This article has been Fact-Checked by Kendall Kennedy MS, RD, RYT
Choosing from all the foods available can feel confusing when trying to lose weight. Find out whether Greek yogurt is good for weight loss or not.
Greek yogurt is similar to regular yogurt but with some extra preparation steps.
This food is relatively low in calories and contains nice amounts of protein, vitamins, and minerals.
In turn, you can definitely say that Greek yogurt is typically helpful for weight loss.
Eating this food will likely make it so you unconsciously eat less of foods that are less helpful for weight loss and in turn, get closer to your goals.
One thing you do want to keep in mind is that just adding Greek yogurt on top of your regular diet without making any changes can lead to weight gain too.
Something else to note is that there are different brands of Greek yogurt with different nutritional values. This article will use the USDA nutrition details about plain non-fat Greek yogurt.
Micronutrients in Greek yogurt
Macronutrients like fats, proteins, and carbohydrates definitely play important roles when trying to lose weight.
Even so, looking at the amounts of micronutrients, including vitamins and minerals, in Greek yogurt can sometimes be helpful too. These nutrients often play a role in weight loss and health.
100 grams of the example Greek Yogurt contains the following vitamins and minerals (1):
- Riboflavin: 17% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Phosphorus: 15%
- Selenium: 14%
- Vitamin B12: 13%
- Calcium: 11%
And a few other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
These amounts of vitamins and minerals in Greek yogurt are decent but at the same time, there are more nutritious foods too.
In any case, Greek yogurt alone will not be enough to hit the daily guidelines.
Greek yogurt can also contain something called probiotics, which are live bacteria that are typically considered to be good for your (gut) health.
That being said, not all store-bought yogurts contain these probiotics.
Protein in Greek yogurt for weight loss
When figuring out whether a food like Greek yogurt is good for weight loss or not you want to take a look at the amount of protein in it.
100 grams of the example Greek yogurt contains about 10.2 grams of protein per 100 grams (1).
This amount is above-average and often helpful but there are better food options too.
For example, 100 grams of salmon contains around 25.4 grams (2).
Protein tends to be very helpful while losing weight for a few reasons.
First of all, this category of calories is very filling. Many people struggle with hunger and cravings while trying to lose weight so reducing these can be valuable.
Besides that, protein helps you build and preserve muscle mass.
How much you weigh influences how many calories you burn throughout the day. By building or keeping more muscle mass, everything you do becomes more helpful for losing weight.
Similar to the micronutrients section, the protein in Greek yogurt helps but is likely not enough to help you hit your daily goals.
Is Greek yogurt good for losing belly fat?
The answer to whether Greek yogurt is good for losing belly fat or not has two parts.
Before going into these, you want to know that 100 grams of the example Greek yogurt contain around 59 calories per 100 grams (1).
While vegetables and many fruits tend to be lower in calories, Greek yogurt is still relatively low in calories.
That aside, the first thing you want to know is that you generally can’t target fat loss in specific areas like your belly in significant amounts. To achieve fat loss in this area, you have to lose enough weight overall.
Secondly, since Greek yogurt is relatively low in calories and contains nice amounts of protein, vitamins, and minerals, you can say that this food is good for weight loss.
Eating it will likely help you consume less of other foods that are worse for weight loss. In turn, you will likely see some weight loss results.
That means Greek yogurt can potentially help you lose belly fat if it helps you lose enough weight overall and if your body starts using fat from your stomach area next.
At the same time, you need to keep in mind that you have to make other changes too. If you just add Greek yogurt on top of your regular diet, you can gain weight.
Additionally, some people don’t do well with Greek yogurt because of intolerance problems.
How much Greek yogurt should I eat a day to lose weight?
So Greek yogurt can be helpful for weight loss but too much can theoretically lead to weight gain. In that case, you may wonder how much you should eat a day to lose weight.
Unfortunately, there is not one single answer that applies to everyone. Details like your body weight, the rest of your diet, your other lifestyle habits, etc. will influence this.
Most people should do fine with something like 100 grams of Greek yogurt a day.
After implementing this for a few weeks, you can check out your results and decide whether you want to eat more or less Greek yogurt.
Great additions to your Greek yogurt
Greek yogurt can be helpful for losing weight but you may find the plain version a bit too plain.
In that case, you can add a few other weight-loss-friendly ingredients to add some taste and potentially make your snack or dessert even more effective.
A few ingredients you can combine with Greek yogurt include berries like blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries and other fruits like apples, pears, peaches, etc.
You could even combine Greek yogurt with something like oats to make it extra filling. Do keep your portions in mind when trying this combination.
