WHICH YOGURTS ARE CLOSEST TO HOMEMADE?

WHICH YOGURTS ARE CLOSEST TO HOMEMADE?

YOGURTS — CLOSEST TO HOMEMADE®

Information updated December 2023

Yogurt has such a wholesome reputation and it can indeed be a good-for-you food to eat. But yogurt is a category that now spans the spectrum from healthy food to junk food.

Some of the indulgent yogurt taste profiles shift certain products into the realm of being a treat like pudding. The good news is there are a few yogurt brands which are Closest To Homemade and delicious.

STRAWBERRY IS THE #1 FLAVOR: According to Statista 2023, Strawberry blended yogurts was the #1 yogurt flavor in the U.S. in 2020, so we'll look at Strawberry fruit yogurts.

As a starting point, let's look at the ingredients we would use to make Strawberry yogurt at home:

We can use this homemade yogurt recipe as a guideline as we look at the ingredients in these commercial yogurts.

Chobani is #1 in the branded yogurt category followed by #2 Dannon.  (Source: Statista 2023). Chobani is independently owned and Dannon is owned by Danone.

So, let’s take a look at #1 Chobani’s Strawberry Blended Greek Yogurt ingredients: Chobani uses three Thickening Agents in the form of Fruit Pectin, Locust Bean Gum and Guar Gum. Chobani also adds Water, Flavorings and Colorings >> these are ingredients which would not be in our kitchens if we were making strawberry yogurt from scratch; we designate these ingredients as being Not In Kitchen™. (Source for ingredients: Chobani Web site 12/23

Cane Sugar is the #2 ingredient in Chobani Strawberry Blended Greek Yogurt.

Below is another Chobani Strawberry Greek Yogurt —not Blended like the one above — with fruit on the bottom and less Added Sugar:

PLAIN YOGURT: If possible, choose organic grass-fed dairy which contains no added sweeteners.

CLOSEST TO HOMEMADE PLAIN YOGURTS Whole Milk and Nonfat: The Closest To Homemade Plain Yogurts shown below have no added Sweeteners, Flavors, Colors, Water, Gums or Chemical Preservatives (Sources: Brand Web sites 12/23)

Consider adding your favorite spices or fresh herbs to fabulous plain yogurt. Add a bit of organic honey if you want more sweetness. Perhaps try some new additions like grated coconut, cinnamon or freshly chopped dill and grated lemon zest.

Neither money nor products are ever accepted to appear on the Closest To Homemade list

Neither money nor products are ever accepted to appear on the Closest To Homemade list

FRUIT YOGURT: The majority of fruity yogurts have sugar from the fruit plus additional added sugars which make many fruit yogurts more dessert-like. 

Seen below are some fruit yogurts which are Closest To Homemade with no Added Gums, Flavors, Water, Artificial Sweeteners or Chemical Preservatives:

Non-Fat FRUIT YOGURT: Siggi’s 0% sweetened with real fruit + Cane Sugar.

Whole Milk FRUIT YOGURT: Siggi’s 4% whole milk yogurt sweetened with real fruit and Cane Sugar.

Neither money nor products are ever accepted to appear on the Closest To Homemade list

Following are some Dairy-Free Coconut based Yogurts which are Closest To Homemade®:

Neither money nor products are ever accepted to appear on the Closest To Homemade list

Neither money nor products are ever accepted to appear on the Closest To Homemade list

Neither money nor products are ever accepted to appear on the Closest To Homemade list

Discover more food + beverages whose ingredients are Closest To Homemade in 275+ categories.

REDUCED FAT AND LIGHT YOGURTS: Reduced fat and light versions of yogurt tend to have more ingredients Not In Kitchen >> more things are added to compensate for the flavor of whatever may be missing. 

DANONE’S DANNON LIGHT + FIT YOGURT: Seen below, Dannon Light + Fit Greek Strawberry yogurt contains Water plus numerous artificial ingredients which are Not In Kitchen when making Strawberry yogurt >> Fructose, Modified Food Starch, Natural Flavors, Artificial Flavors, Carmine for color, Malic Acid, Sucralose, Potassium Sorbate, Acesulfame Potassium and Sodium Citrate. (Source for ingredients: Danone Dannon Lightandfit.com Web site 12/23)

FIVE OF THE INGREDIENTS IN DANONE’S DANNON LIGHT + FIT GREEK YOGURT ARE BANNED AT WHOLE FOODS MARKET: Potassium Sorbate, Artificial Colors, Carmine (cochineal), Sucralose and Acesulfame Potassium are banned at Whole Foods who cites them as "Unacceptable in food." (Source: Amazon Whole Foods Web site 12/23)

Q: Through a homemade filter, do you think the Dannon yogurt below is "Light + Fit"?

HIGH TASTE PROFILE YOGURTS: It takes a lot of ingredients to meet consumer expectations for decadent flavors >> the more “elaborate” a flavor is, the more likely it is to contain more ingredients Not In Kitchen. 

General Mills’ Yoplait Whips! Chocolate yogurt (seen below) contains Far From Homemade™ ingredients which are Not In Kitchen including (among other things) Fructose, Dextrose, Modified Corn Starch, Caramel Color, Potassium Sorbate, Artificial Flavor, Red #40, Yellow #6, Blue #1, Lactic Acid Esters of Monoglycerides and Diglycerides and Nitrogen. (Source for ingredients: General Mills Yoplait Web site 12/23)

This General Mills’ Yoplait Chocolate yogurt is banned at Whole Foods Market because it contains the chemical preservative Potassium Sorbate, Artificial Flavor and 3 Artificial Colors, all of which Whole Foods cites as “Unacceptable in food”. (Source: Amazon Whole Foods Market Web site 12/23)

Yoplait Whips! Chocolate contains 22 grams of Total Sugars in one 4oz. container.

For perspective, a ‘four finger’ Kit Kat bar also has 22 grams of Total Sugars. (Source: Hersheyland Web site 12/23)

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And for your viewing pleasure, here are some old images from Dannon . . .

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