7 yogurts with higher added sugar than you expect

Some popular yogurts can be significantly higher in sugar—especially added sugar—even when they appear to be everyday health foods.

Yogurt can be a nutritious snack, but it’s not always as simple as the front-of-pack label suggests. “Yogurt naturally contains lactose, so the sugar number on the label isn’t just added sugar,” explains Tara Collingwood, MS, RDN, CSSD, LD/N, ACSM-CPT, a board-certified sports dietitian and co-author of Flat Belly Cookbook for Dummies. “Some flavored yogurts can be high in added sugar, but they also provide protein and important nutrients. They’re not nutritionally equivalent to something like a donut.”

Collingwood says it helps to distinguish between total sugar and added sugar when comparing products. “Most plain yogurts have 10-12g of natural lactose per cup, and flavored yogurts have extra sugar often added on top of that,” she says.

Below are seven yogurts described in the article as having much higher sugar levels than many shoppers might expect, with nutrition figures cited by the publication’s product review.

Dannon Low-Fat Vanilla

The article says Dannon Low-Fat Vanilla provides 140 calories per small cup, with 7 g of protein and 21 g of sugar. It also states that 12 g of that sugar is added sugar.

Yoplait Raspberry Mousse Whips

The article says Yoplait Raspberry Mousse Whips contains 22 g of sugar, including 18 g of added sugar. It also describes this as roughly 36% of a recommended daily intake of added sugars, based on the article’s calculation.

Silk Vanilla Soymilk Yogurt Alternative

Collingwood cautions that plant-based “yogurt alternatives” are not automatically healthier than dairy.

“Silk soy yogurt alternatives are lower in protein and may contain added sugar,” says Collingwood.

Chobani “Flip” Cookie Dough

The article says Chobani “Flip” Cookie Dough has 19 g of sugar per serving, including 14 g of added sugar, and notes that the product includes mixes as part of its format.

Collingwood is quoted discussing why sugar can run higher in this type of product:

“Chobani Flip contains mixes, so the sugar is higher, but that’s to be expected given that it’s part toppings and more of a dessert product,” says Collingwood.

Stonyfield Organic Strawberry

The article says Stonyfield Organic Strawberry contains 16 g of sugar per portion, including 11 g of added sugar.

Noosa Blueberry Yoghurt

According to the article, Noosa is described as often higher in sugar—“often ~25-30g per container”—and the article says the product includes both lactose and added sugar.

“Noosa is certainly higher in sugar (often ~25-30g per container), but it’s also a larger portion (often 8oz) and contains both lactose and added sugar,” says Collingwood.

Yo Crunch

The article says the M&Ms version of Yo Crunch contains 26 g of sugar, and that all but six of those grams are added sugar. It also states there is 5 g of protein per serving.