Yogurt for weight loss - can you eat it, which is the healthiest?

How often do you drink yogurt for weight loss ? What kind of yoghurts are these? If you like to buy sweet and tasty yoghurts, such as Activia, Dolce, Danone, etc., and think that these are yoghurts for weight loss , they contain some kind of bifidobacteria, and they will help you lose extra pounds, then you are deeply mistaken. This kind of yogurt will not improve your digestion or gastrointestinal problems in any way if you are thinking of using them for medicinal purposes, and they certainly will not help you lose weight. Don't waste your money and time on this nonsense!

What kind of yogurt is there?

This dessert is so popular and in demand that manufacturers have been experimenting for many years and creating different types of yoghurts, wanting to please the consumer.

In the store, the abundance of different shapes makes your eyes widen. However, for use during a diet for weight loss, it is better to choose a certain type that will allow the body not to gain, but to get rid of extra pounds.

So, yoghurts are:

Natural, made from two products - milk and sourdough.
Thermostatic ones are close to natural ones, since they are fermented directly in the packaging in which they are sent for sale, thus their beneficial properties are partially preserved.
Pasteurized - produced by heat treatment of raw milk (in this case the product is stored much longer, but the benefits from it are not very great), this form is not yogurt, it is sold under the label “yogurt product”.
Bioyogurts are those varieties where lactobacilli are preserved alive.
Lactose-free - which does not contain milk, most often the basis of this option is soy.

The healthiest option is homemade, prepared in a yogurt maker.

Product benefits

The benefits of any natural dairy product:

it contains calcium, and calcium deficiency is observed in every second resident of the metropolis (1 glass is equal to a quarter of the daily calcium intake);
it is a protein product, and protein is a building material for the body;
contains potassium, phosphorus and zinc, which is necessary for the normal occurrence of many chemical reactions;
promotes better digestion, improves the functioning of the stomach and intestines;
the natural product has an antifungal effect;
is an excellent immune system stimulant;
This is quite a high-calorie and tasty breakfast.

You can drink yogurt at any time of the day, even if you are losing weight. A high-quality option is perfect for an evening meal, and will also be a good addition to breakfast.

What harm can yogurt cause?

Fat yoghurts are hard food for the stomach. People with gastrointestinal diseases are not recommended to eat this product.
Sweet foods are contraindicated if you have diabetes. Because, even if there are fruits, sweeteners are added to it, which, if consumed, can negatively affect the health of a diabetic.
When purchasing, you must look at the expiration date. Such an expired product can cause poisoning.

In order to find out which yogurt is the healthiest for weight loss that is on store shelves, just read the composition. Those on the packages of which you will find only two items in the list of ingredients - milk and sourdough - are quite suitable for the diet.

Home Recipes

To prepare classic yogurt you will need 1 liter of milk and 1 tbsp. l. sourdough The latter can be purchased at the pharmacy. Any starter is suitable - for yogurt, kefir, sour cream.

Milk is selected in such a way that its shelf life does not exceed 14 days. A longer shelf life indicates the presence of preservatives or antibiotics in it, which, although they can extend the “life” of the product, also destroy many beneficial bacteria in it. It is heated to a temperature of 36-40 degrees. If the milk is heated more, the yogurt will turn out too sour. You also need to ensure that the drink is fresh and has at least 2-3 days left before its expiration date. Otherwise, it accumulates too many unnecessary bacteria for the body, which will multiply at an increased speed in yogurt.

How to choose

Which option is best for those wanting to lose weight? If you want to include such a product in your diet during a diet, you need to know which yogurt will not add excess weight, but, on the contrary, will allow you to lose several kilograms.

First of all, you should choose a natural one, which contains only milk and sourdough. There should not be any additives in the list of ingredients.
The second condition when choosing a product for weight loss: the proteins and carbohydrates included in its composition should be approximately equal.
Dyes, flavorings and sweeteners are excluded. A natural product will bring much more benefits in the process of losing weight than a tasty and aromatic one, but harmful to the body.
Often, when we eat yogurt, we consume simple carbohydrates, which will gradually turn into fat. Therefore, it is necessary to make a choice based on the composition of the fermented milk product, and not on the flowery advertising slogans on the packaging.
The natural version has the natural taste of sour milk. It may not be as pleasant as fruit options, but it is much healthier. And one more important condition: yogurt that is good for weight loss must contain two bacteria necessary for the gastrointestinal tract: Streptococcus thermophilus and the so-called “Bulgarian bacillus.” These two microorganisms process milk, breaking down sugar and giving the fermented milk product certain properties.
The product does not last long, but it contains bacteria necessary for the gastrointestinal tract, which have a beneficial effect on the intestinal microflora.

The most common product in this category is 2.5% fat. The calorie content of this yogurt is 72-76 kcal. The higher the fat content, the higher the calorie content. Low-fat has a calorie content of 50 kcal. The fattest reaches 100 kcal.

Yogurt fasting and diet menu

There are several types of yogurt unloading.

Option 1

morning: green apple, unsweetened tea;
lunch: 150 ml yogurt with dried fruits, tea;
lunch: 150 ml yogurt with muesli, ½ grapefruit, 100 ml tea;
afternoon snack: 200 ml yogurt, ½ grapefruit;
evening: ½ mug of tea, 150 ml of yogurt, a handful of dried fruits.

Option 2

morning: yogurt with berries or fruits (100 ml), ½ cup of tea;
day: yogurt with fruit (200 ml), ½ cup of tea;
afternoon snack: the same as lunch, but fruits are replaced with berries;
dinner: the same as for lunch.

The last option for losing weight involves eating every 3 hours. Each type of diet prohibits the consumption of sugar. But it can be replaced with a small amount of honey - 0.5 teaspoon per glass of drink is enough to add sweetness to the product. In between meals, you are allowed to drink plain water, unsweetened tea, herbal decoctions or rosehip infusion.

For unloading, choose yogurt with a fat content of 1-1.5%. It can be prepared at home using sourdough and milk.

How to use

What additives are best to eat yogurt with when losing weight?

With bran

Rye bran can be mixed with natural yogurt 15-20 minutes before meals. When they swell, you will get a tasty and healthy dish that can easily replace any breakfast or dinner.

With buckwheat

Buckwheat itself is very beneficial for the body. It is a kind of brush for the intestines. When combined with fermented milk products - kefir or yogurt - its properties are activated, and the influence of lactobacilli allows you to enhance metabolic processes, remove toxins, and normalize the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract. Buckwheat with yogurt can be a great breakfast or lunch during a diet.

With oatmeal

Cold porridge is a very convenient and tasty dish. To prepare it you will need natural yogurt, oatmeal - it is better if it is not ground - and any fruit or berries of your choice. Mix everything in a convenient bowl, put it in a jar, close the lid and put it in the refrigerator. One hour is enough for the dish to be ready to eat.

To soften the sour taste, you can add honey to the mixture. Oatmeal with yogurt and honey is a tasty and healthy combination.

With flax seed

Flax seed is considered a very powerful antioxidant and intoxicant. If you grind such a product in a coffee grinder and mix it with yogurt, you will get an excellent dietary breakfast that will benefit the body.

With fruits and berries

It is not at all necessary to buy a flavored sweet fermented milk product. A self-prepared mixture would be much better. It requires a biological product without sweeteners, a handful of any berries, a banana, a blanched apple or pear, and dried fruits soaked in boiling water. Any fruit additive can be crushed and mixed with a dairy product.

With cottage cheese

Yogurt can be used as a natural diluent for such a healthy product as cottage cheese. The natural version goes well with cottage cheese. You can add dried fruits, nuts, seeds, honey or herbs to this mixture.

Yogurt diet

You should not follow such a diet for more than 10 days. If desired, the yogurt diet can be repeated after a couple of days:

breakfast – 150 g of product, 100 g of fruit, juice, dried fruit;
lunch – 100-150 g of product, 100 g of boiled meat, salad, 100 g of juice;
afternoon snack – vegetables;
dinner – stewed vegetables, fermented milk products, juice.

Yogurt diet for 7 days

If you follow such a diet, you need to consume about 500 g of natural product daily, divided into 4 doses. Yogurt diet for 7 days:

breakfast – green tea and any fruit;
snack – 150 g of fermented milk products;
lunch - light soup, fruit or vegetable salad, seasoned with yogurt;
afternoon snack – a glass of juice (preferably freshly squeezed);
dinner - up to 150 g of meat or fish without added fat, vegetable salad and a few tablespoons of fermented milk product.

What is good for weight loss

When figuring out which yogurt is best for weight loss, you need to find out what qualities the product has and how it promotes weight loss. So, the beneficial properties of lactic acid drink include:

improving the functioning of the digestive system and metabolism;
normalization of intestinal microflora, blood pressure;
prevention of constipation, cancer;
cleansing of waste and toxins;
strengthening the immune system, teeth, bones;
prevention of osteoporosis, the occurrence of fungal diseases;
elimination of food poisoning;
reduction of cholesterol in the blood;
elimination of inflammation of the genitourinary system;
replenishment of calcium deficiency.

Composition of fermented milk drink

The composition of fermented milk, useful for weight loss, contains a minimum of lactose, which many people cannot tolerate, and contains lactase, an enzyme involved in the hydrolysis of the disaccharide lactose. Thanks to these qualities, the drink is better suited for those who have poor digestibility of whole milk and other dairy products containing lactose. In addition, yoghurts contain:

vitamins: A, B2, B3, B6, B12, PP, C, retinol and choline;
minerals: calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, manganese, iodine, chromium, sodium, zinc, fluorine;
ascorbic, fatty and organic acids.

Calories and nutritional value

Fermented milk products are made from different milks (natural, reconstituted, normalized), and they may also contain additives. The calorie content of the finished drink depends on the source raw material and ranges on average from 50 to 250 kcal/100 g. The nutritional value varies based on the percentage of fat content of the product, and for yoghurts from 1.5 to 3.2% is:

Shelf life

Only natural products containing live bifidobacteria and lactobacilli can bear the name “yogurt”. The shelf life of such a drink is a minimum of 5 days, a maximum of 2 weeks, but it is better to store it for no more than 7 days. On some jars, manufacturers indicate that the product can be stored for up to 30 days. This is only possible when natural products are salted (fish, lard), very sweet (jam, marmalade) or contain vinegar.

Fermented milk drinks do not belong to any of the above categories, so such information should alert you. The organisms used to ferment raw milk do not live that long, which means that shelf-stable yogurt contains preservatives or has been heat-treated. As a result of this, many bacteria die, the drink loses its beneficial properties, and health improvement and weight loss are unlikely to be the result of its consumption.

What is yogurt and what is its value?

Having succumbed to the tricks of advertising, we become hostages of the situation and purchase an advertised product that cannot be called natural yogurt. If you decide to lose weight or maintain your body by eating a healthy diet, it is better to get a yogurt maker to prepare a really high-quality fermented milk composition. When choosing yogurt in the supermarket, do not fall for the bait of manufacturers who sell kefir flavored with dyes under the name of yogurt. These are two completely different products, for the production of which different types of starter cultures are used.

Look on the packaging for the name of lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus; they are used to ferment yogurt, while kefir is made using kefir grains. The ideal option would be one without sugar and fillers; you can add the latter yourself using berries, fruits and dried fruits. The best yogurt for weight loss is made without added sugar, based on 1.5% skim milk, this product is low in calories, contains only 57 kcal, as well as a lot of substances beneficial to the body.

Energy value:

100 g 57 Kcal;
Proteins: 4.1 g;
Fat: 1.5 g;
Carbohydrates: 5.9 g.

The product contains saturated fatty acids, organic acids, mono and disaccharides that are valuable for the body. Its arsenal contains vitamins A, PP, C, as well as choline and a group of vitamins B. Among the minerals, I would like to highlight calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur, selenium, fluorine, zinc, iron. The product is good for digestion and contains easily digestible proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

How many grams in one serving:

In one glass 250 g;
In 1 tbsp. spoon: 18 g;
In 1 teaspoon: 5 g.

Among the variety of assortments you can find yoghurts with fat content from 1 to 5 percent. They are also classified according to the type of viscosity; there are drinkable and jelly-like ones, which require a spoon to consume. You can also buy natural products made from milk and sourdough, options with filler, the latter being fruits, berries, flavorings, cocoa, etc. To buy healthy yogurts for weight loss, choose versions with a minimal list of ingredients. All additional fillers are a farce and do not bring anything useful, they only increase the cost of the product.

Composition and action

Yogurt is made from skimmed milk. Special lactic acid bacteria are involved in the further production process. As a result of their vital activity, this product is obtained.

Yogurt for weight loss of natural origin should be without sweet taste and other additional flavors. A truly healthy composition should not contain any unnecessary additives. Various fillers, sugar, etc. reduce the quality of the product and increase its price.

The calorie content of this drink is low - approximately 50 Kcal per 100 grams, which allows it to be actively used for weight loss. The elements contained in the composition (carbohydrate compounds, fats, natural acids) are easily absorbed by cells and processed. People who are lactose intolerant can safely consume yogurt and lose weight with it, since the milk compounds contained in it are processed and are not dangerous to their body.

In addition to protein components, the drink contains vitamins B, C and A, which are vital for humans. It also contains a whole set of minerals that replenish their deficiency in the human body. These include calcium, zinc, potassium, iodine, phosphorus and many others.

The complex of valuable substances of this product produces a number of beneficial effects on the human body:

Lactic acid microorganisms normalize and maintain the optimal state of the digestive system. They also protect the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines from the influence of harmful substances, blocking their work.
The drink contains a huge amount of such an essential element for humans as calcium. Calcium is part of bones and teeth, it is involved in the blood exchange system, and regulates water balance. Yogurt contains a much larger amount of this element than other fermented milk products, and it is processed much more easily by cells.
Positively affects the immune system. The drink promotes the formation of substances in the body that prevent the occurrence of various diseases.
Once in the intestines, it regenerates the mucous membrane. Helps remove harmful substances from the body, improving the activity of the intestinal walls. Restores the gastrointestinal tract after the action of antibiotics.
In women, it prevents the development of fungal diseases of the mucous membrane (vaginosis).

All of the above properties of yogurt are directly related to weight loss, as they heal the body and normalize metabolism. In some cases, metabolic disorders are the cause of excess weight gain.

Home

Despite the huge variety of fermented milk products provided to customers in large retail chains, only homemade yogurt will be truly beneficial for health and weight loss. By preparing the drink yourself, you can be sure of its naturalness and freshness. For this you will need sourdough and milk. You need to be very responsible when choosing it: powdered, for example, will not ferment at all. If you are not sure of the quality of a store-bought product, it is better to purchase regular cow's milk, raw.

Sourdough and bifidobacteria

To ferment milk, you definitely need a starter; dry versions can be bought at a regular pharmacy. The usefulness of yogurt lactic acid culture depends on the number of lacto- and bifidobacteria contained in it. The following types of powders can be found on sale:

Evitalia. Includes 4 billion bacteria, vitamins A, C, E, group B, microelements (magnesium, calcium, iron) and antioxidants. Treats dysbacteriosis, normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, and has an anti-inflammatory effect.
Narine. Contains simple and acidophilic lactobacilli, which help strengthen the immune system and get rid of dysbacteriosis.
Bifidumbacterin is a powder consisting of many bifidobacteria. Helps restore intestinal microflora and has a beneficial effect on the entire body.
VIVO. Consists of lactic acid streptococci, 3 types of lactobacilli, Bulgarian and acidophilus bacilli. Helps eliminate digestive system disorders, eliminate gastrointestinal diseases, eliminate toxins, and accelerate metabolism. Yogurt prepared with VIVO starter perfectly satisfies the feeling of hunger.
Lactina. Includes Bulgarian bacillus, heat-labile streptococcus and yogurt lactobacilli. The finished product prepared with Lactina has a mild fermented milk taste.

In the store you can buy live starters made from whole cow's or sheep's milk and Bulgarian stick. Their shelf life is no more than 20 days, while dry ones are stored from a week (in the refrigerator) to 1.5 years (in the freezer). Live starters produce a drink with a thinner consistency and a sour taste, while dry starters produce a thick drink with a more delicate, pleasant taste. This determines the popularity of bacterial cultures - dry ones are used more often. If the shelf life of the starters is normal and storage conditions are observed, then both types will be beneficial to health.

Recipe

Boil a liter of raw milk. If you use plain cow's milk, let it settle first, then skim off the top fatty layer that will separate during this time, and only then boil the drink. It is also better to remove the foam - it contains fat, which will increase the calorie content of homemade fermented milk and will hinder weight loss. Next, cool the milk to 40 degrees - high temperatures will lead to the death of bacterial cultures. Porchdok works:

Dilute the starter according to the instructions, pour into the milk, stir.
Pre-pour boiling water over all tools and utensils to disinfect.
Pour the mixture into a thermos, wrap it and put it in a warm place for 8–12 hours.
Open the container, pour the drink into a glass container, and cool in the refrigerator.
The resulting product should have a thick consistency and a neutral odor.
You can use a yogurt maker to make homemade fermented milk.

Expert advice

When losing weight, experts advise using only homemade yogurt, and not store-bought products. You can also eat farm products, which indicate the composition and expiration date.

Experts believe that the yogurt diet is one of the most gentle.

However, there is a list of contraindications for it:

diabetes;
oncology;
allergy to fermented milk products;
inflammatory diseases of the digestive tract, provoked by increased secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, microorganisms and/or viruses affecting the intestines.

Filatova Anna, nutritionist

The yogurt diet is low-calorie, despite the fact that the product is quite filling. It is not recommended to adhere to such a diet for more than 10 days due to possible health problems. There are known cases when, after a long-term yogurt diet, people experienced deterioration in the condition of their hair and skin, and digestive processes were disrupted. You also need to know that this type of weight loss requires mandatory consolidation of the result, otherwise the weight will quickly return to its previous level.

Practicing surgeon. Certified massage master. Two-time vice-champion and heavyweight champion of regional kettlebell lifting competitions.

Practicing nutritionist Elena Zueva

You can eat yogurt while losing weight. Many low-calorie dishes are prepared on its basis. It is suitable both for independent consumption and for complementing other dishes. Recommends including the product in the menu of even the most strict diet. The main rule of the yogurt diet is an integrated approach. The product only helps you lose weight, but is not a fat-burning pill.

Alin Bozhko, nutritionist

To effectively lose weight, you need to regulate your diet in general. Yogurts can be considered as a snack between meals. It is better to give preference to products with a shelf life of no more than 10 days that do not contain dyes, thickeners and flavors. This yogurt contains bifidobacteria, which improve digestive processes and speed up metabolism. When unloading on yoghurt, you need to drink about 1.5-2 liters of low-calorie product per day (up to 1.5% fat content).

Matsun

This is Armenian yogurt, which is prepared from 1 liter of milk and 3 tbsp. spoons of sour cream. The ingredients are mixed, and then the container is wrapped in a towel and placed overnight near a warm radiator. In the morning you can try a healthy dairy product, which is great for preparing salads, desserts and main courses. It is also eaten in its pure form, which brings great benefits to the body.

If there is no warm battery, you can use a thermos. As a last resort, hot water is poured into the jar, placed next to the future yogurt and both containers are wrapped in a towel.

Low-calorie and low-fat yogurts

Regular low-calorie yogurt is a fermented milk product with a minimal percentage of fat content, having an average calorie content of 60 to 110 kcal/100 g, but not all of them can be drunk for weight loss. In the store you can choose and buy low-calorie fermented milk from several manufacturers:

Frugurt (70 kcal);
Neo Imunele Natural (63 kcal);
Activia natural (75 kcal), regular (90 kcal);
Miracle (99 kcal);
Danone thick thermostatic (49 kcal);
Greek from Ehrmann (66 kcal).

People seeking to lose weight believe that it is better to drink low-fat yogurts, but their usefulness is very questionable. At the same time as the fat content in drinks is reduced, the amount of salt in drinks is reduced, replacing it with potassium chloride, and water and sugar are added instead of fat. Low-fat products are more liquid, so to obtain a thick consistency, a thickener such as starch is added to it, which prevents the breakdown of fats. It turns out that some ingredients are replaced by others, no less harmful, which will not contribute to weight loss.

Despite all the above factors, you can drink fermented milk drinks while on a diet. The main thing is to pay attention not to the name or brand of the manufacturer, but to the energy value and composition of the purchased product. If there are no harmful components in it, then the beneficial properties of low-fat and low-calorie yoghurts are the same as those of natural ones:

strengthening the immune system, teeth, bones;
assistance in digesting food;
prevention of constipation, osteoporosis;
lowering blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.

Such fermented milk can cause harm only if it contains dyes, various food additives, sweeteners and fats. The last component will certainly become an obstacle on the path to a beautiful slim figure and flat stomach. In addition, people who have an individual intolerance to at least one of the components of the drink should drink yoghurt with caution.