10 Of The Unhealthiest Store-Bought Greek Yogurts

On the surface, Greek yogurt seems like a healthy choice. After all, Greek yogurt typically contains twice the amount of protein compared to regular yogurt and it is chock-full of probiotics. Because Greek yogurt is strained to extract its whey, it tends to have a more concentrated consistency that's filling and satisfying. Even though Greek yogurt has a lot of good things going for it, it's good to be mindful of the ingredients and nutritional content of the flavors that you're eating. Because the truth is that many flavors on the market are basically just sugar bombs disguised as breakfast. The American Heart Association recommends no more than between six and nine teaspoons of sugar a day, but most Americans consume around 17 teaspoons of sugar every day. That means most of us are eating about double the amount of sugar that we should. Diets high in sugar can lead to an increased risk of weight gain, heart disease, inflammation, diabetes, and a host of other serious health problems.

Shoppers tend to automatically equate store-bought items that contain fruit as healthy, but taking a closer look often reveals a lot of sugar and syrup involved. Yogurt flavors reminiscent of cookies, cakes, and other treats may be enticing, but their dietary merits often leave much to be desired. The harsh reality is that there are a lot of unhealthy yogurts lining the shelves, and it's good to be aware of some flavors that it might be best to keep your distance from.

Salted caramel provides a tasty contrast that's practically irresistible. The gooey sweetness of caramel is balanced with a touch of salt, creating a harmony of rich flavors. This particular combination is often seen paired with chocolates and other treats like cookies, cakes, and brownies. As a company known for its decadent yogurts, Chobani brings another tantalizing flavor to the table with its Salted Caramel Crunch.

Chobani's Salted Caramel Crunch is made with caramel-flavored Greek yogurt, pretzels, milk chocolate, and toffee pieces. If you enjoy dessert-inspired yogurt, there's no doubt that this flavor is appealing. That said, as you can imagine, this stuff is quite sweet. Made with ingredients that include cane sugar, cocoa butter, and caramelized syrup, this yogurt has 14 grams of sugar per serving, which is nearly 30% of the daily value for sugar. With sugar content that high, this yogurt should probably be viewed more as an occasional treat rather than breakfast or snacks on a regular basis.

The Greek Gods Yogurt specializes in a variety of yogurt products, including Cookies and Cream, Strawberry, and Peach. The company also pairs honey with different flavors such as peach, strawberry, lemon, and vanilla. Greek Gods' Honey Vanilla flavor may seem a little more innocuous compared to some other extravagant options on the shelf, but looking at the nutrition label tells another story.

Astoundingly, a single serving of this yogurt accounts for a whopping 25% of the daily value for saturated fat, along with 23 grams of sugar that provide 30% of the day's sugar intake. That's akin to eating a blueberry muffin from Starbucks. As a matter of fact, while the muffin might have a little more sugar, it actually has even less saturated fat compared to this yogurt. Even though we often let desire be the sole guide of our diet, the truth is that we'd all probably be a little healthier if we took a closer look at the sugar content and amount of saturated fat in store-bought yogurts like this.

It doesn't get much more deliciously seductive than caramel and chocolate. So it should come as no surprise that yogurt brands are capitalizing on this combination's mass appeal. Such is the case with Yasso's Frozen Sea Salt Caramel Chocolate bar. This product features a hard chocolate shell along with caramel-flavored Greek yogurt.

While it's true that, healthwise, this might be somewhat of an improvement over taking down some ice cream, the fact remains that this is still quite sweet even though it's made with Greek yogurt. Between all the sugar and caramel, just one of these bars is 22% of the recommended daily dose of sugar, at 15 grams a piece. The saving grace is that this product adds little bits of quinoa to provide some crunch, which is a healthy way of delivering some texture. But at the end of the day, this is more of a treat to satisfy your sweet tooth than anything else.

Fage makes another appearance here with its honey-flavored yogurt. Because honey is brimming with nutrients and antioxidants, we often assume that products with honey are healthy. While it's true that honey has a wide range of health benefits, it's also worth noting the type of honey being used. There are different kinds of honey with varying degrees of processing and filtration. Pure honey doesn't contain any added ingredients, but that's often not the case with regular honey, which may be infused with added sugars.

The good news is that this yogurt only contains a few basic ingredients. At the same time, it's worth mentioning that it contains 28 grams of sugar. To put this into context, that's the equivalent of drinking an 8.5-ounce can of Coca-Cola. A healthier idea would be to get some plain Greek yogurt and then add your own raw honey to it. That way, you can precisely control how sweet it is along with the quality of the honey that you're consuming.

Most of us tend to associate coconuts with health benefits, which is understandable. After all, coconuts are nutritious and contain antioxidants and minerals such as selenium, magnesium, and iron. But there's a big difference between consuming raw coconut and highly processed versions of it. This coconut blended yogurt from Publix contains "coconut flavor preparation", which is basically just coconut syrup made with sugar, dehydrated coconut, and thickening agents.

Despite being very tasty, this is another Greek yogurt that's high in sugar content. One serving of this coconut yogurt contains about 20 grams of sugar, which is about 30% of the recommended dose. If you'd like to enjoy the flavor of coconut with your yogurt, a better idea would be to get some shredded unsweetened coconut. That way, you can add it to some plain Greek yogurt and enjoy the taste of coconut without all of the extra added sugar. For a smoother consistency, just mix them together in a blender.

There's something wholesome and satisfying about the taste of vanilla. Pairing it with creamy Greek yogurt makes it even more delicious. Lucerne Dairy Farms makes a wide variety of products, including cottage cheese, sour cream, and Greek yogurt. The company's products can be found in many stores, including its vanilla flavor.

At first, vanilla-flavored yogurt may seem pretty healthy, especially when compared to some of the more indulgent flavors on the market. But this is one of those cases where the vanilla flavor is derived from sugar — and lots of it. According to the ingredients on the label, this yogurt contains a "Vanilla Flavored Base" that's mostly made from water and sugar. In fact, a single serving of this yogurt contains a whopping 22 grams of sugar. Surprisingly, that makes this vanilla yogurt even sweeter than other shamelessly dessert-inspired flavors, like Chobani's Peanut Butter Cup yogurt. If you're craving some vanilla, it's probably a better idea to keep some vanilla bean paste on hand to mix into some healthy smoothie recipes.

Great Value is Walmart's store brand that's produced with the help of other large companies and suppliers. Great Value makes a lot of value-based products for Walmart, including flavors of yogurt. Strawberries with yogurt is a classic combination, so it's a smart move by Great Value to make this flavor. The good news is that this yogurt contains actual strawberries, but the bad news is that it also contains a lot of sugar. To its credit, this yogurt relies on vegetable juice color instead of artificial food dye, which we appreciate.

The fructose and cane sugar in this yogurt adds nearly 20 grams of sugar to the recipe, making it excessively sweet. Once again, you'd be better off just having plain unsweetened Greek yogurt and adding some fresh strawberries to it. The natural sugar that's present in fresh strawberries is enough to provide some sweetness. If that's still not sweet enough for your taste, try adding a little drizzle of raw buckwheat honey. Buckwheat honey is sweet but also highly nutritious.

Wegmans sells an assortment of Greek yogurt flavors, including peach yogurt, black cherry yogurt, and blueberry yogurt. The company also sells some more unusual flavors like coffee and orange cream. Those who love the taste of cocoa will probably be tempted by the company's chocolate Greek yogurt, but taking a closer look at the amount of sugar in the recipe might have some reconsidering this purchase and opting for something healthier.

It may surprise you to know that one serving of this chocolate Greek yogurt is about the same sugar-wise as eating a serving of Jello's chocolate pudding. Even though this yogurt is made with a few simple ingredients, including milk, cream, sugar, and cocoa, the 18 grams of sugar seems a little overboard. Like the other yogurt flavors on this list, this yogurt should probably be considered more as a treat than as something that should be eaten on a regular basis for breakfast.

Granted, very few people probably assume that a frozen yogurt bar dipped in chocolate is actually healthy. Still, some might be under the impression that this isn't as bad as ice cream. While it's true that this yogurt contains considerably less saturated fat than some ice cream bars, the sugar content is actually pretty similar.

Clio's Greek yogurt bar is strawberry-flavored and dipped in chocolate to create a chocolate shell. The concept is to offer something similar to chocolate strawberry cheesecake on a stick. At 11 grams of sugar per bar, surprisingly, this product contains less sugar than some of the other items on this list, even though it's clearly being marketed as more of a dessert. Still, with about 20% of the daily recommended dose of sugar, that's a fairly significant amount. We'd say this is probably healthier than an actual slice of real cheesecake or an ice cream sundae smothered in hot fudge, but let's be realistic. This frozen yogurt bar is tasty but it's still quite sweet.

Zoi carries an eclectic mix of Greek yogurt flavors, including Strawberry Cream, Lemon Cream, and Raspberry Cream. The company also has a few flavors that prominently feature honey, including Honey Strawberry, Honey Vanilla, and plain honey. Despite its seemingly simple flavor profile, Zoi's honey Greek yogurt is higher in sugar than you might think.

According to the ingredients on the label, the honey flavor of the Greek yogurt comes from honey powder. The honey powder is made from a mix of cane sugar and honey. In other words, it's sweetened honey in the form of powder. But just how sweetened is this honey powder? One serving has about 22 grams of sugar, racking up 34% of your daily dose in just a few spoonfuls. Sugar strikes again, taking what could've been a fairly healthy yogurt and sweetening it to the point of near absurdity.

Don't get us wrong, here — we dig a little touch of sugar and we can appreciate some sweetness. But the problem is that many companies often overdo it and use way too much. The bottom line is that sugar is a cheap way to make recipes taste better, since the taste of sugar triggers pleasure-inducing chemicals in the brain. Companies will always find ways to tempt us with products that are delicious but also unhealthy. Ultimately, it's our responsibility as consumers to be mindful of what we're consuming.