Yogurt can help you lose weight, and even improve your gut health, mental conditions, cardiovascular health and allergies, etc. However, there are many types of yogurts, and eating the wrong one may not help your dietary plan or even backfire on you. Greek yogurt is particularly sought after in recent years. So, what is the difference between regular yogurt and Greek yogurt? What actually is Greek-style yogurt?

Greek yogurt is a traditional food in Greek families. The authentic recipe involves fresh goat’s or sheep’s milk. If it is hard to get fresh goat’s or sheep’s milk, cow’s milk can be a substitute. Greek yogurt is less watery, and has a richer texture, as well as higher protein content than regular yogurt. These make it the new health trend in the West. Organic Low-Fat Greek Yogurt is even acclaimed as the finest yogurt.

Greek yogurt is more concentrated than regular yogurt, therefore has a higher viscosity, creamier mouthfeel and thicker texture. Quality Greek yogurt uses milk from grass-fed dairy cows; while regular yogurt mostly uses milk from cows fed with genetically modified organisms. Regarding the production process, making a cup of regular yogurt only needs a cup of milk and straining whey twice. Yet, producing a cup of Greek yogurt needs four cups of milk and straining whey three times. This means that producing Greek yogurt needs an extra step of straining water and whey once again.

When it comes to nutrients, Greek yogurt has twice as much protein and half the lactose and sodium of regular yogurt. People in weight control may be more concerned with the difference in calories between the two yogurts. Yet, Greek yogurt only has a slightly higher level of saturated fat (or bad cholesterol) than regular yogurt, which means that Greek yogurt has similar calories but much more nutrients than regular yogurt.

According to Medical News Today, some manufacturers add other milk ingredients and thickening agents such as starch and sugar to produce ‘Greek-style yogurt’. It imitates the dense and thick texture of Greek yogurt, but may not have the same benefits or nutrients. Therefore, you may check the label for ‘Greek Yogurt’ and ‘Greek-style yogurt’ to distinguish between the two when buying.