‘I’m a Registered Dietitian. This Is the Best Yogurt for Weight Loss After 50′
#1 is super-cheap—plus there’s a waistline-friendly salted caramel option, too!
About 32 million women over the age of 50 are actively trying to lose weight, and many of us instinctively reach for yogurt as part of our health journey. It’s a smart move, with 2023 findings from the famous Nurses’ Health Study suggesting yogurt may help fight postmenopausal weight gain. And during landmark clinical trials at the University of Tennessee, daily yogurt helped dieters double weight loss and increase belly fat loss by 81 percent.
Yet with all the choices in the yogurt section these days—fruit on the bottom, granola on top, plant based, probiotic boosted, Greek, Icelandic and more—it can be downright confusing. What is the best yogurt for weight loss? To find out, we turned to yogurt devotee Susie Kundrat, MS, RDN, LDN, founder of Eat Move Groove and professor emeritus at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Here, she shares her top picks.
Why yogurt can boost weight loss
When specific “live and active cultures” (aka beneficial bacteria) are mixed in milk, the bacteria rapidly multiply as they convert natural milk sugar into acid. The result is creamy, tangy yogurt, says Kundrat. Yogurt has all the calcium, amino acids and other micronutrients found in milk plus less sugar, more protein and far more probiotics.
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Basically, it’s a bonanza of slimming nutrients. Calcium, for example, sets off a biochemical domino effect so powerful, “if you cut calories as you increase calcium, you’ll lose more than double the fat than if you cut calories alone,” per leading dairy researcher Michael Zemel, PhD.
Kundrat adds that protein helps improve hunger control and build metabolism-boosting muscles. As for probiotics, they can upgrade functioning of countless body systems, leading to improvements like better blood sugar control and optimized hormone levels that will automatically move us toward a healthier weight.
Check yogurt labels for red flags
If yogurt is heated too much, it kills probiotics. So skip options that don’t say “live and active cultures” on the label. And since yogurt loaded with sugar can inhibit probiotics and stimulate hunger, “avoid options with more than five grams of added sugar,” suggests Kundrat. But she’s fine with five grams or less, “which is only about 20 calories worth of sugar.” It gives you wiggle room to find yogurt you really enjoy without negating yogurt’s slimming effect.
For optimal results, aim for 1-3 servings of yogurt a day as part of a healthy diet. Opting for lower-fat varieties will reduce calorie intake without impacting any other benefits of yogurt, Kundrat notes. To give yourself an extra edge, sample the following options and go with the one you enjoy eating most.
The best yogurt for weight loss
Kundrat’s top picks:
#1 Greek yogurt
It’s regular yogurt that’s been strained, making it thicker and creamier. Straining also removes some natural sugar and leaves concentrated nutrients behind. Greek yogurt has about 20 grams of protein per cup, “nearly double the protein content compared to regular yogurt,” says Kundrat. And it’s only a smidge more expensive than regular.
The science: In studies like one from the journal Appetite, Greek yogurt made people feel more full than regular yogurt; they were less likely to want afternoon snacks too. Meanwhile, per evidence published in Nutrition Journal, Greek yogurt leads to better blood sugar and insulin responses compared to lower-protein options.
Brands to try: Kundat’s go-to is Friendly Farms Plain Nonfat Greek Yogurt from Aldi (a steal at about $4 for 32 oz.), which she dresses up with fruit and oats or uses as a sour cream swap. She also enjoys Oikos Triple Zero Greek Yogurt, which comes in a yummy salted caramel flavor
#2 Skyr
Also known as Icelandic yogurt, skyr is made with the same bacteria found in regular yogurt along with some traditional Icelandic varieties. Skyr is also strained more thoroughly than Greek yogurt, making it mellow, silky and so thick you can stand a spoon in the middle. It boasts extra probiotics and about 24 grams of protein per cup, which is 25 percent more than Greek yogurt. The only real drawback is that it tends to be on the pricey side.
The science: While limited research has been done on skyr, Kundrat says it stands to reason that extra protein and probiotics would lead to extra benefits. And a 2024 study in the Journal of Dairy Science did indeed show that women eating a skyr breakfast reported feeling significantly more satisfied than women eating a whole-grain toast breakfast.
Brand to try: Icelandic Provisions Skyr in Peaches and Cloudberry is Kundrat’s favorite.
#3 Kefir
Sometimes called “drinkable yogurt,” kefir is made by fermenting milk with over 30 different types of bacteria and yeast. Kefir is tangier than most yogurt and slightly carbonated. It’s also so packed with probiotics, it can be used as a sourdough starter.
The science: In 2021, a Turkish team compared yogurt and kefir head to head. While both reduced hunger, kefir reduced it significantly more, likely because its higher levels of probiotics better stimulate the release of satiety hormones.
Brand to try: Lifeway Grassfed Strawberry Kefir; it’s yummy and has just 5 grams added sugar
#4 Soy yogurt
This plant-based option starts with soy milk but is otherwise made just like regular yogurt. It’s thinner than regular yogurt but still tangy and with a slightly nutty taste. At 9 grams of protein per cup, it has the highest protein content of any plant-based yogurt without a protein supplement mixed in. “It’s a wonderful way to add more protein to a plant-based diet,” says Kundrat.
The science: While there are no studies on soy yogurt alone, there’s plenty of evidence that soy can enhance weight loss. An eight-week study in the journal Nutrition even found that dieters who added multiple daily servings of soy yogurt and other soy products doubled their weight loss compared to dieters getting the same calories but no soy. Experts give credit, at least in part, to powerful antioxidants in soy.
Brand to try: Silk Dairy Free Soy Milk Yogurt Alternative (There are no flavored varieties under 5 grams added sugar, so you’ll need to add you own fruit)
#5 High-probiotic yogurt
This type of yogurt, which includes Activia and Stonyfield Organic Probiotic, is made with a greater variety of probiotics in hopes of imparting extra benefits. Kundrat says the idea is a good one, since different strains of probiotics have different superpowers, and the more variety we get, the better off we tend to be. (If you can’t find or don’t like these yogurts, you can get the effect by adding skyr, kefir and other probiotic-rich foods like sauerkraut, pickles and kimchi with live and active cultures.)
The science: A Canadian study published in Journal of Functional Foods found that overweight test subjects lost an extra 4 percent of their body fat during six weeks when high-probiotic yogurt was added to their lab-prepared meals compared to when they were given ordinary yogurt.
Brand to try: Activia Zero Strawberry Banana and Peach four-pack
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