
15. Flavored Yogurt
Yogurt is not supposed to be sweet. When it’s natural, it has a tasty sour tang because yogurt results from milk’s bacterial fermentation. That’s how people ate yogurt for thousands of years. For many Americans, yogurt still wasn’t very appealing. Thus, in the 1970s, major yogurt companies started massive, long-term advertising campaigns to convince parents of yogurt’s health benefits for kids. To convince kids that yogurts were worth eating, they also had to keep adding more and more sweeteners to cover up the tangy, sour taste of fermented milk. Now we see yogurt with not only fruit but with chocolate and candy added.
Yogurt is an easy way to get more good-for-your-gut probiotic bacteria along with calcium, protein, and vitamin D. But steer clear of flavored varieties since many are packed with so much sugar they may as well be dessert. Also, better left untouched: artificially sweetened “light” yogurts, which can cause bloating and gas. Instead, add your own flavor to plain yogurt by mixing in cinnamon, vanilla extract, or fresh berries. Greek plain yogurt is another great alternative and can replace sour cream as well because it has a similar taste and it’s very thick. Plain yogurt is also incredibly healthy for women.