With the abundance of yogurt brands out there, it can be overwhelming to choose a low carb yogurt that’s good for diabetes.
After all, the dairy aisle is dominated by yogurts of various flavors and types, with some containing up to 20 grams of sugar. It’s easy to mistake yogurts as a glorified dessert.
A low carb yogurt is also a popular snack choice. In fact, up to 20% of Canadians have yogurt as a snack on any given day (1).
DISCLAIMER: This post was written by Justine Chan MHSc, RD, CDE. All content on this site is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or nutritional advice. Always seek medical and dietary advice from your doctor or dietitian.
If you’re carb conscious and are looking out for a low carb yogurt, you won’t want to miss this post. Read on to find out yogurt’s benefits, how the list was made, and top picks for a great low carb yogurt.
Table of Contents
Benefits Of Yogurt
Did you know that low fat yogurt and fermented milks may help to reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes by 14 to 26% (2, 3)? The evidence so far suggests that the ideal dose is 80 to 125 grams or up to ½ cup of low fat dairy and yogurt per day (2). It’s great for weight management too (4).
However, this may not be the case for all populations (5).
There are many other benefits to eating yogurt. For example, yogurt can help to improve lactose intolerance, promote a healthy gut, and may reduce your risk of breast and colorectal cancer (3).
Overall, yogurt is a great source of:
- Calcium and vitamin D, which help to maintain strong bones
- B vitamins which help you to build healthy cells
- Probiotics which can help boost healthy gut bacteria
- Protein which can decrease hunger; compared to cheese and milk, it can lead to a reduced appetite (1)
The research shows that people who eat yogurt tend to eat healthier overall (1). It may also help to reduce your cholesterol and prevent vitamin D deficiency, as shown in a randomized controlled trial involving people with prediabetes (6).
But what about its effect on blood sugars? Yogurt is also a low glycemic index food (7) because of its higher protein to carb ratio. This means it tends to raise blood sugars gradually.
Not surprising, you’ll find lower glycemic index scores in plain yogurt compared to sweetened yogurts.
What about probiotic yogurt? Does it have any other advantages? Standard yogurts generally contain bacterial cultures – Streptococci and Lactobacilli bacteria species, while probiotic yogurts have additional strains. Recently, it was shown that these products offer no real advantage over regular yogurt (8)
Now drum roll please… here is a list of the best low carb yogurts.
How The List Was Made
So what exactly is a ‘low carb’ yogurt? There is no formal definition. Keto followers often consider low carb as 5 grams or less. Those following a low carb lifestyle may use 15 grams or less as a target.
You may or may not be counting your carbohydrates. Either way, carbs are counted in either grams or servings. You might also hear them referred to as a ‘choice’. This is, however, just another way of saying serving. Diabetes Canada and the American Diabetes Association both count one serving as 15g of carbs.
So for the purpose of this post, a low carbohydrate yogurt is up to 15 g of carbohydrates per serving.
Yogurts were categorized as thick in texture like greek yogurt or skyr, flavored, and liquid, which included kefir and drinkable yogurts. They were then divided into 0 to 5 grams of carbohydrates and 5-15 grams of carbohydrates per serving.
Low carb yogurts that were selected have less than 10 grams of added sugar per serving, are low in fat, and contain minimal ingredients.
Why? On a nutrition label, a food with a nutrient that meets 20% of the Daily Value or more is considered to have a lot of that nutrient. In this case, a food with 10 grams of added sugar or more per serving is considered to be high in sugar.
What yogurt is best for keto?
Fage Total 2%
Serving size: 150g container
100kcal
5g carbohydrates
15g protein
3g fat
This reduced fat yogurt is creamy and tart. It’s perfect topped with peanuts for some added crunch and also comes in 0% and 5% fat.
Two Good Flavoured Yogurts
Serving size: 150g container
80kcal
3g carbohydrates
12g protein
2g fat
If you’re looking for a keto-friendly option, you’ll want to try So Good yogurts. These greek yogurts come in many different flavors and are sweetened with stevia, which doesn’t raise blood sugars.
Light + Fit Nonfat Zero Sugar Fruit Yogurt
Serving size: 150g container
50kcal
5g carbohydrates
11g protein
0g fat
If you’re looking for a higher protein non-greek yogurt option, this is the perfect choice for you! This yogurt is sweetened with stevia, making the added sugar count 0 grams.
Two Good Smoothies
Serving size: 1 bottle (207ml)
70kcal
5g carbohydrates
10g protein
2g fat
Short for time in the mornings? Grab this higher protein smoothie for the road. These drinks have 80% less sugar than your standard dairy beverage, thanks to stevia and fresh fruit puree.
What yogurt is low carb?
Liberte Plain Greek 2%
Serving size: ¾ cup
120kcal
6g carbohydrates
16g protein
3.5g fat
Similar to skyr yogurt, greek yogurt is infamous for its high protein content. You can use it to replace cream or mayo in recipes or mix it with oats for a nice yogurt parfait.
Chobani With Zero Sugar
Serving size: ¾ cup
70kcal
6g carbohydrates
13g protein
0g fat
These yogurts have no sugar added, and are sweetened with stevia, a sugar substitute from the stevia plant. You can buy it in a variety of flavors such as strawberry, mixed berry, cherry, and key lime pie.
Good and Gather Greek Plain Nonfat Yogurt
Serving size: ¾ cup (170g)
100kcal
6g carbohydrates
18g protein
0g fat
With one ingredient, this creamy low carb yogurt is great for the price and is rated well for value, taste, and quality. Getting non-fat yogurt allows you more flexibility with your topping choices if you’re watching your macros.
Oikos Triple Zero Sugar
Serving size: 1 cup (150g) container
90kcal
7g carbohydrates
15g protein
0g fat
Sweetened with stevia, oikos yogurts come in a variety of flavors to suit all your taste buds. Since it is made with greek yogurt, it’s also higher in protein.
Siggi’s Plain Skyr
Serving size: ¾ cup
110kcal
7g carbohydrates
19g protein
0.3g fat
Skyr is thicker in texture than yogurt, and the highest in protein. This particular brand has only two ingredients. Throw some berries on top and you can eat like you’re in Iceland.
Organic Greek Non-Fat Plain Yogurt
Serving size: ¾ cup
7g carbohydrates
16g protein
0g fat
This yogurt is amazing and the perfect substitute for tzatziki, sour cream for tacos, and base for your granola. You can also buy it with whole milk.
Chobani Low-Fat Plain Greek Yogurt
Serving size: ¾ cup
120kcal
7g carbohydrates
15g protein
3.5g fat
The best part about a plain yogurt? You can add whatever you want to your liking. Also, buying yogurt in a large tub generally saves you 15% more money than yogurt in individual packages.
Wallaby Greek Low Fat Plain Organic Yogurt
Serving size: ¾ cup
160kcal
8g carbohydrates
15g protein
8g fat
This yogurt is great as a snack! Mix with your favorite seasoning for a dip with veggies or add it to your smoothies for a protein boost.
Astro Plain Yogurt 1%
Serving size: ¾ cup
80kcal
8g carbohydrates
9g protein
1.5g fat
Astro yogurt is made in Canada, but it’s creamy and tangy with only 4 ingredients! Top with some nuts for a satisfying, savory snack.
Riviera Less Sugar Set-Style Yogurt
Serving size: 120g container
80kcal
8g carbohydrates
5g protein
3.5g fat
These amazing fruit yogurts have 50% less sugar than the original product with no artificial sweeteners. They’re also lactose free which is a bonus, and come in 5 different flavors.
Maple Hill Plain Kefir
Serving size: ⅔ cup
8g carbohydrates
5g protein
7g fat
Here’s another great kefir choice made from grass-fed cows that has no added sugar. It’s the process of fermentation for kefir that boosts its B vitamin, calcium, and amino acid content (9).
Siggi’s Keto Krunch
Serving size: 1 container (142g)
210kcal
8g carbohydrates
13g protein
15g fat
This yogurt is unique in that it also comes with a nuts and seeds based granola. With no added sugar, it’s sweetened with a small amount of sugar alcohol called erythritol as well as stevia. While stevia isn’t generally absorbed by your body, sugar alcohols are partially digested.
Siggi’s Nonfat Plain Drinkable Yogurt
Serving size: 6oz (177ml)
60kcal
9g carbohydrates
6g protein
0g fat
Looking for a yogurt you can have on the go? Siggi’s drinkable yogurt is a great choice. It’s under 10 grams of carbs, has only two ingredients and no added sugar.
Lifeway Plain Nonfat Kefir
Serving size: 1 cup
90kcal
9g carbohydrates
10g protein
0g fat
Kefir is a great source of probiotics making lactose easier to digest. It has shown to have a beneficial role in managing diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol and cancer (10). Plain kefir has no added sugar and is easy to blend into smoothies.
Stonyfield Organic 0% Fat Smooth & Creamy Plain
Serving size: 150g tub
70kcal
10g carbohydrates
7g protein
0g fat
Not a fan of plain yogurt? Add some frozen fruit and let it thaw to allow for its natural flavors to soak in. Stonyfield yogurts are also organic and can be easily added to soups, dips, or dressings.
Silk Plain Almond Milk Dairy-Free Yogurt Alternative
Serving size: ¾ cup
200kcal
11g carbohydrates
6g protein
16g fat
Here’s a vegan yogurt alternative for those who can’t handle or want dairy. Since it’s made from almonds, it is higher in fat but the saturated fat is low at 1 gram. It’s great as a heavy cream substitute in recipes.
Activia Yogurt With Fiber
Serving size: one 4oz container
90kcal
15g carbs
4g protein
1.5g fat
Activia yogurts are smooth and full of flavor. The fiber in the activia yogurt is inulin which may help to promote healthy gut bacteria (11).
Ways To Add Low Carb Yogurt In Your Diet:
Looking for easy ways to incorporate yogurt in your diet?
Low carb yogurt is great with:
- Berries
- Chia seeds
- Walnuts
- Pecans
- A dash of cinnamon
- Keto granola
You can use low carb yogurt to make:
- Tzatziki
- Vegetable dip
- Smoothies
- Sour cream
- Salad dressing
- Topping for soups
- “Mayonnaise”
Key takeaways: 21 Best Low Carb Yogurt Options For Better Blood Sugars
So there you have it. A list you can refer to that includes the best low sugar yogurts out there for breakfasts on the go, snacks, dips, sour cream, and more!
Yogurt may help to lower your risk of type 2 diabetes. It’s an excellent source of vitamins and probiotics, as well as protein which can help with weight management.
If you enjoy a coffee at breakfast with your yogurt, check out this post on the best creamers for blood sugars.
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