Best UK supermarket Greek yoghurts: additives, protein and UPF compared

There is no single Greek yoghurt that is best for everyone. A good choice depends on what matters to you: simple ingredients, protein, fat, added sugar, allergens or whether the product is ultra-processed.

Below, we compare a few popular Greek and Greek-style yoghurts sold in UK supermarkets. The examples show how products with similar names can have very different ingredients and nutritional profiles.

Quick answer: what should you look for?

For the simplest option, start with an unflavoured yoghurt whose ingredients are mainly milk and live yoghurt cultures. Then compare the nutrition information per 100g so pack sizes do not distort the result.

• Ingredients: a short list makes the product easier to understand.
• Protein: strained Greek yoghurt is generally higher in protein than standard yoghurt.
• Sugars: plain dairy yoghurt naturally contains lactose, which appears as sugar on the nutrition panel. Check the ingredients list for added sugar, syrups or sweeteners.
• Fat: choose the level that suits your diet rather than assuming that zero-fat is automatically best.
• Processing: flavourings, sweeteners, modified starches and some thickeners can indicate that a product is ultra-processed.

The British Heart Foundation also recommends checking for no added sugar and looking at what the yoghurt is made from.

Greek yoghurt vs Greek-style yoghurt

Traditional Greek yoghurt is strained, which removes some liquid and makes it thicker and typically higher in protein. A product labelled Greek-style may achieve a similar texture in a different way.

The name alone does not tell you whether a yoghurt is a good fit for your needs. Some Greek-style products are made from simple ingredients, while others contain cream, added sugar, flavourings, sweeteners, starches or gums. The ingredients list and nutrition values are therefore more useful than the wording on the front of the pot.

Simple, high-protein Greek yoghurt examples

These unflavoured examples have short ingredient lists, contain no additives that The Food App identifies as UPF markers, and provide around 10g or more protein per 100g.

Brooklea Protein Greek Style Yogurt Natural contains 11.1g protein per 100g in the product data we reviewed. It is unflavoured and has no listed additives, making it one of the highest-protein simple examples in our database.

Yeo Valley Organic 0% Greek Recipe Yogurt is a fat-free strained natural yoghurt with a simple ingredient description and no listed additives. It provides 10g protein and 3.5g sugars per 100g in the product data we reviewed, with the sugars naturally occurring in milk rather than added sugar.

FAGE Total 0% Natural Greek Recipe Strained Yogurt contains skimmed milk and live yoghurt cultures. It provides 10.3g protein and 3g sugars per 100g in the product data we reviewed.

Greek yoghurts with ultra-processed ingredients

High protein, low fat or a Nutri-Score of A does not necessarily mean that a product is not ultra-processed. The examples below show several different ingredients that change the NOVA classification.

This does not mean that every product below is nutritionally poor or unsafe. Ultra-processing and nutritional quality are related but different questions, and dietary needs may matter more than the classification in some situations.

Tesco Finest 0% Fat Greek Yogurt has a Nutri-Score of A and provides 9.8g protein per 100g. However, its ingredients include added milk proteins. NOVA treats isolated protein ingredients differently from the whole milk from which they came, so The Food App classifies this product as ultra-processed.

M&S Authentic Full Fat Greek Yogurt with Vanilla starts with strained Greek yoghurt, but also contains water, sugar, cornflour and natural vanilla flavouring. The added flavouring is the UPF marker in this example.

Light & Free Strawberry Greek Style Fat Free Yoghurt is fat-free and has a Nutri-Score of A, but it uses modified starch, stabilisers, flavourings and the sweeteners acesulfame K and sucralose. This is a useful example of why front-of-pack claims do not answer the processing question.

Alpro Greek Style Plain Dairy Free Yoghurt Alternative provides a useful option for people avoiding dairy and is fortified with calcium and vitamins. It also contains pectin, acidity regulators and natural flavouring, which makes it ultra-processed under The Food App's NOVA-based method. For someone who needs a dairy-free product, that practical benefit may be more important than the processing classification alone.

So, which Greek yoghurt is best?

If your priorities are a short ingredient list and high protein, an unflavoured strained yoghurt made mainly from milk and cultures is the simplest place to start. Brooklea Protein Natural, Yeo Valley Organic 0% and FAGE Total 0% are three examples from our database, rather than an exhaustive ranking.

If you prefer full-fat yoghurt, need a dairy-free alternative or want a flavoured product, your best choice may be different. Compare the ingredients, protein, sugars, saturated fat and allergens that matter to you rather than relying on one label or score.

Recipes and availability can change. The figures above are per 100g and reflect the product information in The Food App when this article was updated. Always check the current packaging if a specific ingredient or allergen is important to you.

Is 0% Greek yoghurt healthier?

Not automatically. A 0% yoghurt contains less fat and fewer calories, but that does not make every zero-fat product the best option for every person. Compare ingredients, protein, sugars and the rest of your diet. Flavoured zero-fat products may contain sweeteners or other ingredients that plain yoghurt does not.

Which Greek yoghurt has the most protein?

Strained Greek yoghurts tend to contain more protein than Greek-style products, but the amount varies by brand and recipe. Compare the protein value per 100g rather than per serving. Among the examples reviewed here, Brooklea Protein Greek Style Yogurt Natural had the highest declared protein at 11.1g per 100g.

Does plain Greek yoghurt contain sugar?

Yes. Milk naturally contains lactose, and this is shown as sugar in the nutrition information. Plain yoghurt can therefore list sugars even when no sugar has been added. The ingredients list will help you distinguish naturally occurring milk sugar from added sugar, syrups or sweeteners.

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