If you're following a ketogenic diet, finding the right yogurt can be a challenge. Most store-bought yogurts are loaded with added sugars, which can quickly kick you out of ketosis. Fortunately, there are several keto-friendly yogurt options available that are low in carbs, high in protein, and high in fat. This guide will help you navigate the yogurt aisle and choose the best keto yogurt to meet your needs.
What Makes a Yogurt Keto-Friendly?
A keto-friendly yogurt is characterized by its low carbohydrate content and high protein and fat content. The addition of fruit and additional flavors to yogurt typically raises the total amount of sugars and carbohydrates, so in general, low-carb yogurt options will be non-flavored plain yogurt.
Keto usually suggests eating between 20-50g of carbs per day.
Health Benefits of Keto Yogurt
Not only are the yogurts on our list low-carb and keto-friendly, but they also provide numerous health benefits. Besides being high in protein, calcium, and vitamins, yogurts contain live cultures and probiotics, which enhance gut microbiota. These microorganisms help to protect bones and prevent digestive issues. Probiotics are a category of bacteria that are beneficial to your health. “For example,” explains the NIH, “bacteria that are normally present in our intestines help digest food, destroy disease-causing microorganisms, and produce vitamins. Large numbers of microorganisms live on and in our bodies. Consuming a variety of foods containing different types of probiotics can not only help but is also critical after being prescribed antibiotics.
Top Keto Yogurt Brands
Here's a list of some of the best keto yogurt options available, considering factors like carb content, ingredients, taste, and availability:
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:Ratio Keto Friendly Yogurt
- Why it's great: :Ratio keto-friendly yogurt is one of the top keto yogurt brands on our list due to its high protein and low carb count (2g net carbs). Ratio is also one of the few keto yogurt brands to offer various flavors with the same exact nutrition facts as labeled above.
- Flavors: vanilla, mango, strawberry, coconut, and black cherry.
- Ingredients: Pasteurized Ultra-Filtered Nonfat Milk, Pasteurized Milk, Milk Fat, Avocado Oil, Natural Flavor, Salt, Beet Juice Concentrate, Sucralose, Cultures (L. Bulgaricus, S.
- Sweetener: sweetened with sucralose, which is an artificial sweetener that isn't compatible with the clean keto diet.
- There is, however, a low-carb (2 grams) brand of coconut yogurt called :ratio (that’s no typo). I’m intrigued by it because it contains avocado oil.
Two Good Greek Yogurt
- Why it's great: Two Good greek yogurt gets its name from the fact that each cup of their yogurt has just 2 grams of sugar at the most.
- Sweetener: sweetened with natural stevia and monkfruit sweeteners, so they have the same sweet and tangy deliciousness as your favorite non-keto yogurt without any of the added sugar.
- Flavors: vanilla, strawberry, peach, and mixed berry flavors.
- Ingredients: Cultured Reduced Fat Milk, Water, Natural Flavors, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Tapioca Starch, Gellan Gum, Stevia Leaf Reb M, Sea Salt, Fruit & Vegetable Juice Concentrate, Vitamin D3, Active Yogurt Cultures (L. Bulgaricus, S.
Siggi's Lower Sugar, Lower Calorie Skyr
- Why it's great: Skyr is a kind of strained yogurt hailing from Iceland, where it's been a part of the local cuisine for centuries. This low carb skyr from Siggi's has one of the highest protein content of all the keto yogurts in this list with 14g of protein per serving and just 4 net carbs.
- Ingredients: Cultured Reduced Fat Milk, Water, Natural Flavors, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Tapioca Starch, Gellan Gum, Stevia Leaf Reb M, Sea Salt, Fruit & Vegetable Juice Concentrate, Vitamin D3, Active Yogurt Cultures (L. Bulgaricus, S.
- Taste Experience: The texture is smooth and silky with a distinct berry flavor.
- Sweeteners: sweetened with stevia and natural flavors but does not have any fruit pieces in it.
- Carb Count: amazingly low at only 3 grams per serving.
- Blood Sugar Impact: very limited blood sugar impact.
Chobani Zero Sugar Yogurt
- Why it's great: Just like the regular Chobani greek yogurt, this low carb yogurt is non-GMO and made without artificial ingredients.
- Flavors: blueberry, vanilla, mixed berry, strawberry, toasted coconut vanilla, and even milk & cookies.
Fage Total 5% Plain Greek Yogurt
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
- Why it's great: Fage Total 5% Plain Greek Yogurt has the highest amount of carbohydrates out of any yogurts on our list but is still much lower than most yogurts on the market. On the flip side, Fage plain greek yogurt packs a high protein content. At 18 grams of protein per 200 grams it takes the title for the yogurt on the list with the highest protein.
- Ingredients: Grade A Pasteurized Milk and Cream, Live Active Yogurt Cultures (L. Bulgaricus, S. Thermophilus, L. Acidophilus, Bifidus, L.
- Fage also offers a plain lactose-free yogurt option.
Kite Hill Plain Unsweetened Almond Milk Yogurt
- Why it's great: If you never thought you could find a keto vegan yogurt, you're in luck! A serving of this almond milk keto yogurt has just 6 net carbs. And if you want another vegan keto yogurt option but with more protein, you can get the Kite Hill plain unsweetened protein yogurt.
- Ingredients: Almond Milk (Water, Almonds), Starch, Citrus Fiber, Locust Bean Gum, Xanthan Gum, Live Active Cultures (S. Thermophilus, L. Bulgaricus, L.
Oikos Triple Zero Blended Greek Yogurt
- Why it's great: It's also one of the highest protein keto greek yogurts you can find - each serving has 7 net carbs and 15g of protein.
- Ingredients: Cultured Grade A Non Fat Milk, Water, Natural Flavors, Tapioca Starch, Vegetable Juice Concentrate, Stevia Leaf Extract, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Sea Salt, Vitamin D3, Yogurt Cultures: S.
Other Keto-Friendly Yogurt Options
- YQ by Yoplait: YQ by Yoplait is a plain yogurt made with simple ingredients-just milk and cultures. There are no added sugars and only 1g of naturally occurring sugar, making it an excellent low-carb yogurt option. Plus, it’s packed with protein! Ingredients: Pasteurized Grade A Ultra-Filtered Nonfat Milk, Pasteurized Grade A Milk, Yogurt Cultures (L. bulgaricus, S.
- Chobani Whole Milk Unsweetened Greek Yogurt: Chobani whole milk unsweetened greek yogurt is the yogurt on our list with the simplest ingredient list. Notice how that wasn’t a plural ingredient.
- Two Good Low Fat Greek Yogurt: Two Good Low Fat Greek Yogurt is anything but plain. It’s the perfect addition to your morning breakfast routine and a great addition to your keto recipes calling for yogurt. Ingredients: Cultured Reduced Fat Milk, Water, Less Than 1%: Tapioca Starch, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Gellan Gum, Vitamin D3, Active Yogurt Cultures L. bulgaricus & S.
- Alexandre Family Farm A2 Milk Yogurt: It’s certified organic A2 milk. As I mentioned in this post about organic milk, A2 milk comes from cows that have not had their genetic line altered. That means that the milk protein has been in existence for thousands of years so most of us can fully digest it; our body recognizes this particular subtype of casein protein unlike people with A1 allergies or sensitivities. But you’re living a low-carb carb lifestyle and want to know how many grams of sugar there are per serving. The answer: 7 grams. It’s hard to beat that for dairy. The only caveat is that the serving size is also three-quarters of a cup.
- Redwood Hill Goat Milk Yogurt: Another relatively low-sugar option from A2 milk is goat milk yogurt. Redwood Hill is a brand I’m particularly fond of. They’ve been humanely raising goats in Sonoma County, CA since 1968. The only downside is the carb content is slightly higher at 11 grams. But if you’re one of the lucky keto kids that can stay in ketosis at 50 grams of net carbs per day then you can make room for a serving of goat yogurt.
- Forager's Cashewmilk Yogurt: For a dairy-free keto yogurt option, give Forager's cashewmilk yogurt a shot.
- So Delicious Coconutmilk Yogurt: Ketoers love coconut milk yogurt because it's also fairly low-carb. For example, So Delicious Coconutmilk Yogurt has 7g net carbs per 170g container.
- Sheep Yogurt: Yogurt is already an amazing superfood, and sheep yogurt is even better. And though it may have the highest carb count on this list, it's still significantly lower than most options you'll find in your local yogurt aisle.
Plain Yogurt Options
- Trader Joe’s Whole-Milk Plain Greek Yogurt: My personal favorite store-bought yogurt is Trader Joe’s whole-milk plain Greek yogurt. Never mind the 14 grams of saturated fat per cup, which is terrible for my cholesterol as I’m cursed with familial hypercholesterolemia, so I gotta watch my saturated fat intake. But even if you don’t have to worry about your cholesterol, if you’re a low-carb eater, just one cup of TJ’s full-fat Greek yogurt contains 10 grams of sugar. Yogurt contains no fiber so that’s 10 net grams of carbs in just one cup.
- Good & Gather’s Greek Whole Milk plain yogurt: One regular yogurt that’s low in sugar is Good & Gather’s Greek Whole Milk plain yogurt. While it’s true that Good & Gather’s Greek yogurt is low in sugar, it lacks the texture of a true creamy Greek yogurt.
- Chobani Greek Yogurt Whole Milk Plain: A better option seems to be Chobani Greek Yogurt Whole Milk Plain. It contains only one more gram of sugar than Good & Gather (6 grams of net carbs per serving). And there’s no confusing food label (just one ingredient: cultured milk). Chobani Greek yogurt contains six strains of bacteria, which is the higher end of conventional yogurt. Some brands contain just two or three strains. But the rub with this particular Chobani yogurt is that the serving size is three-quarters of a cup. So if you have a full cup, the sugar count goes up to 9 grams.
What to Consider When Choosing Keto Yogurt
- Net Carbs: Net carbs are calculated as the total carb amount minus fiber.
- Serving Size: Is the serving size reasonable?
- Blood Sugar Impact: How does it impact my blood sugar?
- Ingredients: Check the ingredient list for added sugars, artificial sweeteners, and other ingredients that may not be keto-friendly.
- Taste: Choose a yogurt that you enjoy the taste of, so you're more likely to stick to your keto diet.
Tips for Enjoying Keto Yogurt
- Add healthy fats: Top your yogurt with nuts, seeds, or avocado to increase the fat content and keep you feeling full.
- Sweeten naturally: If you need to sweeten your yogurt, use a natural sweetener like stevia or erythritol.
- Add berries: Berries are a low-carb fruit option that can add flavor and nutrients to your yogurt.
- Make your own: When in doubt, make your own!
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