Fage Total 5% fat yoghurt review
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of Fage Total 5% fat yoghurt. We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition, use and flavour of this Greek yoghurt. And we’ll also compare a few factors against other similar yoghurt.
This yoghurt is available in many 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 Fage Total 5% fat yoghurt
The ingredients in this yoghurt are pasteurised skimmed milk, cream (milk) and live cultures.
This yoghurt is made in Greece and is strained. However, it’s not a 100% traditional Greek yoghurt as it includes cream - whereas traditional strained Greek yoghurt would only include whole milk and live cultures.
Nevertheless, it’s still a fairly simple, natural yoghurt with no concerning ingredients.
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 Fage Total 5% fat yoghurt
This product comes with the usual health benefits of yoghurt, along with a high protein content. Below we’ll compare a few factors against Tesco Finest Greek yoghurt - which is a traditional strained Greek yoghurt.
Live cultures
Probiotics are live, beneficial microorganisms that have been proven to support health. They are a specific type of live culture.
In terms of lives cultures, Fage state they include the following:
Lactobacillus acidophilus - a probiotic which supports digestion and helps maintain vaginal and intestinal health
Lactobacillus casei - a probiotic that helps balance gut bacteria and supports healthy digestion, particularly during stress or antibiotic use
Bifidus - refers to the Bifidobacterium genus of bacteria, not a specific species like the other live cultures listed. While it’s possible, or even likely, this/these cultures are probiotic, we don’t know for sure without knowing the species
Streptococcus thermophilus - a common starter culture for yogurt whose main role is to ferment milk sugars. It is not generally regarded as a probiotic as evidence is limited
Lactobacillus bulgaricus - a starter culture used to ferment milk into yoghurt; it aids lactose digestion but is not generally considered a probiotic
In contrast, Tesco Finest doesn’t list the live cultures present.
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.
Here are the main postbiotic compounds typically present in yoghurt after fermentation:
Lactic acid – lowers pH, inhibits pathogens, aids lactose digestion
Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) – such as acetate which supports microbial balance, helps control inflammation and indirectly nourishes the gut lining by feeding butyrate-producing bacteria
Exopolysaccharides (EPS) – carbohydrate polymers that can modulate immunity and support the gut barrier
Bioactive peptides – released from milk proteins; some have antihypertensive, antimicrobial or antioxidant effects
Nutrients
Fage compares favourably to Tesco Finest Greek yoghurt in terms of key health measures.
Fat: Fage has moderate levels of fat with 5% fat - which is less than half Tesco’s 10.3% fat.
Protein: It has very good protein levels at 9% protein - which is almost 50% more than Tesco’s level at 6.1%.
Sugar: The sugar content is low to moderate at 3% - which is below Tesco’s level of 3.3%.
Calcium: Fage has moderate levels of calcium with 121mg per 100g. Unfortunately Tesco doesn’t provide this information.
Appearance
As the picture below shows, it has a thick, ice-cream-like appearance which holds its shape in the bowl.
Texture
The texture is nice and thick. It also has a good creaminess considering its lower-than-usual fat content.
Flavour
The aroma is mostly of cottage or savoury cheese.
The taste is very clean and fairly neutral. It has some savoury cheese and buttery characteristics and comes across as very fresh and natural. And it has a moderate acidity.
Overall, the taste is very good. It has one of the best fat-to-creaminess ratios I’ve experienced.
Use
Given its clean and simple flavour, this yoghurt would be very versatile. It can be had on its own, added to cereal or granola, or put in a smoothie.
It would also work well in dressings and marinades.
Cost of Fage Total 5% fat yoghurt
You can buy a 950g tub from Tesco for £5.55 - which is among the most expensive we’ve reviewed.
Review summary
Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5.
Verdict: Fage Total 5% fat yoghurt is a great all-round yoghurt - with lower fat than most, higher protein and a lovely natural taste. You will pay more for the pleasure though.
Pros
natural ingredients
very high in protein
lower in fat than a lot of similar yoghurt
great creaminess considering the fat content
thick texture
good taste
source of probiotics
Cons
not 100% traditional (because of the added cream)
no information on the actual amount of live cultures it contains (ie colony forming units)
expensive
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 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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