Sainsbury's Greek style yoghurt review
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of Sainsbury's Greek style yoghurt. We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition, use and flavour of this yoghurt. We’ll also compare some key factors against other similar yoghurt.
This yoghurt is available in Sainsbury’s 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 Sainsbury's Greek style yoghurt
This yoghurt has simple ingredients of only cow’s milk and live cultures.
It is made in the UK with British milk.
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Benefits of Sainsbury's Greek style yoghurt
Below we’ll compare a few factors against Tesco Greek style yoghurt which is a similar UK-made, Greek-style yoghurt.
Live cultures
Probiotics are live, beneficial microorganisms that have been proven to support health. They are a specific type of live culture.
The label states that this yogurt contains the following live cultures:
Bifidobacterium – this is only the genus name and not the name of a specific species so we don’t know for sure which species are included. While some Bifidobacterium are probiotic, if no species name is given it’s likely the actual species is just a starter culture to make yoghurt rather than being probiotic
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.
For context, Tesco doesn’t give any information regarding the live cultures included 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 similar health measures to Tesco Greek style yoghurt.
Fat: This yoghurt is high in fat with 7.6% fat - which is similar to Tesco’s level of 7.5%. But these levels are lower than other similar yoghurt.
Protein: It has moderate protein levels at 4.0% - which is slightly higher than Tesco’s level of 3.7%.
Sugar: This yoghurt has moderate sugar levels at 4.2% - which is the same as Tesco’s level.
Calcium: This yoghurt has good calcium levels at 144mg per 100g. Unfortunately Tesco doesn’t provide this information.
Appearance
As the picture below shows, it holds some shape in the bowl and doesn’t sink to the bottom like a liquid.
Texture
The texture is moderately thick and moderately creamy.
Flavour
Its aroma is quite neutral with some subtle savoury cheese character.
The taste is a similar story - very milky neutral with even less savoury cheese character. And there’s just a little chalkiness to it also. The acidity is fairly high and a bit out of balance.
Overall, the taste is fine - just not much to speak of. It certainly comes across as clean and natural though. Similar to Tesco Greek style yoghurt, there’s something lacking - and (unfortunately) I believe that is fat. This is because both of these yoghurt have around 7.5% fat whereas other brands (which taste better) have around 10% fat - eg M&S Greek style yoghurt and Lidl Milbona Greek style yoghurt.
Use
Given the neutral taste, this yoghurt would be very versatile. It could be had on its own, added to smoothies or put on cereal.
It could also be used in a dressing or marinade.
Cost of Sainsbury's Greek style yoghurt
You can buy a 500g tub from Sainsbury’s for £1.45 - which seems a little overpriced compared to others.
Review summary
Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5.
Verdict: Sainsbury's Greek style yoghurt has a decent flavour, texture and creaminess but doesn’t provide the value of other similar yoghurt.
Pros
simple, natural ingredients
versatile
good levels of calcium
lower in fat than many competitors…
Cons
…but this fat level is still fairly high
not as good value as some other brands
more specific information on the live cultures included would be helpful
no information on the actual amount of live cultures it contains (ie colony forming units)
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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