M&S high protein yoghurt review
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of M&S high protein yoghurt. We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition, use and flavour of this high protein, low fat yoghurt. And we’ll compare a few key factors against similar yoghurt.
This yoghurt is available in M&S 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 M&S high protein yoghurt
This yoghurt is far from a simple, traditional yoghurt and, among other things, includes natural flavourings and an artificial sweetener.
The ingredients are: strained yogurt (milk), water, cornflour, natural flavourings, acidity regulator (lactic acid), ground spent vanilla pod, live cultures and sweetener (sucralose).
As you can see, the ingredient list is quite long - certainly a lot longer than other high protein yoghurt which only include milk and live cultures.
In case you were wondering, the cornflour is used as a thickening and stabilising agent. It helps prevent the separation of liquid (ie whey).
Most concerning is that this yoghurt includes an artificial sweetener in the form of sucralose. Studies have found possible links with this sweetener and a disruption in gut microbiota and systemic inflammation, among other things.
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 M&S high protein yoghurt
Despite some health drawbacks, this yoghurt provides some health benefits in other ways. For context, we’ll compare a few key factors against Tesco high protein yoghurt.
Live cultures
Probiotics are live, beneficial microorganisms that have been proven to support health. They are a specific type of live culture.
This yoghurt includes two strains of live cultures which have limited probiotic evidence. These are:
Lactobacillus bulgaricus (ie Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus) – mainly a starter culture, supports lactose digestion but not a species with robust probiotic evidence
Streptococcus thermophilus – primarily a starter culture, contributes to fermentation and lactose digestion but also has limited probiotic evidence
In terms of the amount of actual live cultures present (ie colony forming units), no information is provided.
Tesco doesn’t provide any information related to the live cultures present or the amount of them.
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
This yoghurt has very good levels of protein and fat, similar to Tesco high protein yoghurt.
Protein: It has extremely high protein levels at 12.5% - which is higher than Tesco’s level (11.3%).
Fat: This yoghurt is very low in fat with 0.6% fat - which slightly above Tesco’s low level of 0.4%.
Sugar: The sugar content is moderate at 3.9% - which is the same as Tesco’s level.
Calcium: Unfortunately M&S doesn’t state the calcium content. Tesco’s calcium level is moderate at 120mg per 100g.
Appearance
As the picture below shows, it holds an extremely irregular shape in the bowl and appears more like ice cream than a yoghurt.
Texture
As soon as you put the spoon in the bowl, you feel how thick it is and how much like a normal yoghurt it is not. Getting it off the spoon is even difficult.
It has a strange paste-y thickness which would come, at least in part, from the added cornflour. It lacks creaminess which is not surprising given how low in fat it is.
Flavour
The aroma is not very appealing. Behind the vanilla is a sort of subtle but unpleasant aroma which is (sorry for this) a bit like vomit or cheese gone bad.
The taste is dominated by an unnatural sweetness - thanks to the unnatural sweetener which has been added. Behind this is the vanilla and not much else discernible. The acidity is fairly high - thanks to the added lactic acid.
Overall, the taste is far too sweet, but not offensive. The flavour and texture resemble the many additives, rather than the typical natural flavour and texture of traditional yoghurt.
Use
Given the taste, this yoghurt would have limited uses. If you can handle the very high level of sweetness you could have it on its own but otherwise it would be best lost in a smoothie.
Cost of M&S high protein yoghurt
You can buy a 450g tub from M&S for £2.50 - which is just much too much for what it offers.
Review summary
Rating: 2 stars out of 5.
Verdict: M&S high protein yoghurt is not a traditional yoghurt and includes many additives both natural and artificial. The overly sweet taste and texture are far from natural yoghurt.
Pros
very high protein levels
very low fat levels
Cons
various untraditional additives like cornflour, lactic acid and natural flavourings
contains an artificial sweetener - which has been linked to disrupting gut microbiota
strange paste-y texture
lacks creaminess
expensive
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 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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