Aldi Brooklea Authentic Greek yoghurt review
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of Aldi Brooklea Authentic Greek yoghurt. We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition, use and flavour of this strained yoghurt. And we’ll also compare a few factors against a similar yoghurt from Lidl.
This yoghurt is available in Aldi supermarkets in the UK.
You might also be interested in reading our article on the best probiotics in the UK if you want to add more healthy microbes to your diet.
Ingredients of Aldi Brooklea Authentic Greek yoghurt
This is a fairly traditional Greek yoghurt which only includes milk, cream and live cultures. I say ‘fairly traditional’ because strictly speaking a traditional Greek yoghurt would use whole milk only and not cream. This addition of cream increases the fat content and richness, and gives it a thicker texture more quickly.
Otherwise, it is made in Greece and strained as traditional Greek yoghurt is. This straining removes some of the liquid whey which produces a yoghurt that is thicker and creamier, higher in protein and has a more concentrated flavour.
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Read more about the best gut health products in the UK.
Benefits of Aldi Brooklea Authentic Greek yoghurt
This product comes with the usual health benefits of yoghurt and some of the drawbacks of traditional Greek yoghurt (read: high fat content). We’ll also compare a few factors against Milbona Authentic Greek yoghurt - which is Lidl’s version of this style of yoghurt.
Live cultures
Probiotics are live, beneficial microorganisms that have been proven to support health. They are a specific type of live culture.
Aldi Brooklea includes two types of live cultures, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. However these are starter cultures which ferment milk into yoghurt and are not generally regarded as probiotic.
In contrast, Lidl gives no information on the live cultures included.
In terms of the amount of actual live cultures present (ie colony forming units), no information is provided by either brand.
Read more about the benefits of probiotic foods.
Postbiotics
Postbiotics are essentially beneficial things cultures can produce during fermentation. These include healthy short-chain fatty acids which nourish our gut lining and may help reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
Nutrients
This Aldi yoghurt compares slightly favourably against Lidl Milbona Authentic Greek yoghurt.
Fat: This yoghurt is high in fat with 10% fat - which is the same as Lidl’s.
Protein: It has good levels of protein at 5.9% - which is similar to Lidl’s (6%)
Sugar: The sugar content of this yoghurt is low to moderate at 3.1% - with is below Lidl’s at 4%.
Calcium: Unfortunately both yoghurts don’t provide information on calcium levels.
Appearance
As the picture below shows, it holds a very irregular shape in the bowl - which makes me think it’s going to have a great texture!
Texture
And it does have a great texture that is very thick and very creamy - which you would hope for considering it is 10% fat…
Flavour
The aroma is quite cheesy, almost like a mild cheddar cheese.
The taste is more on the savoury end, but not as much like savoury cheese as I was expecting from the aroma. It is very rich with a fairly strong acidity to provide balance.
Overall, the taste is nice, rich and luxurious - as you would expect from a strained authentic Greek yoghurt. Because it is so rich, you probably won’t want to eat loads of it at a time.
Use
This yoghurt would be best on its own, added to smoothies or put on cereal.
It might be too rich and thick for dressings though.
Cost of Aldi Brooklea Authentic Greek yoghurt
You can buy a 500g tub from Aldi for £2.19 - which is good value for a traditional yoghurt made in Greece, but quite a bit more than Aldi yoghurts which are made in the UK. And for comparison, Lidl’s version of the same size sells for an even better price of £1.89.
Review summary
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5.
Verdict: Aldi Brooklea Authentic Greek yoghurt is a strained yoghurt which is rich, decadent and has a nice savoury taste.
Pros
simple, natural ingredients (even if cream isn’t entirely traditional)
rich, savoury taste
thick and creamy texture
good value for a strained yoghurt made in Greece
good protein levels
fairly low in sugar
Cons
high in fat
no information on the actual amount of live cultures it contains (ie colony forming units)
no information on its calcium content
Now read our article about the best yoghurt in the UK!
Health benefits of yoghurt
Aside from the specific benefits listed above, especially related to probiotics and postbiotics, yoghurt has some other important health benefits.
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 by bacteria during the fermentation process. 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 the product 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 its 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 reviewed 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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