Low-Fat Strawberry Yogurt
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.
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TASTE TEST
Nonfat Greek Yogurt -
TASTE TEST
Whole-Milk Yogurt -
TASTE TEST
Frozen Strawberries
| Product Tested | Origin | Price* | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highly Recommended | |||
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Columela Extra Virgin Olive OilOur favorite premium extra-virgin olive oil from a previous tasting, Columela is composed of a blend of intense Picual, mild Hojiblanca, Ocal, and Arbequina olives. This oil took top honors for its fruity flavor and excellent balance. Tasters praised its “big olive aroma, big olive taste” with a “buttery” flavor that is “sweet” and “full,” with a “peppery finish.” One taster said: “It’s very green and fresh—like a squeezed olive.” Another simply wrote: “Fantastic.” |
Spain | $19 for 17 oz |
| Recommended | |||
|
Lucini Italia Premium Select Extra Virgin Olive OilTasters noted this oil’s flavor was “much deeper than the other samples,” describing it as “fruity, with a slight peppery finish,” “buttery undertones,” and a “clean, green taste” that was “aromatic, with a good balance.” “It has the flavor that some good EVOOs have,” said one admiring taster. |
Italy | $19.99 for 500 ml ($39.98 per liter) |
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Colavita Extra Virgin Olive OilVirtually tied for second place, this oil was deemed “round and buttery,” with a “light body” and flavor that was “briny and fruity,” “very fine and smooth,” and “almost herbal,” with “great balance.” “Good olive flavor. I could smell it and taste it,” approved one taster. In a word, “pleasant.” |
Italy | $17.99 for 750 ml ($23.98 per liter) |
| Recommended with Reservations | |||
|
Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive OilA clear step down from the top oils, tasters noted “overall mild” flavor and “very little aroma,” with only a “hint of green olive” and a “hint of spiciness at the end.” In pasta, it was initially “not complex,” but gradually “bloomed in your mouth.” Overall, it was “worthy of a second bite.” |
Italy, Greece, Spain, and Tunisia | $12.49 for 750 ml ($16.65 per liter) |
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Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive OilWhile some tasters found this oil “sweet” and “buttery” with “medium body” and “slight spice at the end,” others complained that it had “zero olive flavor” and was “so floral it’s almost like eating perfume”; still others noted a “bitter” aftertaste. In pasta, it was “extremely mild” to the point of being “boring.” |
Italy, Greece, Spain, and Tunisia | $10.99 for 750 ml ($14.65 per liter) |
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Goya Extra Virgin Olive OilComments: The best comments tasters could muster were “mild” and “neutral.” Some liked it on pasta (though one called it “Snoozeville”), but complaints were myriad: “metallic,” “soapy,” “briny,” “hints of dirt.” Carped one taster, “I can’t imagine what is in here, but they have a nerve calling it EVOO.” |
Spain | $13.99 for 1 liter |
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