Guide your shopping cart to the yogurt section of the supermarket and you’ll notice that it’s no longer the sole domain of products made from cow’s milk. The market for dairy-free yogurt made with everything from coconut to oats has exploded. But are these moo-free versions any healthier than the traditional cultured dairy? A 2023 study in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition compared the nutrition of 612 plant-based and dairy-based yogurts sold between 2016 and 2021. The results showed that yogurts from plants in general have less total sugar, less sodium and more fiber than dairy, but they have less protein, calcium and potassium than dairy yogurt.
When utilizing the Nutrient Rich Foods (NRF) Index, a comprehensive food guidance system that assigns a score based on the nutrient density of individual foods, the investigators from the University of Massachusetts Amherst found that almond milk yogurt came out ahead of the competition. Oat yogurts also scored high in the nutritional rankings because of their low levels of total sugar, sodium and saturated fats. Coconut was nutritionally the least impressive of the dairy-free options tested.
The Verdict: People choose dairy-free yogurt for various reasons including dietary needs and environmental concerns, and it appears as though these can be a nutritious option; particularly almond and oat varieties. But buyers need to be aware of the limitations of these sources. For example, these choices generally contain much lower amounts of protein, and flavored options may contain high levels of added sugar.
See also: Dairy-Free Yogurt: Buy or Bye?
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD, is a James Beard Award–winning food journalist, dietitian and author of the cookbook Rocket Fuel: Power-Packed Food for Sport + Adventure (VeloPress 2016). He has written for dozens of magazines, including Runner’s World, Men’s Health, Shape, Men’s Fitness and Muscle and Fitness.
