Yogurt is a natural, healthy, and essential food in everyone’s diet. It is rightly said that ‘A cup of yogurt a day keeps diabetes away.’ Did you know that Yogurt is also a probiotic that can do wonders for your body? Along with the plethora of benefits, it has to offer, Yogurt is proven to be great for diabetes. Including it in your diet organically can contribute to your overall health.
For most of the meals, diabetic patients are used to keeping a count of their calorie intake. With yogurt, it is important to be careful with the amount of sugar you add to it. The best way is to eat it plain. Yogurt for diabetes is definitely a healthy choice, given that it is unsweetened/ less sweetened, and contains more proteins and adequate carb levels.
Yogurt helps a great deal in regulating diabetes- type 2 too. The studies conducted at Harvard School of Public Health have revealed that eating a yogurt serving every day reduces the risk of diabetes by 18%.
Best Yogurt For Diabetes
There are several varieties when it comes to yogurt. Australian, Icelandic, Greek yogurts are to name a few.
However, the question is, which kind of Yogurt is the best for diabetes?
[Also Read: Natural Remedies to Treat Diabetes]
Greek yogurt
Unlike regular or whole-meal yogurt, the Greek yogurt(1) is free from the extra watery liquid and lactose. Greek yogurt has more fiber content, more proteins and vitamins, and lesser carbs and fats and this makes it ideal for diabetic patients.
Benefits of Yogurt for Diabetes
- It is unsweetened and contains high levels of proteins and the lowest levels of carbs.
- You can add naturally sweet fruits or fresh blueberries, almonds, green apples, ground flax seeds, seeds of chia or strawberries. Even fruits like banana are okay, as long as the glucose content doesn’t exceed 10 grams.
- It has a low GI (Glycemic Index). That means, it has a lessor adequate value of glucose content compared to pure glucose content, which makes it safe for diabetics(2) to consume.
[Read: Surprising Benefits of Greek Yogurt]
How to Use Yogurt for Diabetes
1. Toppings
Instead of maple syrup or honey, try using yogurt on your waffles and pancakes.
2. Smoothies
Add yogurt to increase thickness, protein levels and to add a different taste to your smoothies.
3. Desserts
Substitute your regular sweetened deserts with less sweetened, low-calorie Greek yogurt ice cream. Way to go!
4. Bake It With Yogurt
Use yogurt layers in place of creamed layers while preparing baked items like cakes, cookies, etc.
5. Dress It All
Add yogurt as a dressing to any and every preparation of the dish.
[Also Read: Popular Foods for Diabetics]
Do’s And Don’ts
- If you want probiotics to affect more, chose yogurt with ‘live & active’ bacteria cultures. Read the label for this.
- Avoid buying sweetened or flavored yogurt, as they contain artificial and high levels of sweeteners. Go for plain yogurt and add naturally sweet fruits and ingredients for sweetness.
- Greek yogurt is the best yogurt for diabetes, so make it a regular choice without a second doubt.
- Go for a yogurt package that serves at least 5 grams of proteins.
The Bottom Line
Yogurt for diabetes is a really helpful and essential food for people suffering from diabetes, which even includes type 2 diabetes. Without worrying about the foods suitable or not to eat, simply keep a count of the calorie intake of all the meals you generally have.
That’ll help you fight most of the stress. So stay stress-free and healthy, and remember that one cup of yogurt every day could help you with your diabetes.
FAQs
Q2. Can Type 2 Diabetic Patients Eat Ice Cream?
Ans. Yes. Though ice creams are artificially highly sweetened, there are ice creams that are less sweetened for you to choose from. Go for yogurt ice creams!
Q3. Does Greek Yogurt Have Any Alternative Options?
Ans. Yes. You can have a regular plain yogurt which has low-fat levels. Another alternative is opting for organic yogurts. Yogurt varieties made from cashews and coconuts are available too.
