Best Snacks - Healthy Low Calorie Snack Foods - Nonfat Yogurt

Nonfat yogurt is a quick, easy and nutritious snack that is available year-round. Yogurt is a dairy product produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. Fermentation of the milk sugar (lactose) produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to give yogurt its texture and its characteristic tang.

We all know yogurt can be healthy. Like all dairy products, it is a good source of protein and calcium, and choosing nonfat, or at least low-fat yogurt provides all the benefits without the artery-clogging animal fat (it does come from a cow). Just 1 cup has about 1/3 of the daily calcium requirement and roughly 10 grams of protein (15-20 percent of daily requirements). And many people who are lactose intolerant can eat some yogurt because much of the milk sugar is gone in yogurt and converted to lactic acid.

Benefits of Yogurt:

Yogurt has nutritional benefits beyond those of milk: people who are lactose-intolerant can enjoy yogurt without ill effects, because the lactose in the milk precursor is converted to lactic acid by the bacterial culture. The absence of lactose bypasses the affected individuals need to process the milk sugar themselves.

Yogurt also has medical uses, in particular for a variety of gastrointestinal conditions, and in preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhea. One study suggests that eating yogurt containing L. acidophilus helps prevent vulvovaginal candidiasis, though the evidence is not conclusive.

Your body needs to have a healthy amount of ''good'' bacteria in the digestive tract, and many yogurts are made using active, good bacteria. One of the words you’ll be hearing more of in relation to yogurt is ''probiotics.'' Probiotic, which literally means ''for life,'' refers to living organisms that can result in a health benefit when eaten in adequate amounts.

Yogurt is a very good source of iodine, calcium, phosphorous, and vitamin B2. It is also a good source of protein, vitamin B12, potassium, molybdenum, zinc and pantothenic acid.

What Type of Yogurt Is Best?

• Contains Active Cultures: Yogurt labeled with this phrase contains the live and active bacteria thought to provide yogurt with its many desirable healthful properties. Look for the National Yogurt Association's (NYA) Live & Active Cultures seal to ensure that the yogurt you buy contains a significant amount of live and active cultures.
  
  
• Avoid Extra Calories: Fruit at the bottom and especially granola mixed in with the yogurt (parfait) should be avoided due to high amount of sugar, fat and calories.
  
  
• Organic Plain Yogurt: The healthiest choice it to buy plain organic yogurt and add real fresh fruit to it. Cut up some berries, peaches or pineapple and add it to a bowl of chilled yogurt.

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