g
Cholesterol ... 0 mg ......... 4 mg
Sodium ........ 70 mg ........ 165 mg
Carbohydrates . 7 g .......... 14.2 g
Sugars ........ 7 g .......... 12.7 g
Protein ....... 18 g ......... 11.2 g
Calcium ....... 200 mg ....... 299.6 mg

Surprisingly, the Chobani has almost 7 more grams of protein for about the same amount of calories.

Nutritional Comparison of Blueberry Flavored Varieties

Nutrient ...... Chobani ...... National Brand
Calories ...... 140 .......... 140
Fat ........... 0 g .......... 0 g
Cholesterol ... 0 mg ......... 5 mg
Sodium ........ 65 mg ........ 85 mg
Carbohydrates . 20 g ......... 19 g
Fiber ......... 1 g .......... 0 g
Sugars ........ 19 g ......... 14 g
Protein ....... 14 g ......... 5 g

In this comparison, the Greek style wins by an even greater amount, almost 9 grams of protein. Also notice the carbohydrates in the national brand product, 14 sugars and 19 total carbohydrates--what makes up the 5 gram difference? One of these days I'm going to figure out this alien carb mystery--just not today.

So, the Chobani clearly wins for simple ingredients and protein content. How about we compare it to something completely different--say, protein powder(1)? Let's just use the brand that I have on hand right now for ease of comparison purposes (meaning, I don't have to go hunt for nutrition information on a website, but rather can take a quick peek at the label.)

Greek Yogurt Compared to Whey Protein Powder

Nutrient ....... Chobani ...... Protein Powder (1 scoop)
Calories ....... 100 .......... 90
Fat ............ 0 g .......... 0 g
Cholesterol .... 0 mg ......... less than 5 mg
Sodium ......... 70 mg ........ 60 mg
Carbohydrates .. 7 g .......... 0 g
Sugars ......... 7 g .......... 0 g
Protein ........ 18 g ......... 23 g

Wow, Pretty darn close, give or take a few natural dairy sugars!

Now there are other brands of Greek yogurt available--two of which I have tasted. As far as taste goes, my preference is definitely for the Chobani brand that I've included above. Yet, the other brands are easier to find. And, there is a comparison point that I have not touched on, price. A container of Chobani is about $2 $1.69** a pop, whereas leading national yogurt brands are only about $1 per single sized container (watch out for the new smaller sized pots coming on the market.) Protein powder is about $1 per serving, and chicken breast is around 66 cents per 27 grams of protein (a 3 ounce portion). Yet, the yogurt is by far the easiest--just pop it in your lunch sack and roll.

Well, there you have it, a good clean alternative for a low fat, low sugar protein source.

Until next time, go do something Athletic!


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references and footnotes

(1) Syntrax Nectar, Strawberry Kiwi flavor
* product name intentionally withheld
** price updated based on local grocery store visit (8/12/09)