This article has been updated since its initial publish date to include more expert insight.
If you’re working towards losing weight or just want to eat healthier, ending your day with a high-protein and gut-healthy snack is key for lasting energy and a faster metabolism.
With that said, we reached out to registered dietitians, nutritionists and other health experts to learn more about the best yogurt for gut health, especially if aging healthily is your goal. Read on for tips, suggestions and insight from Lisa Richards, registered nutritionist and creator of The Candida Diet and Shavonne Morrison, MS, RD, LD, registered dietitian at Atlas Tea Club.
READ MORE: The One Fiber-Rich Ingredient Experts Swear By Adding To Your Morning Yogurt—It’s Not Granola!
Gut-Healthy Benefits Of Low-Fat, Plain Greek Yogurt
While adding in chia seeds, high-fiber granola or fruit to your yogurt can be a great way to add more flavor to your snack, Morrison suggests choosing a plain or naturally-flavored, low-fat Greek yogurt (not one with added in sugar or flavoring) to best to support your weight loss and gut health journey.
"Greek yogurt is best for weight loss because protein keeps you fuller between meals, reducing cravings and the desire to overeat," she explains, highlighting the protein content of this after-dinner snack option.
Richards agrees, and points out that a "low-fat, high protein yogurt" can "reduce cravings and prevent overeating." These two factors, she stresses, can all too often lead to weight gain if not kept under control. Another major way eating Greek yogurt on a regular basis supports your weight loss journey, she says, is that it "replenishes your gut microbiome with healthy bacteria." Fermented foods like Greek yogurt, she adds, "restore these bacteria which are beneficial for weight, among many other health benefits."
READ MORE: The Best Fat-Burning Yogurt Topping, According To Nutritionists
The gut ultimately houses the immune system, and is a major component to our overall health, Richards says. "By keeping this area of the body in balance and preventing gut dysbiosis, you improve your overall health," she adds. Richards also notes that chronic inflammation and bacterial overgrowth are linked to acute and chronic conditions. "Mental fog, fatigue, chronic pain, anxiety/depression, obesity, heart disease, and even food sensitivities may be prevented by a diet that includes natural probiotics and low in refined carbohydrates," she continues, again pointing towards Greek yogurt as a great snack choice for weight loss, or other health goals that many over 40 prioritize.
Morrison concludes that "eating enough protein also helps you build muscle when combined with strength training exercise." She says that "more lean muscle increases your metabolic rate, which can help weight loss as well." Her favorite yogurt, as she recommends, is Oikos Triple Zero, as it is "low in calories, has healthy ingredients, no added sugars, and tastes great." Noted!
