Is high-protein yoghurt a myth?

Experts seem to think so

Is the protein tax really worth it? Image: iStock

Protein yoghurt is a popular breakfast choice for many health-conscious people, but have they all just been tricked by good marketing?

If there’s one food I have a particularly strong gripe with, it’s protein yoghurt. 

For starters, when someone peels the lid off a fresh tub of protein yoghurt, the scent is almost enough to drive me from the room. Something about the combination of fermented milk and sweetened flavouring triggers a strong aversion within me, and I know I’m not the only person who feels that way. 

But being a popular health food and breakfast choice for gym goers everywhere (including my constantly hungry partner), my personal crusade to eradicate protein yoghurts from my inner circle has not been without difficulty.

Years ago, protein yoghurt products catapulted onto the scene, with staple dairy and health food brands releasing their own ranges. Marketed toward the health-conscious individual, consuming the yoghurts was pitched as a simple and delicious way to up one’s daily protein intake. 

But are the nutritional claims these products make really that impressive? Experts aren’t totally convinced, and here’s why. 

Many shoppers endure the questionable taste and texture of high-protein yoghurts – and their jacked-up price tag – under the guise and reassurance of extra protein to fuel their workout or busy work schedule. 

But let’s look at the facts. 

Scanning the nutritional information of three variations of one popular yoghurt brand – raspberry, raspberry highprotein and regular Greek yoghurt – some interesting figures stick out immediately. 

According to the raspberry protein variation, a single serving of the product delivers 13g of protein – or 9.6g of protein per 100g. When compared to the regular raspberry yoghurt variation, which packs 11.1g of protein – or 8g per 100g, the giant protein claims slapped on the former’s packaging seem like a pretty significant exaggeration.

There are countless ways to jazz up your yogurt naturally. Image: iStock

Retailing for a significantly higher amount than the regular yoghurt servings, the high-protein variation appears to be charging consumers a ‘protein tax’, despite only delivering a slightly elevated amount.  

But here’s where things get really interesting. 

The same brand’s Greek yoghurt variation – also proceed at the lower end of the spectrum – has a protein serving of 9.3g per 100 g. That’s only 0.3g less than the protein products, yet up to 70 cents cheaper per item.

One UK-based TikToker took to the supermarket shelves to compare the different protein content in different brands too, finding a similar difference (or lack thereof) between protein-branded products and natural Greek yoghurt. 

@tonichealth

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“They have 10g of protein per 100g right?” He says pointing to a popular yoghurt brand. “And to get it in there they put acesulfame K, modified maise starch and aspartame in there which is really gut disruptive. That is a really unhealthy way to eat your yoghurt.”

So what’s the takeaway from all of this? It’s far more nutritionally and financially efficient to consume Greek yoghurt in place of high-protein yoghurts. Not a fan of the taste? Simply mix in a touch of honey for sweetness or any kind of fruit for flavour. 

Because let’s be honest, a squirt of honey and a handful of fresh or frozen raspberries is far more delicious and less gut-disruptive than the additives and flavours being pumped into your favourite protein products. 

Originally published as Is high-protein yoghurt a myth?