Data source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC 171284 (Yogurt, plain, whole milk).
Fun facts
- Yogurt is milk fermented by lactic acid bacteria. They eat part of the lactose and make lactic acid, which thickens the milk and gives it that gentle tang.
- Because some lactose is gone, many people who feel bloated after milk find yogurt much easier.
- 100g of plain whole milk yogurt has about 61 kcal, 3.5g of protein and 121mg of calcium. The 4.7g of sugar here is natural milk sugar; sweetened versions carry much more.
- Vietnamese yogurt comes in many forms: homemade jar yogurt, yogurt with black sticky rice, yogurt with jackfruit, and drinkable yogurt.
Choosing and storing
Reading the label is the key step: choose "unsweetened" or low sugar, and check whether it mentions live cultures. Always keep yogurt in the fridge, even unopened. Once opened, cover it and eat it within a few days. The clear liquid on top is whey, a milk protein, so just stir it back in.
Cooking it well
High heat kills the live bacteria in yogurt, so to keep them, eat it cold or stir it in after the stove is off. Plain yogurt makes a great salad dressing, a marinade that tenderizes meat, or a dessert swap with fruit and nuts. If you make it at home, keeping it warm at about 40 to 45°C is the sweet spot for the bacteria to work. To see how friendly bacteria differ from the fiber that feeds them, read prebiotics vs probiotics.
