This is an archived article and the information in the story may be outdated. Please check the time stamp on the story to see when it was updated last.
Eating dairy foods helps provide essential nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, protein, and potassium — and your bones will thank you for it. But if your nighttime snack cravings tend to skew toward all-things milk, there are bedtime snack choices you could be making that are preventing you from losing weight.
There's no need to give up dairy or snacking. But trading one sugar-filled dairy food with a much healthier option will help you stick to your weight loss goals.
Photos: Shutterstock
Flavored Yogurt With Fruit At The Bottom
You've heard about the numerous benefits of eating plain Greek yogurt, including its high protein content and bacteria-killing probiotics. But sweetened yogurt with globs of sugary fruit at the bottom are not in the same league as plain yogurt. Some flavored yogurts have four times as much sugar as protein. All of that sugar can spike your blood sugar levels and keep you up longer than you'd like at night, before ultimately making you crash and crave even more sugar.
A Better Dairy Choice: Kefir
Instead of reaching for flavored yogurt, satisfy your dairy cravings without a ton of added sugar by reaching for a small container of kefir. Kefir is fermented cow, goat, or sheep milk that contains probiotics, vitamins B12 and K2, folate, calcium, biotin, and many other nutrients. The average cup of kefir contains150 calories, 12 grams of carbohydrates, and 8-11 grams of protein.
