Low-Fat Strawberry Yogurt

April/May 2009

Overview:

Low-fat yogurt far outsells full-fat and nonfat versions in American supermarkets. In the last year, more strawberry yogurts have been introduced to the market than any other flavor, according to the market research firm Mintel. To see which low-fat strawberry yogurt was best, we rounded up eight national brands and called our tasters to the table.

Many in the test kitchen had high hopes for a popular (and relatively expensive) Greek-style yogurt. Greek-style yogurt is strained to remove the whey, making it thicker and tangier than American-style yogurts. (The whey contains a lot of lactose, the natural sugar in dairy products.) But our tasters either loved or hated this yogurt’s denser texture and stronger flavor.

Our winning low-fat strawberry yogurt comes from an industry giant. While it didn’t elicit the high scores of the Greek-style yogurt, it didn’t receive any low scores either, and it scored at or near the top for tang, texture, and, notably, its “solid” and “real” strawberry flavor. This was the key to our tasting, as our tasters’ preferences tracked closely to berry flavor (ahead of tang or texture). Our winner lists strawberries second (after milk) in its ingredients; by law, ingredients are listed on labels in order of amounts. By comparison, the yogurts that list sugar second (ahead of berries) lacked potent berry flavor. And our lowest-rated brand contains no strawberries at all—just artificial strawberry flavor.

Every brand we tested, save one, contains at least two of the following stabilizers: cornstarch, pectin, tapioca, kosher gelatin, xanthan gum, or bean gums. While the type of stabilizers used didn’t fully correspond with our textural preferences, none of the brands that we recommend contains kosher gelatin. One brand uses just a single stabilizer (pectin) and does list strawberries second on the ingredient list; nonetheless, it finished second to last in our rankings in part because tasters disliked its “loose,” “watery” texture.

When shopping for strawberry yogurt, look for brands that list strawberries ahead of sugar—the more strawberries, the more strawberry flavor. If you like its strong tang and thick texture, Greek-style yogurt is an excellent choice; otherwise we have two top picks.

Related Content

TASTE TEST
Nonfat Greek Yogurt
TASTE TEST
Whole-Milk Yogurt
TASTE TEST
Frozen Strawberries

*Prices subject to change

Product Tested		Milk Fat Content	Price*
Recommended
	Winner Dannon Fruit on the Bottom Strawberry Yogurt This brand scored either first or second in all three criteria we rated: tang, texture, and strawberry flavor. Tasters liked that it "wasn't too sweet," and had "good strawberry flavor" and a "creamy" texture. The tang and berry flavor were "balanced." "Actually tastes like it has strawberries in it," one pleased taster said.	1%	$.75 for 6 ounces
	Wallaby Organic Creamy Australian Style Lowfat Strawberry Yogurt This "sweet and milky" yogurt has a "strong, fresh dairy flavor." Tasters liked the flavor more than the texture, however, noting, "a bit thin, but tastes nice and bright." "Good-sized strawberry bits"contributed to its "bright berry flavor."	1 1/2%	$1.19 for 6 ounces
	Fage 2% All Natural Greek Strained Yogurt with Strawberry Tasters compared this polarizing sample to "sour cream," "brie," "mascarpone," and "crème fraîche." The pros: "what yogurt should taste like"; "creamy and super thick";"the mother ship has arrived!" The cons: "chalky," "too thick," and "funky." Everybody agreed that this was "not your average yogurt."	2%	$1.99 for 5.3 ounces
Recommended with Reservations
	Yoplait Original Strawberry Lowfat Yogurt Several panelists faulted Yoplait’s “very sweet,” “generic berry flavor” as “fake-tasting.” One compared it (unfavorably, of course) to Pop Rocks candy	1%	$.75 for 6 ounces
	Breyers Fruit on the Bottom Smart Strawberry Lowfat Yogurt Tasters found this “very sweet” yogurt “artificial,” “plasticky,” and “not memorable.” “Not really any yogurt or strawberry flavor,” an unimpressed taster said	1%	$.79 for 6 ounces
	Brown Cow Strawberry Low Fat Yogurt The “thick, smooth” texture was fine; the flavor was not. “Strange perfume taste,” one taster said. “Very strong floral-fruity flavor,” another seconded. “Why,” asked a third, “does this taste like banana?”	1%	$.99 for 6 ounces
	Stonyfield Farm Organic Lowfat Strawberry Yogurt Tasters disliked Stonyfield’s “loose,” “watery” texture. “Why is it separated?” asked one. The yogurt won points for its “milky,” “natural-tasting” tang, but lost them for “bland,” “too mild” strawberry flavor.	1%	$.99 for 6 ounces
Not Recommended
	Colombo Lowfat Strawberry Flavored Yogurt This “overly sweet,” “fake-tasting” yogurt (which does not contain strawberries) ranked last in every category—tang, strawberry flavor, and texture. Tasters compared it to “Jell-O mixed with cornstarch,” “strawberry Quik,” and “strawberry shampoo.”	1/2%	$1.69 for 32 ounces