Yoghurt - What Is Good Or Bad In It?

Only rarely does a food product can be associated with both the names of “good product” and a “bad product”. This is because the content of the food might vary and over a period of time, the same can be termed bad.
In a nutshell, yoghurt or the plain, low-fat yoghurt is an excellent health food. But however, the same cannot be said about certain ingredients in the yoghurt like the added sweeteners. So let's talk about what to look for in a healthy yoghurt.

1. Fat: Most yoghurts have the same percentage of fat as the milk. Many people do prefer low-fat yoghurt over milk as it has a good taste and maintains a healthy balance of the saturated fats
2. Protein: Yoghurt is a good source of lean protein. But the amount of protein in yoghurt products differs quite a bit. It is better to have yoghurt that has less water content as their protein ratio would be intact.

Yoghurts to avoid:
Now comes the trickiest part of the types of yoghurt to avoid. Mostly try avoiding sweetened yoghurt. Most of them have artificial sweeteners and they are a strict “no” for your body. Also stay away from “lite” yoghurts. It is true that the fat is removed in these yoghurts, but to compensate for the fat removed, manufacturers add thickeners such as gelatin, gum or starch. The result may not be as beneficial as a natural yoghurt and they can be effectively be categorised as a “bad” yoghurt.

• Fruit and yoghurt, a cup of plain, low-fat yoghurt, a handful of fresh fruit, and a dash of nuts is all that you need. You can mix the contents and to sweeten it you can add a few drops of honey.
• You can also try incorporating yoghurt into other meal plans and snacks throughout the day. They also can be had any time of the day.
• You can even alternate this with that of sour cream and see the taste difference.
• You can add 1teaspoon of flax seeds to 1 bowl curd and take it as mid meal.
• You can make fruit smoothie with curd, fruits and nuts. Take it as breakfast option for weight watchers.

One of the biggest criteria is to check the nutritional value of the yoghurt before taking it for consumption. It would be even better if you check your doctor about the type of yoghurt you can take in. Apart from the health benefits, yoghurt can be used in a number of homemade facials and hair masks. They are also predominantly used as skin moisturisers and be beneficial in getting a blemish free skin. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Dietitian/Nutritionist.