Onken Greek style yoghurt review
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of Onken Greek style yoghurt. We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition, use and flavour of this pot set yoghurt. And we’ll also compare a few factors against other similar yoghurt.
This yoghurt is available in various 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.
What is pot set yoghurt?
Pot set yogurt is fermented and set directly in the container it will be sold in. In contrast, other yoghurt is fermented in a larger vat and usually stirred to create a more even and smooth texture.
Pot set yoghurts tend to have a delicate, irregular texture which can feel like the yoghurt is made up of lots of small lumps. I often find pot set yoghurt to be less creamy than other yoghurt.
Ingredients of Onken 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.
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Read more about the best gut health products in the UK.
Benefits of Onken Greek style yoghurt
Below we’ll look into the benefits of Onken Greek style yoghurt and compare a few factors against M&S Greek style yoghurt.
Live cultures
Onken Greek style yoghurt includes two types of live cultures - Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. Both of these are typical yoghurt starter cultures.
In contrast, Fage lists five live cultures which have been used in fermentation.
In terms of the amount of actual live cultures present (ie colony forming units), no information is provided by either brand.
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
Onken Greek style yoghurt presents a mixed bag in terms of health measures when compared to M&S Greek style yoghurt.
Fat: This yoghurt has fairly high levels of fat at 8%, 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 4.5% - which is above M&S’s level of 4.1% protein.
Sugar: For an unflavoured yoghurt, Onken is high in sugar with 6% sugar. This is above M&S’s level of 4.8%.
Calcium: Onken has good levels of calcium with 160mg per 100g. Unfortunately M&S doesn’t provide information on its calcium content.
Appearance
As the picture below shows, it has the typical ice-cream-like appearance of pot set yoghurt and holds a rigid shape in the bowl.
Texture
The texture is quite thick, but in the distinct ‘bit-y’ and unsmooth pot-set way. It has more creaminess than other pot set yoghurt I’ve had, but still less than normal yoghurt.
Flavour
The aroma is mainly of savoury cheese.
The taste is also of savoury cheese - which isn’t a bad thing. It has a moderate to high acidity.
Overall, the taste isn’t quite nice and makes a good savoury alternative to most other yoghurt. The main gripe is that the lack of a smooth texture affects the creaminess.
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.
It might be too savoury for a dressing though.
Cost of Onken Greek style yoghurt
You can buy a 450g tub from Tesco for £1.95 - which is very expensive considering you can get a 1kg tub of M&S Greek style yoghurt for the same price...
Review summary
Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5.
Verdict: Onken Greek style yoghurt is a pot set yoghurt with the typical ‘unsmooth’ texture and a nice savoury cheese flavour. It does not present good value when compared to other brands though.
Pros
simple ingredients
lower in fat than a lot of Greek style yoghurt (but still more than other natural yoghurt)
nice savoury cheese flavour
good levels of calcium
Cons
has the ‘unsmooth’ texture of pot set yoghurt
not as creamy as others
no information on the actual amount of live cultures it contains (ie colony forming units)
doesn’t present good value compared to others
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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