Learn all about how to enjoy yogurt on a keto diet, including 4 keto yogurt recipes, the best brands of yogurt to buy, and how to use toppings to balance out macros for the keto diet. If you’re wondering, is Greek Yogurt Keto? It is! And it’s a delicious addition as a snack or sweet treat.
Is Yogurt Keto?
Yes, and no. The answer lies in what yogurt you buy! The standard fruit-flavored yogurt cups that we all grew up eating are not keto. Most yogurt cups have more sugar than protein. These flavored yogurts are also made with low fat or non fat milk.
The ketogenic diet is characterized by very low carbohydrates (30 grams or less, or 5-10% of total calories), moderate protein (about 20% of total calories) and high fat (approximately 70-80% of calories). See this Keto Foods List to better understand what the diet is comprised of.
A container of Yoplait Strawberry Yogurt has 27 grams of carbs, with 13g of added sugar! These yogurts are not healthy for anyone, keto diet or not.
However, full fat, plain yogurt is suitable for a keto diet (in moderation!). A 1 cup serving of full fat yogurt has 8g of carbohydrates, along with 7 grams of fat and 5 grams of protein. This is a reasonable amount of carbs to add to your diet, especially with the other health benefits of full fat yogurt, including the probiotics and quality proteins.
Studies have found that consuming full fat dairy products is correlated with a lower risk of obesity, most likely due to it’s satiety (embrace those healthy fats!). [source]
In addition, the most beneficial nutrients in dairy are found in the fats, so don’t buy products with these stripped out! [source]
Full fat dairy contains a fatty acid call C:15, recently classified as an essential fatty acid (meaning our bodies do not make it. We have to get it from our diets.) C:15 plays a crucial role in cellular health and disease prevention. A deficiency causes “cellular fragility”, or advanced aging. [source]
If you’re searching for healthy keto snack ideas, also try these delicious Keto Almond Flour Crackers and Keto Chia Pudding.
When I First Start Keto, is Yogurt a Good Choice?
When first starting a keto diet, a lower amount of carbs is needed. For the first 4-12 weeks of a keto diet, the body is using up glycogen stores and learning to be metabolically flexible, meaning having the ability to use both fat and carbohydrates as a fuel source.
It’s important to keep carbs very low during the initial phases, so yogurt is not the best option. Use carbohydrates for foods like vegetables and nuts during this phase.
Once you’ve been in ketosis for a while, bring in yogurt as a snack or sweet treat. See ideas below for turning a simple pot of Greek yogurt into a delicious dessert!
Is Greek Yogurt Keto?
Yes! Especially for those of us who struggle to meet protein needs, Greek yogurt is an excellent high-protein snack.
A 3/4 cup serving of full fat Greek yogurt has 5g of carbs, 9g of fat, and 15g of protein, making it my favorite choice for the keto diet.
As with all other carb sources (berries, veggies, nuts and seeds), it should be consumed in moderation.
Planning your carb needs around a snack, breakfast, or dessert containing Greek yogurt is often helpful and helps beat egg and meat boredom.
What are the best keto yogurts? I prefer to buy plain Greek yogurt and dress it up, rather than flavored varieties like Two Goods Yogurt or Ratio Yogurt. This is simply because I prefer foods with as few ingredients as possible. If you want vanilla yogurt, adding a little allulose and vanilla extract will do the trick!
Best Yogurts for Keto
Wondering which low-carb yogurt to choose? When selecting one, check the nutrition label for carb count (less than 7 grams per serving is ideal), fat content (made with full fat dairy), and protein (10-15 grams of protein is good!).
Avoid yogurts made with skimmed milk that had oils added back in to them. Dairy is perfect as it is! Some keto-friendly yogurt brands are sweetened and have unnecessary ingredients. Keep it simple – milk and probiotics! Opt for full-fat yogurt with active cultures and avoid artificial sweeteners and add your own, like allulose or monk fruit.
| Maple Hill Grass Fed Greek Yogurt170g,9g carbs, 15g protein, and 7g fat | ||||||||
| Stonyfield Grass Fed Greek Yogurt170g,7g carbs, 16g protein, and 9g fat | ||||||||
| Fage 5% Greek Yogurt170g,5g carbs, 15g protein, and 9g fat | ||||||||
| Greek Gods Plain Greek Yogurt170g, 11g of carbs, 7g protein, and 9g fat. | ||||||||
| Kirkland Nonfat Greek Yogurt170g,7g of carbs, 18g protein, and 0g fat | ||||||||
| Two Goods Yogurt170g, 3g of carbs, 12g protein, and 2g fat. | ||||||||
| Ratio Yogurt170g,2g of carbs, 15g protein, and 15g fat |
Maple Hill Grass Fed Greek Yogurt (Top Choice), 2/3 cup (170g) serving has 9g carbs, 15g protein, and 7g fat
Stonyfield Organic Grass Fed Greek Yogurt(Top Choice), 3/4 cup (170g) serving has 7g carbs, 16g protein, and 9g fat
*Grass fed dairy has a better omega 3/omega 6 ratio [source] — higher in omega 3s, lower in omega 6s, because of the animal’s grass based diet.
Fage 5% Greek Yogurt (Great Choice), 3/4 cup (170g) serving has 5g carbs, 15g protein, and 9g fat
*This brand gets a high rating for having the creamiest and best flavor.
Greek Gods Plain Greek Yogurt (Okay Choice): (full fat), 2/3 cup (170g) serving has 11g of carbs, 7g protein, and 9g fat.
*This brand gets a lower rating for not being grass-fed and having a lower protein content.
Kirkland Nonfat Greek Yogurt(Okay Choice) , 2/3 cup (170g) serving has 7g of carbs, 18g protein, and 0g fat.
*This brand gets a lower rating for using nonfat dairy, which strips the yogurt of important nutrients. The low fat content means it definitely needs fat added back into it to be good for a keto diet. It also is made with conventional dairy, rather than organic or grass-fed.
Two Good Yogurts (Poor Choice): (nutrition is based on plain, but the flavored options are okay also), 1/2 cup (150g) serving has 3g of carbs, 12g protein, and 2g fat.
*This brand gets a lower rating for not tasting great, having lots of unnecessary ingredients, and being made with reduced fat milk. It’s an okay choice, but not a healthy choice.
Ratio Yogurts (Poor Choice): (nutrition is based flavored choices), 1/2 cup (150g) serving has 2g of carbs, 15g protein, and 15g fat.
*This brand gets a lower rating for not tasting great, and being made with skimmed fat milk. They add in sunflower oil (a seed oil) to add back in fat. It’s a keto-friendly choice, but not a healthy choice.
While Two Good and Ratio are known to be “keto friendly” yogurts, they aren’t the healthiest choices. Consider choosing these while you’re trying to get into ketosis, then switching to a healthier option after your body is already in ketosis.
What if I don’t Like Plain Yogurt?
Dress it up! I love plain yogurt, but not plain, if you know what I mean. I add low carb toppings and flavors to make it a fun, healthy, and energizing snack.
Especially if you’re choosing yogurt as a meal replacement, adding some toppings will help it be more satiating.
If you have a zero fat yogurt,
Low Carb Toppings / Additions:
- Allulose (a natural sugar that the body cannot digest, this “sugar” has major health benefits!)
- Monk Fruit Sweetener (stevia is also a good choice if you like it), (1 teaspoon, 0 carbs)
- Vanilla Extract (this actually adds a sweet flavor and is one of my favorite additions to plain yogurt)
- Nuts and Seed: almonds, pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds (see this graphic for carb info.)
- Nut Butter (1 tablespoon almond butter has 1.3g net carbs)
- Unsweetened Coconut (1 tablespoon has <1g net carbs)
- Raspberries (1/2 cup has 3g net carbs)
- Strawberries (1/2 cup has 4g net carbs)
- Blackberries (1/2 cup has 3g net carbs)
- Blueberries (1/4 cup has 4g net carbs) *use in small amounts
- Lemon Juice (1 teaspoon has <1g net carbs)
Is Plant-Based Yogurt Keto?
Kite Hill makes a plant-based yogurt that is keto friendly.
*This brand gets a lower rating for not tasting great, having lots of unnecessary ingredients, and being made with reduced fat milk. It’s an okay choice, but not a healthy choice.
Kite Hill Almond Milk Yogurt (Poor Choice): 3/4 cup (170g) serving has 9g of carbs and 2 g of fiber (7 net carbs), 5g protein, and 12g fat.
*This yogurt is less than ideal because of it’s low protein content. It is okay for an occasional treat if you must be dairy free. However, opt for real yogurt if possible!
Keto Greek Yogurt Snack Ideas
Chocolate Strawberry Greek Yogurt
9g Net Carbs, 19g Protein, 12g Fat, 222kcal
- 1- Fage 5% Greek Yogurt (170g) (other low carb yogurt will change the nutrition facts)
- 1 square 85% dark chocolate, chopped
- 2 strawberries, chopped
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon monk fruit sweetener
Lemon Blueberry Keto Greek Yogurt
11g Net Carbs, 19g Protein, 16g Fat, 263kcal
- 1- Fage 5% Greek Yogurt (170g) (other yogurts will change the nutrition facts)
- 1/4 cup blueberries
- 5 pecan halves
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon monk fruit sweetener
Raspberry Almond Keto Yogurt
9g Net Carbs, 21g Protein, 19g Fat, 304kcal
- 1- Fage 5% Greek Yogurt (170g) (other yogurts will change the nutrition facts)
- 1 tablespoon almond butter (no sugar added)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup raspberries
- Optional: 3-4 chopped almonds for crunch
Coconut Macadamia Keto Yogurt
7g Net Carbs, 19g Protein, 25g Fat, 330kcal
- 1- Fage 5% Greek Yogurt (170g) (other yogurts will change the nutrition facts)
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened coconut
- 6 macadamia nuts, chopped
Try this recipe? Be sure to share your cooking with me on Pinterest, Facebook, or Instagram, and tag @BlissfullyLowCarb !
Keto Yogurt
Ingredients
- 170 g Greek yogurt full fat
Chocolate Strawberry
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon monk fruit sweetener
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 strawberries
- 1 tablespoon 85% dark chocolate or sugar free chocolate chips
Blueberry Lemon
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon monk fruit sweetener
- 1/4 cup blueberries
- 5 pecans halves
Macadamia Coconut
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened coconut
- 6 macadamia nuts chopped
Raspberry Almond
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup raspberries
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
- almonds to garnish, chopped, optional
Instructions
Chocolate Strawberry
- Into the yogurt, add the cocoa powder, vanilla, and sweetener, and stir until smooth and creamy. Top with strawberries and dark chocolate.
Blueberry Lemon
- Add lemon juice and monk fruit sweetener to yogurt, and stir well to combine. Top with blueberries and pecans. Grating lemon zest over the top adds more lemon flavor!
Macadamia Coconut
- Stir coconut and macadamia nuts into yogurt. If desired, sweeten with monk fruit sweetener or vanilla extract.
Raspberry Almond
- Stir vanilla into yogurt, then top with raspberries and almond butter. Add chopped almonds if desired for added texture!
Video
Notes
- Monk Fruit Sweetener (stevia is also a good choice if you like it), (1 teaspoon, 0 carbs)
- Vanilla Extract (this actually adds a sweet flavor and is one of my favorite additions to plain yogurt)
- Nuts and Seed: almonds, pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds (see this graphic for carb info.)
- Nut Butter (1 tablespoon almond butter has 1.3g net carbs)
- Unsweetened Coconut (1 tablespoon has <1g net carbs)
- Raspberries (1/2 cup has 3g net carbs)
- Strawberries (1/2 cup has 4g net carbs)
- Blackberries (1/2 cup has 3g net carbs)
- Blueberries (1/4 cup has 4g net carbs) *use in small amounts
- Lemon Juice (1 teaspoon has <1g net carbs)
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