Activia yoghurt review
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of Activia yoghurt. We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition and flavour of this popular and gut-focused yoghurt.
For this review we have tested the vanilla flavour.
This yoghurt is available widely in Australian supermarkets.
You might also be interested in reading our popular article on the best probiotics in Australia if you want to add more healthy microbes to your diet.
Ingredients of Activia yoghurt
There’s a lot to unpack here so let’s start by listing the full ingredients:
milk
water
milk solids
thickener (1442)
flavours
lemon pulp
live lactic acid cultures
enzyme (lactase)
sweetener (steviol glycosides)
vanilla bean (0.01%)
salt
natural colour (160a).
Now that is a long list of ingredients and that’s not usually a good thing! Other yoghurts on the market (like Tamar Valley and Farmers Union) only include milk products (eg milk, cream, milk solids) and cultures.
So it’s fair to say that Activia is not an authentic, traditional yoghurt given the extensive ingredients, especially its use of water, flavours, thickeners, sweeteners and colourings.
Given the amount of marketing Activia does to position itself as the best gut-friendly yoghurt in Australia, you might be questioning whether Activia is the real deal at this point - but there are some positives.
Our favourite gut health products in Australia
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
FixBIOME is a natural and very evidence-based supplement which is specifically designed to get your gut back into good shape. Perfect for those who need a gut reset
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 Australia.
Benefits of Activia yoghurt
This yoghurt has various health benefits, especially related to its probiotics.
Probiotics
Activia has four strains of probiotics (ie live beneficial microbes) - Bifidobacterium animalis subspecies lactis CNCM I-2494, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactococcus lactis and Lactobacillus bulgaricus. The last three of these are common in yoghurts, but the first one is unique to Activia and a key selling point.
As they state on their website, this strain is a “unique probiotic bacteria that has undergone clinical studies and is scientifically proven for its ability to survive in the digestive system”.
This is definitely a big plus because if the probiotics don’t make it to your gut alive, they aren’t particularly helpful.
In terms of the amount of bacteria, there are 3.5 billion colony forming units per 100g - which compares very well to other brands.
Read more about the benefits of probiotic foods.
Fibre
Activia also includes lemon pulp which provides fibre. The pectin in lemon pulp is a prebiotic fibre which means it feeds the good bacteria in your gut and helps them multiply to create a healthy microbiome.
Read more about the benefits of prebiotics.
Enzymes
Avtivia includes lactase which is the enzyme your body uses to break down lactose.
This is included presumably to ease digestion and make it more suitable for people with some degree of lactose intolerance.
Calcium
Active is very high in calcium - even beating Farmers Union which is another high-calcium yoghurt.
It has 165mg per 100g vs 162mg per 100g for Farmers Union.
Protein
Activia also has a good level of protein at 5.2%. This puts it above Farmers Union and Tamar Valley, but below protein-focused yoghurts like Chobani (8.6%).
Other health measures
Activia is quite low in fat at 3.9%. That is less than half that of Farmers Union and Tamar Valley - which are over 9%!
Activia is also on the low side for sodium (55mg per 100g) which is lower than Farmers Union and Tamar Valley. However, all of these brands have sodium levels which are considered low.
Appearance
This yoghurt appears very thick and maintains a very clumpy and ridged shape in the bowl. No doubt thanks to the added thickener!
Texture
The texture is thick as expected, but a bit different from the luxurious, creamy thickness of Tamar Valley which comes from the high fat content. In contrast, the thickness in Activia comes from the added thickener which is a modified starch.
Flavour
It has a normal soured milk aroma with vanilla notes.
In terms of taste, it is surprisingly low in sourness. The vanilla comes through nicely and there is a little citrus in the background.
Overall, the taste is fine and approachable but not very deep or complex. There is something about the texture which isn’t quite right if you’re used to natural yoghurts which don’t use thickeners.
Cost of Activia yoghurt
The normal retail price for a 500g pack (of 4x125g tubs) from Coles or Woolworths is $5.75. This makes it one of the most expensive yoghurt options in supermarkets on a per gram basis.
Summary
4.25 stars out of 5.
A gut-focused yoghurt with great probiotics and an approachable taste. It does include a lot of (not necessarily nasty) additives so it isn’t a traditional-style yoghurt.
Pros
scientifically proven probiotics
high in calcium
source of fibre
low in fat
Cons
a lot of additives including thickeners, flavourings, sweeteners and colourings
expensive
the texture isn’t luxuriously creamy like other brands (with higher fat levels)
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 Australia
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
FixBIOME is a natural and very evidence-based supplement which is specifically designed to get your gut back into good shape. Perfect for those who need a gut reset
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 Australia.
Your reviewer
This hands-on review was written by Travis, the founder of this website, long-time gut-health enthusiast, science nerd and passionate kombucha maker of over 10 years!
Related articles
