Move over, regular yogurt. Going Greek is in, and this exoticoption has elbowed its way onto refrigerator shelves everywhere.Most give a big thumbs up to its taste—tangier and lesssweet, as well as creamier—but is it healthier than itsconventional counterpart? First, to be clear: Both Greek and regular yogurt, in their plain,nonfat or low-fat forms, can be part of a healthful diet. They'relow in calories and packed with calcium and live bacterialcultures. But our Mediterranean friend—which is strainedextensively to remove much of the liquid whey, lactose, and sugar,giving it its thick consistency—does have an undeniable edge.In roughly the same amount of calories, it can pack up to doublethe protein, while cutting sugar content by half. Those are"two things dietitians love," says Dawn Jackson Blatner,a registered dietitian and author of The Flexitarian Diet. "For someone who wants the creamier texture, a little bit ofa protein edge, and a sugar decrease, going Greek is definitely notall hype." And it's really got a following: In the past fiveyears, Greek yogurt sales nationwide have skyrocketed, likelybecause it satisfies consumers' needs for health, convenience, andtaste, according to Nielsen, a global marketing and advertisingresearch company. Here's a closer look at how the two stack up nutrition-wise. Protein. Greek yogurt is high in protein, which helps promote fullness. Atypical 6-ounce serving contains 15 to 20 grams, the amount in 2 to3 ounces of lean meat. That makes it particularly appealing tovegetarians, who sometimes struggle to get enough of the nutrient.An identical serving of regular yogurt, on the other hand, providesjust 9 grams, meaning you may feel hunger pangs sooner. Carbohydrates. Going Greek is a smart choice for low-carb dieters. It containsroughly half the carbs as the regular kind—5 to 8 grams perserving compared with 13 to 17. Plus, the straining process removessome of the milk sugar, lactose, making Greek yogurt less likely toupset the lactose-intolerant. Remember, however, that "bothtypes of yogurt can contain high amounts of carbs if they'resweetened with sugar or another sweetening agent," says KariHartel, a Missouri-based registered dietitian. "No matterwhich type you choose, opt for yogurt with less added sugar." [ Butter or Margarine? Experts Reveal What's in Their Grocery Cart ] Fat. Be wary of Greek yogurt's fat content. In just 7 ounces, Fage'sfull-fat Greek yogurt packs 16 grams of saturated fat—or 80percent of your total daily allowance if you're on a 2,000-caloriediet. (That's more than in three Snickers bars.) Dannon's regularfull-fat yogurt has 5 grams of saturated fat in an 8-ounce serving.Saturated fat raises total and "bad" LDL cholesterol levels , increasing the risk for heart disease. Read nutrition labelscarefully. If you're going Greek, stick to low-fat and fat-freeversions. Sodium. A serving of Greek yogurt averages 50 milligrams ofsodium—about half the amount in most brands of the regularkind. (Low-sodium versions of regular yogurt are available.) Toomuch salt can boost blood pressure and increase the risk of otherheart problems. The federal government's 2010 Dietary Guidelinesurge Americans to cap sodium at 2,300 milligrams a day, or 1,500milligrams if they're older than 50, African-American, or havehypertension, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease. [ Nutritional Labeling Gets More Sophisticated ] Calcium. Regular yogurt provides 30 percent of the federal government'srecommended daily amount. Greek yogurt loses some of its calciumthrough the straining process, but still packs a wallop. A 6-ouncecup typically supplies about 20 percent of the dailyrecommendation. If you're still worried about calcium intake, loadup on milk, seeds, and almonds, says Sarah Krieger, a registereddietician and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. I am an expert from ipl-beautyequipments.com, while we provides the quality product, such as China Laser Tattoo Removal Machine , Spider Vein Removal Machine, IPL Hair Removal Machine,and more.
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