Welcome to the second part of award-winning nutritionist, Lucy Williamson, yogurt blog series.

To follow on from part one of this nutritional blog series, we asked Lucy to solve another common yogurt conundrum: understanding the different benefits in our wide-range of yog! As at times you may be a little overwhelmed by the choice – so here’s some clarity on Yeo Valley Organic’s fabulous range of yogurt to help you decide what should be going into your basket! Over to you Lucy…

So, how do all Yeo Valley’s yogurts really compare? I’m glad you asked as each have its own benefits! Take a look below to find out more….

Yeo Valley Organic Natural Yogurt: This is an excellent all-rounder! It’s my every-day ‘go to’ yogurt – being ‘full fat’ I know I’m getting those benefits outlined above yet it’s still a low-fat food with less than 4g of fat per 110g portion. It’s the best for Calcium content too providing more than 1/3^rd of our daily requirement – great for kids and to help keep bones strong into senior age. Its tangy flavour is great at breakfast, but I also use it as a quick and healthy lunchtime dip – mixed with tahini, lemon juice and a little honey it thickens perfectly!

 Yeo Valley Organic Greek Style Natural Yogurt: The healthy treat! This creamier version is perfectly suited as a pudding with your favourite fruit or use it instead of cream on your crumble! Having more cream in the traditional recipe it’s higher in fat than all the others. Happily, as it has five live cultures in it, it’s still a fabulous gut healthy option.

Yeo Valley Organic Super Thick Yogurt (5%): If you’re looking for higher protein this is the one! With 9g of protein per 110g portion, natural sugar and a good source of calcium, it’s a great choice for a sport recovery snack. Intense sport, like a hard workout at the gym, drains our natural supply of antioxidants for muscle repair, and vitamins, which help to strengthen our immune system. This means it’s great for growing children too.

Yeo Valley Organic Kefir Yogurt: Kefir is one of nature’s gems. All the goodness of dairy but with the added benefit of having been fermented with ancient kefir grains – recognised over the centuries for their health-giving properties. Yeo Valley Organic Kefir provides no less than 14 different live cultures! We also know that the nutrient ‘matrix’ in milk protect these healthy bacteria as they pass through the harsh environment of our stomach, meaning they are more likely to have a genuine probiotic effect for us. It’s a great example of how food in its whole form can often be more effective than a supplement. What are probiotics? Live and friendly microbes which can improve our gut health.

What’s the story on 0% Fat Yogurts?

First thing to remember is not all fats are created equal. This obeys the rule that with fats it’s the type not the amount that is most important when making good choices and for many, whole fat yogurts which satisfy the appetite more quickly, may be a good choice even to control weight gain.

Yeo Valley Organic Super Thick Yogurt (0%): Lowest in calories and highest in protein with 11g for every 110g portion! High protein foods are great for weight loss because stomach protein sensors literally feedback to the brain to tell us we’re full! That full feeling really helps to reduce snacking in between meals. For more of a treat while adjusting your choices around weight loss, try Yeo Valley Organic 0% Natural Greek Style – a creamier taste, a little less protein but five fabulous live cultures so still bursting with gut healthy goodness!

The same rules apply for the fruit versions of each of these – but of course they have a little more naturally added sugar from their fruit purées.

For further information around the impact that nurturing your gut health can have, follow Lucy @lucywilliamsonnutrition on social media or sign up for her monthly foodie tips around gut health via https://lwnutrition.co.uk/.