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Greek yogurt

Also known as Strained yogurt, Labneh (strained further), Greek-style yogurt

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Yogurt strained to remove much of its whey, roughly doubling the protein per spoonful and leaving a thicker set. Products labelled Greek-style may be thickened with added protein or starch instead of strained.

Muscle & Physical PerformanceWeight ManagementBone HealthGut & Digestive Health

Potential health benefits

Best supported: Strong

Ordered by how well the human research supports them — strongest first. A rating describes the state of the evidence, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Muscle protein synthesis

Muscle & Physical Performance
Strong evidence

Research suggests dairy protein alongside resistance training increases muscle mass and strength beyond training alone. Multiple pooled analyses of protein supplementation trials point the same way, and strained yogurt is a concentrated whole-food source of the same whey and casein proteins.

What may be going on: A complete amino acid profile with high leucine, delivered as a mix of rapidly and slowly digested fractions.

Strong evidence. Consistent findings across multiple good-quality human studies.

2 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Satiety and appetite

Weight Management
Moderate evidence

Some trials report greater fullness and lower subsequent energy intake after high-protein yogurt snacks than after lower-protein or carbohydrate-based snacks of equal energy. The studies are short.

Moderate evidence. Several human studies point the same way, with real caveats.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Bone mineral density

Bone Health
Limited evidence

Observational data links higher yogurt intake with better bone density measures in older adults. This work cannot separate yogurt from the overall dietary and lifestyle pattern of the people eating it.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

1 source

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Gut microbiome

Gut & Digestive Health
Limited evidence

Some trials report shifts in gut bacterial composition with regular yogurt intake. Changes are generally modest, transient, and vary a great deal between people and between products.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

2 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Greek yogurt

Ask about Greek yogurt

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AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories61 kcal3%
Protein10.3 g21%
Total fat0.37 g0%
Carbohydrate3.64 g1%
Water85 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.108 g1%
Monounsaturated fat0.043 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.011 g—
Cholesterol5 mg2%
ALA (omega-3)0.0010 g—
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A1 µg0%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E0.01 mg0%
Vitamin K0 µg0%
Thiamin (B1)0.022 mg2%
Riboflavin (B2)0.281 mg22%
Niacin (B3)0.211 mg1%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.332 mg7%
Vitamin B60.064 mg4%
Vitamin B120.7 µg29%
Choline15.1 mg3%
Minerals
Calcium111 mg9%
Iron0.07 mg0%
Magnesium10.7 mg3%
Phosphorus136 mg11%
Potassium141 mg3%
Sodium36 mg2%
Zinc0.53 mg5%
Copper0.017 mg2%
Manganese0.0090 mg0%
Selenium9.9 µg18%
Other measured compounds
Ash0.72 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Yogurt, Greek, plain, nonfat (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 330137).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • fermentedReduces lactose

    Starter bacteria consume part of the lactose during fermentation and straining removes more with the whey, which is why strained yogurt is usually better tolerated than milk.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Allergy

    Cow milk protein allergy

    Fermentation does not remove milk proteins, so yogurt is unsafe in cow milk protein allergy.

  • Worth knowing

    Lactose is reduced, not absent

    Straining and fermentation lower lactose relative to milk, and many people with lactose intolerance tolerate yogurt better. It is still not lactose-free.

  • Too much

    Added sugar in flavoured versions

    Fruit and flavoured Greek yogurts often carry as much sugar per pot as a dessert. The USDA entry named here is plain yogurt only.

  • Worth knowing

    Heat treatment kills the cultures

    Some shelf-stable yogurts are pasteurised after fermentation, which removes the live cultures. Labels usually state whether live and active cultures are present.