Best high protein yoghurt in the UK reviewed
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of the best and most popular high protein yoghurt in the UK - including Tesco high protein yoghurt, Lidl Milbona high protein yoghurt and Lidl Milbona skyr yoghurt. We’ll also look at Biotiful protein kefir which is similar to a high protein yoghurt.
We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition and flavour of these yoghurts and see where each stands out.
You might also be interested in reading our popular article on the best probiotics in the UK if you want to add more healthy microbes to your diet.
The downsides of high protein yoghurt
High protein yoghurt are often, but not always, also very low in fat. This means that the yoghurt can often lack a creamy taste and be pretty unsatisfying. Also somewhat common among high-protein, low-fat yoghurt is an unpleasant chalky aftertaste.
So sometimes high protein yoghurts have great macros, but a disappointing taste which means that their use is limited. For example, I wouldn’t recommend having some of the yoghurts listed here on their own as the taste is just not satisfying. But these still work in a smoothie and potentially on cereal.
How much protein should you eat each day?
You’ll read varying opinion online about exactly how much protein is optimal and it varies based on certain circumstances.
As a simple guide:
a normal adult will want to consume about 0.8g of protein per day per kilogram of weight - so a 60kg person should consume around 48g of protein per day
from age 40 you will want to consume around 1.0-1.2g of protein per day per kilogram - so a 60kg person should consume around 60-72g of protein per day. This is because as we age we begin to lose muscle mass and this increase in protein can help offset that
an adult who exercises regularly or is trying to increase muscle mass should aim for around 1.5g of protein per day per kilogram - so a 60kg person should consume around 90g of protein per day. It’s worth nothing that some advice goes even further recommending 2g of protein per day per kilogram for those trying to gain muscle mass. However, it would generally not be recommended going past 2g.
Tesco high protein yoghurt
Tesco high protein yoghurt is a great choice if want to focus on getting good macros - very high protein, very low fat - while still getting a decent taste.
This yoghurt is very natural containing only milk (likely skim milk) and live cultures.
Unfortunately it doesn’t give any information on the live cultures it contains or the amount of them.
It has excellent protein levels (11.3%), very low fat (0.4%), moderate sugar levels (3.9%) and moderate levels of calcium (120mg per 100g).
Flavour
The texture is very thick but given the near absence of fat, it doesn’t have a very creamy texture.
The aroma is weak with just a slight milkiness present.
The taste is very clean and again just milky with nothing else really coming through. It has a moderate acidity.
Overall, the taste is very good for a high protein yoghurt (which often don’t taste great).
Cost and availability
You can buy a 500g tub from Tesco for £1.85.
Summary
Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5.
Verdict: Tesco high protein yoghurt does better than most high protein yoghurts in combining very high protein levels, very low fat levels and an enjoyable taste.
Pros
simple, natural ingredients
thick texture
very high protein levels
very low fat levels
great tasting for this type of yoghurt
Cons
lacks the creaminess of other yoghurts with higher fat
no information on the strains of live cultures included
no information on the actual amount of live cultures it contains (ie colony forming units)
Read our full review of Tesco high protein yoghurt.
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Healthpath gut health test is the UK’s most comprehensive gut health test. It tests over 100 biomarkers, checks your digestion and immune response, analyses leaky gut and provides a clear and understandable report on your microbiome
YourBiology SuperGreens+ is a superfood and greens supplement which makes it very easy to get a huge amount of nutrition - vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fibre, polyphenols and more - in one glass. Great for supporting gut health, skin health, energy, mental clarity and immunity.
Read more about the best gut health products in the UK.
Lidl Milbona high protein yoghurt
Lidl Milbona high protein yoghurt comes at a great price and actually tastes pretty good too.
It only includes milk and live cultures.
Unfortunately it doesn’t give any information on the live cultures it contains or the amount of them.
It has very low levels of fat (0.2%), very good protein levels (11%) and moderate sugar levels (4.1%). Unfortunately no information is given regarding its calcium levels.
Flavour
It has a very thick texture in the mouth, but given the very low fat levels it isn’t very creamy.
The aroma is quite neutral, with just a small note of savoury cheese.
The taste matches the aroma - clean, simple with some savoury cheese towards the end. And the acidity is moderate.
Overall, the taste is very good for a high protein yoghurt and doesn’t have the chalkiness which plagues a lot of high protein yoghurt. For something 0.2% fat, you can’t really hope for much better than this.
Cost and availability
You can buy a 500g tub from Lidl for £1.59.
Summary
Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5.
Verdict: Lidl Milbona high protein yoghurt is indeed very high in protein and very low in fat. It also comes at a great price and tastes very good for this type of yoghurt.
Pros
simple, natural ingredients
thick texture
very high protein levels
very low fat levels
great tasting for this type of yoghurt
good value
Cons
lacks the creaminess of other yoghurts with higher fat
no information on the strains of live cultures included
no information on the actual amount of live cultures it contains (ie colony forming units)
no information on the calcium content
Read our full review of Lidl Milbona high protein yoghurt.
Biotiful protein kefir
Biotiful protein kefir is best not thought of as a traditional kefir, rather it is probably best viewed as a high protein yoghurt or quark (a type of soft cheese). More on this in our full review.
This kefir has simple ingredients with only cow’s milk and live kefir and quark cultures.
Unfortunately they don’t state which specific strains of live cultures are included so we don’t know how many can be considered probiotic. Also, the cultures typically used to make quark (Lactococcus and Leuconostoc) are not usually classed as probiotic.
Unfortunately it gives no information on the actual amount of live cultures present (ie colony forming units).
It has very high levels of protein (12%), very low levels of fat (0.4%), moderate levels of sugar (3.5%) and good levels of calcium with 139mg per 100g.
Flavour
The texture is very thick and sticky. Given the extremely low fat, it isn’t very creamy.
The aroma is fairly subtle but not ideal - it is mainly of mild cheese with (and sorry for this) a touch of vomit characteristics.
The taste is somewhere between a very bland yoghurt and a very mild soft cheese. Unfortunately the unpleasant aspect to the aroma does come through a little on the aftertaste. The aftertaste also carries a surprisingly acidic tang (which seems out of balance) and some chalkiness.
Overall, the taste is quite poor and flawed in multiple ways. It certainly doesn’t taste anything like a traditional kefir.
Cost and availability
You can buy a 250g tub from Sainsburys for £2.
Summary
Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5.
Verdict: Biotiful protein kefir is not what you would expect from a kefir. It is more like a thick yoghurt with good health measures but a poor taste.
Pros
simple, natural ingredients
very low in fat
very high in protein
good calcium levels
Cons
is nothing like a kefir in terms of texture or taste
flavour is poor
needs more information on the strains of live cultures present
needs more information on the actual number of bacteria present (ie colony forming unit count)
Read our full review of Biotiful protein kefir.
Lidl Milbona skyr yoghurt
Lidl Milbona skyr yoghurt has great protein and fat levels but can’t compete with the taste of Lidl high protein yoghurt - so I wouldn’t recommend this one.
It only includes milk and live cultures.
Unfortunately it doesn’t give any information on the live cultures it contains or the amount of them.
It has very low levels of fat (0.2%), very high protein levels (11%) and moderate sugar levels (4%). Unfortunately no information is given regarding its calcium levels.
Flavour
The texture is very thick, but not very creamy given the extremely low fat content.
The aroma is mild and like savoury cheese.
The taste is not great. It is dominated by a dry chalkiness and a high acidity which seems out place. The aftertaste is quite chalky and the sides of your tongue tingle from the acidity.
Overall, the taste is suboptimal.
Cost and availability
You can buy a 450g tub from Lidl for £1.49.
Summary
Rating: 2 stars out of 5.
Verdict: Lidl Milbona skyr yoghurt has great protein and fat levels, but a taste which will likely prevent repeat purchases.
Pros
simple, natural ingredients
thick texture
very high protein levels
very low fat levels
Cons
poor taste
lacks the creaminess of other yoghurts with higher fat
no information on the strains of live cultures included
no information on the actual amount of live cultures it contains (ie colony forming units)
no information on its calcium content
Read our full review of Lidl Milbona skyr yoghurt.
Our favourite gut health products in the UK
YourBiology Gut+ probiotic not only offers 10 strains of probiotics, but also includes two types of prebiotics, three digestive enzymes and vitamin D for gut health support. All this means it offers a lot more benefits for gut health and general health than most probiotic supplements do
Healthpath gut health test is the UK’s most comprehensive gut health test. It tests over 100 biomarkers, checks your digestion and immune response, analyses leaky gut and provides a clear and understandable report on your microbiome
YourBiology SuperGreens+ is a superfood and greens supplement which makes it very easy to get a huge amount of nutrition - vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fibre, polyphenols and more - in one glass. Great for supporting gut health, skin health, energy, mental clarity and immunity.
Read more about the best gut health products in the UK.
Health benefits of dairy yoghurt
Live cultures
These are the live microbes you are ingesting when you eat yoghurt. And some are considered probiotic which means they bring health benefits.
Probiotics offer many health benefits including:
better digestive health
better immune function
reduced inflammation
reduced allergies
better nutrient absorption
Postbiotics
In simple terms, postbiotics are essentially beneficial things probiotics produce. These include short-chain fatty acids which nourish our gut lining and may help reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
Prebiotics
Not traditionally in yoghurt but some brands add prebiotics for extra health benefits.
Prebiotics are essentially fibres which feed the good bacteria in your gut and help them multiply.
Vitamins and minerals
Yoghurt is a source of various vitamins and minerals including::
calcium - which helps digestion and supports bone and teeth health
magnesium - which supports bone health, muscle function and energy production
phosphorus - which is important for bone and teeth health and energy metabolism
potassium - which supports heart, muscle, nerve and kidney health
vitamins B2 and B12 - which support immunity, energy production and cell and nerve function
vitamin A - supports vision, immune function, cell growth and healthy skin
Satiety and weight management
The high protein and low carbohydrate content in yogurt, especially Greek-style yogurt, helps you feel fuller for longer which can help control your appetite. Greek yoghurt is often recommended by dietitians for this reason.
Reduced lactose
Compared to unfermented dairy products such as milk, yoghurt has lower levels of lactose as this is partially consumed during the fermentation process by the bacteria. This makes it more digestible for people who have some degree of lactose intolerance.
Factors we consider in our ratings
The factors we consider when doing a review (and the weightings of each of these) may vary depending on the product we are testing, but here are the key general factors we consider when we settle on a rating for a product.
Health benefits
We find out how the product will be good for your health and outline the benefits for you in simple language. This often involves doing research so you don’t have to. We often link to scientific studies or articles summarising scientific findings so you can dig deeper if you want to.
Things detrimental to health
We want to highlight where a product might include something bad for your health - even if it might be good for you in another way. This could include such things as pointing out certain additives it contains or high sugar levels.
How it’s made
This will vary depending on the product, but we want to see a quality process for making it and quality ingredients. For example, we want to see a kombucha traditionally fermented with lots of different microbial strains and we want to see a yoghurt made with fresh milk and not milk powders.
Price
While we expect quality products to be more expensive, they still have to be priced within reason. On the other side of things, a product which is priced very competitively will get a ratings boost based on the value it provides.
Flavour
For some products flavour won’t be a factor (eg probiotic tablets), but for others, like yoghurt or kimchi, flavour is a key aspect because these products are made to be enjoyed as well as being healthy! We will try to be as subjective as possible and describe the flavour in detail so you can get an idea of whether you would like it or not.
Our favourite gut health products in the UK
YourBiology Gut+ probiotic not only offers 10 strains of probiotics, but also includes two types of prebiotics, three digestive enzymes and vitamin D for gut health support. All this means it offers a lot more benefits for gut health and general health than most probiotic supplements do
Healthpath gut health test is the UK’s most comprehensive gut health test. It tests over 100 biomarkers, checks your digestion and immune response, analyses leaky gut and provides a clear and understandable report on your microbiome
YourBiology SuperGreens+ is a superfood and greens supplement which makes it very easy to get a huge amount of nutrition - vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fibre, polyphenols and more - in one glass. Great for supporting gut health, skin health, energy, mental clarity and immunity.
Read more about the best gut health products in the UK.
Your reviewer
This article was written by Travis, the founder of this website, long-time gut-health enthusiast, science nerd and passionate kombucha maker of over 10 years!
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