Greek yogurt is an excellent addition to your daily meal plan if you’re trying to lose weight. This nutritious dairy food is not only packed with essential nutrients, but eating it can help you control your overall calorie intake for effective weight loss. However, simply adding Greek yogurt to your diet isn’t a guarantee you’ll lose weight. Avoid high-calorie, fruit-flavored Greek yogurt varieties with lots of added sugar.
Calorie Content
When trying to lose weight, choosing plain Greek yogurt over fruit-flavored yogurt helps keep your overall calorie intake low. For example, a 6-ounce container of plain, Greek yogurt contains just 100 calories, while 6 ounces of pineapple-flavored Greek yogurt has about 158 calories. To effectively lose weight at a safe pace of 1 to 2 pounds weekly, you must burn about 500 to 1,000 calories more than you eat daily.
Protein Perks
Greek yogurt, especially plain Greek yogurt, is rich in dietary protein -- which is beneficial when you’re trying to lose weight. A 6-ounce container of plain Greek yogurt provides about 17 grams of dietary protein, compared with 9 grams of protein in 6 ounces of regular plain, low-fat yogurt. Protein increases satiety and helps your body burn extra calories, according to a 2009 study published in “The Journal of Nutrition.”
Fat Loss Considerations
Eating Greek yogurt during periods of calorie restriction not only enhances weight loss, but it can also help you burn unwanted body fat. According to a 2011 study published in “The Journal of Nutrition,” higher protein and dairy intakes lead to greater fat losses and muscle gains. A 2012 review published in the “International Journal of Obesity” found that high-dairy, energy-restricted diets reduce body weight, body fat and waist circumference more than general weight-loss diets.
Recommended Portions
The amount of Greek yogurt you should eat daily to lose weight depends on your weight-loss calorie needs. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute suggests many adults aim for 1,200 to 1,600 calories daily for effective weight loss -- men often require more calories than women. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 recommend getting 2.5 cups of dairy foods daily when eating 1,200 to 1,400 calories per day, and consuming 3 cups from the dairy group when eating 1,600 calories, or more, daily.
Source
References
- U.S. Department of Agriculture National Nutrient Database: Basic Report: 01256, Yogurt, Greek, Plain, Nonfat
- U.S. Department of Agriculture National Nutrient Database: Basic Report: 01117, Yogurt, Plain, Low Fat, 12 Grams Protein per 8 Ounce
- The Journal of Nutrition: Single-Protein Casein and Gelatin Diets Affect Energy Expenditure Similarly but Substrate Balance and Appetite Differently in Adults
- The Journal of Nutrition: Increased Consumption of Dairy Foods and Protein during Diet- and Exercise-Induced Weight Loss Promotes Fat Mass Loss and Lean Mass Gain in Overweight and Obese Premenopausal Women
- International Journal of Obesity: Effect of Dairy Consumption on Weight and Body Composition in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: How are Overweight and Obesity Treated?
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010
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