Simple Ways to Support a Healthier Microbiome with Yogurt

Yogurt is a nutritious and delicious way to improve the health of your digestive system, but it is all-too-often associated with the sweetened, fruit-filled yogurt marketed as a breakfast food. However, yogurt is an ancient food that is incredibly versatile. Here are some simple and delicious ways to get more yogurt into your diet.

Reasons to Eat More Yogurt

Plain, unsweetened yogurt is an incredibly healthy food. Here are just some of the benefits of yogurt:

1. Nutritious. Yogurt is high in protein, calcium, and vitamin D. Calcium and vitamin D work together to create strong bones and can help prevent osteoporosis, while protein supports healthy muscles.
2. Supports the gastrointestinal tract. The active cultures in yogurt support healthy digestion and can help reduce the symptoms of a wide range of gastrointestinal problems.
3. Boosts immunity. Probiotics, including the lactobacillus and bifidobacterium commonly found in yogurt, can improve resistance to and recovery from infection, including yeast infections. Yogurt may also reduce inflammation associated with some intestinal diseases and conditions.

Yogurt and other low-fat dairy products can also improve heart health, and create a more satisfying feeling of fullness when enjoyed as a snack between meals.

How to Introduce More Yogurt into Your Diet

If you aren't already eating enough yogurt, here are some ways to incorporate it into your every day food choices.

Yogurt for Breakfast

Of course, yogurt is a classic breakfast food, but expand your horizons with these ideas:

• Add it to a smoothie. If your smoothie already includes milk, simply use yogurt instead, for creamy richness with probiotic benefits.
• Eat it with fruit. Avoid pre-sweetened yogurts with fruit and flavourings added. Instead, choose plain yogurt with active cultures, and slice your own fruit.
• Top your toast. If breakfast includes avocado toast, toast with jam, or toast with eggs, add a spoonful of yogurt.

Yogurt for Lunch

• Dress a salad. Yogurt can be a delicious base for a wide range of healthy, homemade salad dressings.
• Make a dip. Yogurt-based dips are incredibly versatile, and can be eaten with crisps or vegetables.

Yogurt for Dinner

• Make a curry. Yogurt is a traditional ingredient or topper in many curries, and it adds a creamy tang that is irresistible.
• Bake a bread. Yogurt combined with baking soda is a fast leavener that doesn't require rising time like yeast. Many popular flatbread, soda bread, brown bread, sourdough, and even sweet bread recipes can be made with yogurt.

Yogurt for Dessert

• Frozen yogurt. Freezing yogurt does reduce the number of beneficial cultures and probiotics, but it does not kill them all, meaning that frozen yogurt can be a fantastic choice for dessert.

Simple Swap

Yogurt makes a fantastic substitution for milk, buttermilk, sour cream, crème fraiche, and a whole range of other dairy products. You can choose strained, greek-style yogurt for a richer, thicker consistency in different dishes and applications.

Go International

Some of the most famous foods in the world, including kefir, lassi, tzatziki, raita, leben, and many chutneys, are made with yogurt. From Europe through to South Asia, yogurt is a staple food of many cuisines, and it's used in drinks, foods, soups, and more. Look to these recipes for inspiration and flavour combinations that may surprise you.

Around the world, millions of people eat yogurt every day, in a surprising range of different ways. It's not only healthy and nutritious, but it's also incredibly versatile, with the ability to be sweet, savoury, creamy, tangy, and everything in between. The probiotics and active cultures in yogurt benefit every part of your microbiome, so contact us for even more ways to make it part of a healthy daily diet.