Co-op Greek style yoghurt review
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of Co-op Greek style yoghurt. We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition, use and flavour of this Greek style yoghurt. And we’ll also compare a few factors against other similar yoghurt.
This yoghurt is available in Co-op stores 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 Co-op Greek style yoghurt
This is a very simple yoghurt which only includes milk and live cultures.
It is a Greek style yoghurt, but made in the UK with British milk.
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.
Benefits of Co-op Greek style yoghurt
Below we’ll look into the benefits of Co-op Greek style yoghurt and compare a few factors against M&S Greek style yoghurt - which is one of our favourite Greek style yoghurts.
Live cultures
Co-op Greek style yoghurt includes various live cultures:
Bifidobacterium - this is a genus of bacteria, so we don’t know the specific species or strain
Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus - these are classic yoghurt starter cultures
In contrast, M&S gives no indication of the strains of live cultures present in their yoghurt.
In terms of the amount of actual live cultures present (ie colony forming units), no information is provided by either brand.
Postbiotics
Postbiotics are beneficial substances produced by live cultures during fermentation. In yoghurt, these can include small amounts of organic acids, peptides and other fermentation by-products.
Nutrients
In general, Co-op Greek style yoghurt compares favourably in terms of health measures when compared to M&S Greek style yoghurt.
Fat: This yoghurt has fairly high levels of fat at 7.5%, while M&S is even more at 9.6% fat - which is more typical of Greek style yoghurt.
Protein: It has moderate protein levels at 3.9% - which is slightly below M&S’s level of 4.1% protein.
Sugar: It has moderate levels of sugar at 4.2%. This is below M&S’s level of 4.8%.
Calcium: Unfortunately both brand don’t provide information on calcium content.
Appearance
As the picture below shows, it largely sinks to the bottom of the bowl but holds some shape.
Texture
The texture is nice and thick - more so than its appearance suggests. It is also fairly creamy.
Flavour
The aroma is simply of savoury cheese.
The taste is also of savoury cheese and otherwise quite clean and neutral. It has a high acidity - almost getting too high.
Overall, the savoury taste is nice, but the acidity is a bit out of balance. It has a good level of creaminess, but it can’t match the creaminess of some other brands with more fat.
Use
This yoghurt would be quite versatile. It can be had on its own, added to cereal or granola, or put in a smoothie.
It could also work in a marinade or dressing.
Cost of Co-op Greek style yoghurt
You can buy a 500g tub from the Co-op for £1.35 - which is more expensive than most other own-brand, Greek style yoghurt.
Review summary
Rating: 4 stars out of 5.
Verdict: Co-op Greek style yoghurt is a simple, clean yoghurt with a nice savoury taste. It doesn’t quite present the value of some other own-brand, Greek style yoghurt though.
Pros
simple ingredients
lower in fat than a lot of Greek style yoghurt
nice savoury cheese flavour
fairly thick texture with decent creaminess
Cons
a little too sour
no information on the actual amount of live cultures it contains (ie colony forming units)
no information on calcium content
while not super expensive, it doesn’t present as good value when compared to other own-brand Greek style yoghurt
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 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 review was written by Travis, founder of Hello Gut Health.
A long-time gut health writer and advocate with over ten years of experience exploring the science of the microbiome and fermentation.
He combines careful research with practical testing to help readers make informed, trustworthy choices.
He has reviewed over 150 gut health products.
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