Nonfat Greek yogurt

What it is and how to eat it

Greek yogurt is strained yogurt, with part of the whey removed, so it is thick and higher in protein; the nonfat version, called desnatado in Spain and descremado in Latin America, is made from fat-free milk. In Spain, the yogurt quality standard (Real Decreto 271/2014) does not define "Greek", but it does require a nonfat yogurt to contain at most 0.5% fat and its cultures to remain alive, at least 10⁷ colony-forming units per gram, unless it is sold as "pasteurized after fermentation". This page covers USDA's plain nonfat Greek yogurt, with 59 kcal, 10.2 g of protein and 0.39 g of fat per 100 g; many supermarket "Greek" yogurts are whole-milk or made with cream, so check the label.

A 125 g (4.4 oz) yogurt provides 12.8 g of protein for only 74 kcal, so it is one of the simplest ways to start a meal or snack with protein, as the 2025 nutrition advisory on GLP-1 therapy suggests. It is cold, soft and almost fat-free, so it usually sits well after a dose increase and fits the same advisory's suggestion to avoid very fatty foods in the first few days of treatment; when eating is hard it can be taken in small spoonfuls. It works as a base for the overnight oats with Greek yogurt and raspberries, or as a sauce in the mild chicken curry with yogurt and spinach and the chicken salad with apple, celery, and yogurt.

What the evidence says

About 69% of its energy comes from protein, well above the EU's 20% threshold for a "high protein" claim, so it can carry the authorized claim "protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass", which matters during weight loss (Regulations (EC) No 1924/2006 and (EU) No 432/2012). The only authorized claim about its cultures is that "live cultures in yoghurt or fermented milk improve lactose digestion of the product in individuals who have difficulty digesting lactose", and only if it contains at least 10⁸ colony-forming units of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus per gram, more than the 10⁷ the Spanish standard requires (Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, based on a 2010 EFSA opinion). A 125 g yogurt contains about 3.2 g of lactose according to USDA, far below the 12 g that, according to EFSA, the vast majority of people who digest lactose poorly tolerate at once. It also provides 138 mg of calcium, but at 110 mg per 100 g it falls short of the 120 mg needed for a "source of calcium" claim (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011).

The sources for this section are listed under "Sources" at the end of the page.