Is Yogurt a Good Source of Protein? (2024)

• Nutrition
  • Yogurt nutrition
• Protein Benefits
  • Yogurt protein benefits
• Protein Requirement
  • Yogurt and your protein requirement
• Other Benefits
  • Yogurt — other benefits
• Considerations
  • Yogurt considerations
• Good Source of Protein
  • Is yogurt a good source of protein?

Yogurt nutrition

Yogurt is an important food from the dairy group. This nutrient-dense food can be a snack by itself, part of a meal, or a dessert. Yogurt protein helps you meet your daily protein requirement. Yogurt is also packed with minerals, vitamins, probiotics, and other nutritionally valuable components. The proteins and calcium in yogurt are good for bone health and density.

A healthy diet should have two or three servings of dairy products a day, but not all dairy products are equally nutritious. When cheese is made, some calcium is lost in whey. Cheeses are also often high in salt content, which increases your sodium intake. The nutrients of milk, meanwhile, are diluted in ice cream by the addition of fat and sugar. In comparison, yogurt made from low-fat milk without added sugar is a healthy option.

Read on to learn more about its benefits.

Yogurt is made from milk by adding live bacteria: Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. The nutritional value of yogurt depends on the milk used. A 100-gram portion of Greek yogurt made from non-fat milk provides:

• Energy: 59 calories
• Protein: 10.3 grams
• Total fat: 0.37 grams
• Cholesterol: 5 milligrams
• Carbohydrates: 3.64 grams
• Minerals: Calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper, manganese, and selenium
• Vitamins: vitamin A, B-group vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin. niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxal, choline, cyanocobalamin), and vitamin E

The carbohydrates in yogurt include lactose and galactose, which the body can use for energy. Like other carbohydrates, these sugars also yield 4 calories per gram.

Yogurt is 85% water, so it helps meet your fluid requirements, too.

Not all yogurt is the same, though. Full-fat yogurt with added sugars is not considered a completely healthy, nutrient-dense food. If yogurt is made from whole milk, the total fat content increases to 4.39 grams per 100 grams, and more than half of this amount is saturated fatty acids.

When buying yogurt, look for plain, low-fat yogurt. Instead of sweetened fruit yogurt, use plain yogurt and add fresh fruit for flavor.

Yogurt protein benefits

Yogurt, like other milk products, has proteins that contain all the essential amino acids needed for human nutrition, growth, and development. These essential amino acids can't be produced by the body and must therefore be present in your diet.

Yogurt has a higher protein concentration than milk. These proteins are also partially broken down by bacterial proteolytic systems, so your body can digest yogurt proteins more easily.

Besides protein, yogurt also contains peptides and bioactive factors with health benefits, including a high concentration of branched-chain amino acids (isoleucine, leucine, and valine). These amino acids are believed to have a specific role in building muscle protein. Eating dairy products complements the amino acid composition of other protein foods such as beans and cereals. Eating the two types of protein together increases the biological value of your diet.

One of the proteins in yogurt is casein. This protein enhances calcium solubility and absorption. Better calcium absorption improves bone health and strength. Casein and whey proteins also protect against infection and have anticancer and antioxidant properties.

Another protein in yogurt, lactoferrin, is important for the absorption of iron. It also regulates the immune system and has anti-infection properties.

Yogurt and your protein requirement

Proteins are an essential component of your diet. Proteins are broken down in your intestines and absorbed as amino acids. Various cells in your body use these amino acids to make enzymes, structural proteins, hormones, hemoglobin, and thousands of needed molecules. Proteins are vital for your body's metabolism, immune system, growth, and maintenance.

An adult with a sedentary life requires about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. So, if you weigh 60 kilograms (132 lb), you should eat at least 48 grams of protein daily. If you have an active lifestyle, your protein needs are even greater.

The chief protein source in Western diets is red meat and poultry. Still, although beef, chicken, and game meat are good sources of high-quality protein, they're also usually high in fat content, including saturated fatty acids. Even lean cuts of beef, for example, contain 6.36 grams of fat per 100-gram portion. This includes 2.47 grams of saturated fatty acids. As a result, meeting your protein requirement solely through meat will load you up with harmful fats, too.

Yogurt is a good alternative. A 200-gram portion of yogurt can provide as much as 20 grams of protein. If you're careful about choosing yogurt made from low-fat or skim milk, this cup will have less than 1 gram of fat.

You may struggle to meet the dietary recommendations for dairy consumption if you have lactose intolerance, but the bacterial action in the formation of yogurt also reduces its lactose concentrations by breaking lactose down to lactic acid. Yogurt also contains lactase-producing live bacteria. This lactase continues digesting lactose even after you consume yogurt.

Yogurt — other benefits

Proteins aren't the only nutrient in yogurt. It is a rich source of calcium, iodine, vitamins, and microorganisms that benefit health. Even moderate servings of dairy products can help you meet 60% of your vitamin D requirement, half of your calcium requirement, and 15% to 25% of your daily recommended amounts of potassium, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin B12, and riboflavin (vitamin B2).

Yogurt considerations

Yogurt spoils quickly at room temperature, but you can safely store it in your refrigerator (40°F or 5°C) for one to two weeks. For longer storage, you can keep it in your freezer (-32°F or 0°C) for one to two months.

Is yogurt a good source of protein?

Yes. Yogurt is an excellent protein source because:

• It provides significant amounts of easily digestible protein per serving.
• Yogurt proteins are complete proteins. They contain all nine essential amino acids.
• Yogurt provides protein without increasing your intake of saturated fats or sodium.
• It contains other nutrients like calcium, various minerals, and vitamins.
• It provides live microorganisms that benefit your health.
• You can most likely consume yogurt even if you have lactose intolerance.

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SOURCES:

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: "How sound is the science behind the dietary recommendations for dairy?"

Food & Function: "Dietary protein intake and human health."

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: "Yogurt."

Nutrition Journal: "Consuming the daily recommended amounts of dairy products would reduce the prevalence of inadequate micronutrient intakes in the United States: diet modeling study based on NHANES 2007-2010."

Nutrition Reviews: "The role of yogurt in food-based dietary guidelines."

U.S. Department of Agriculture: "Beef, loin, tenderloin roast, separable lean only, boneless, trimmed to 0" fat, select, cooked, roasted," "How long can you keep dairy products like yogurt, milk, and cheese in the refrigerator?" "Yogurt, Greek, plain, nonfat." "Yogurt, Greek, plain, whole milk."

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: "Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025."