Eating Yogurt And Granola To Lose Weight

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What used to be one of the unhealthiest breakfast foods to start your day with has now become one of the healthiest. It's not because of a change in viewpoint — it's because food manufacturers gave this breakfast staple a healthy facelift. If you haven't guessed by now, we're talking about yogurt.

Decades ago, it was hard to come across a small carton that had less than 20 grams of sugar. Now, there are dozens of low-sugar yogurt options to choose from.

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But yogurt isn't just healthy because it's low in added sugars. It's also good for you because it's high in protein, satiating fats, and beneficial micronutrients. Combined, these health benefits all factor into why yogurt is the perfect weight-loss food. Here are seven waist-whittling, muscle-toning reasons to grab a spoon and go-gurt on the regular. Read on, and for more on how to eat healthy, you won't want to miss these 21 Best Healthy Cooking Hacks of All Time.

Protein is the secret ingredient to a snack that satisfies, researchers say. And yogurt may be the ultimate between-meal munchie. Women who indulged in a high-protein snack of yogurt in the afternoon reported greater feelings of satiety and ate 100 fewer calories at dinner than snackers served crackers or chocolate, according to a study in the journal Nutrition. And the higher the protein content of yogurt, the greater its influence on appetite control, research suggests. So reach for strained Greek or Icelandic Skyr varieties that provide two to three times the protein punch of regular, like these 15 Best Greek Yogurts, According to Nutritionists.

You've lost the weight. Now the real challenge: keeping it off. Yogurt can help, researchers say. In fact, former dieters who ate at least three daily servings of dairy maintained their weight loss while consuming 11 percent more calories than people who consumed less than one serving per day, according to a 

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Study. The researchers attribute the dieters' ability to eat more calories without weight gain to dairy's ability to burn fat through enzyme inhibitors and amino acids unique to dairy protein, which act synergistically with calcium.

If vitamin D were your diet coach, he'd say something like: I'll see your 5-pound weight loss goal and raise you another 5 pounds. That's because supplementing with the nutrient, especially when you're low in the sunshine vitamin, may enhance the effects of a reduced-calorie diet, a recent study suggests. Dieters who supplemented with vitamin D lost nearly three times as much weight as a group on the same diet who didn't get the boost. And fortified low-fat yogurt is one of the best dietary sources of vitamin D.

Think of the healthiest person you know. There's a good chance you'll find yogurt in their fridge. Compared with non-consumers, people who eat at least one serving of low-fat yogurt daily tend to weigh less, have smaller waists, and follow healthier diets overall, according to a recent study. They also have lower levels of bad cholesterol, blood sugar, and insulin resistance. Study authors say micronutrients in yogurt, including calcium, potassium, magnesium and the B vitamins, help improve diet quality and keep your metabolism going strong.

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Your bodybuilder friends will tell you it can't be done: Build lean muscle and drop fat at the same time. Yogurt fans know otherwise. In fact, women who ate 6-7 servings of dairy as part of a 16-week diet and exercise program lost twice as much belly fat as a group who ate less than a single serving. And while the Greek-yogurt goddesses gained one and a half pounds of lean, sexy muscle, their low-dairy sisters

As much muscle on the same program. Study authors say it's a combination of calcium, vitamin D, and potent amino acids found in dairy that speed up fat burning and help retain lean muscle mass, making yogurt the ultimate body recomposition food.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

It's every lazy person's dream come true: A late-night snack that's proven to boost metabolism and tone your muscles while you sleep. Oh, and you'll wake up less hungry, too. It's the whey and casein protein in yogurt that makes it the ultimate midnight munchie, researchers say. A pre-bed snack that included 40 grams of casein protein (about what you'll find in two servings of Greek yogurt) increased protein synthesis (aka muscle building) at rates that were 22 percent higher than a placebo, according to one study. To reach that 40 grams, consider pairing your yogurt with a protein shake. (Related: 25 Late-Night Habits That Are Ruining Your Weight Loss Efforts.)

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There are just certain foods that will cause long-term weight gain more than others. But for every food that is expanding your waistline, there's a food that can shrink it — and yogurt is one of them. A study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity journal found that eating low-fat yogurt over the course of years was actually associated with a decrease in weight over time. The same was true of plant-based foods.Yogurt and granola team up to provide you with a delicious and satisfying breakfast or snack. In terms of health, though, a lot depends on the varieties of yogurt and granola you purchase and the size of your portions. To keep your yogurt and granola a healthy choice, make sure you choose low-fat yogurt and granola with the least amount of added sugar — and stick to suggested serving sizes.

Yogurt provides a variety of nutritional benefits, including calcium for strong bones and teeth and satisfying protein to help build muscle and power you through the day. It also supplies probiotics, friendly bacteria that aid digestion. As a dairy food, though, it contains saturated fat, considered an unhealthy fat. A 1-cup serving of plain, whole-milk yogurt supplies 5 grams of saturated fat, or 26 percent of the daily value if you follow a 2, 000-calorie diet. Excess saturated fat consumption has links to higher blood cholesterol levels, which puts you at risk for heart disease, cautions the American Heart Association. Opt instead for low-fat or nonfat yogurts, which will reduce your saturated fat intake — especially if you also consume meat and other animal products.

Some yogurt brands feature scrumptious-sounding flavors, but these varieties contain added sugar and boost the calories in your otherwise healthy yogurt. Choose plain yogurt, either regular style or Greek, and mix in your own flavors or cut-up fruit. Drizzle a little honey through your yogurt or add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of your favorite berries to keep things healthy.

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If it's protein you're after, low-fat Greek yogurt contains more than regular yogurt, with 20 grams in a 7-ounce serving compared to 13 grams in a cup of low-fat yogurt. With calcium, though, regular low-fat and nonfat yogurt surpass Greek style, supplying 34 to 38 percent of the daily value in 8 ounces, while you get just 18 percent in a serving of Greek yogurt.

A basic granola recipe consists of oats, nuts, seeds, honey or another sweetener and a little oil, baked until crisp and golden brown. Given these simple ingredients, granola itself is a healthy food. The oats supply fiber to keep you regular, while you get protein and heart-healthy unsaturated fats from the nuts and seeds. The best option for keeping granola a smart and nutritious choice is to make your own; while it's easy, you may not have the time to spare.

Be careful of processed granola, and read its nutrition labels. Manufacturers load their products with sugary additions like chocolate chunks and sweetened fruit, making them more suitable for dessert than breakfast and boosting their sugar content. Excess sugar in the diet may contribute to myriad health issues, from dental problems to heart disease and strokes. Berkeley Wellness, a program at the University of California, suggests buying granola brands that contain between 4 and 6 grams of sugar per serving.

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And that's the second issue: serving size. Nutrition labels for granola specify that a serving is small, either 1/4 or 1/3 cup. If you portion out more than that for a yogurt and granola bowl or parfait, you will significantly increase your calories. A cup of homemade granola, for example, contains a whopping 597 calories — twice as much as a fast-food hamburger. Stick with 6 to 8 ounces of yogurt topped with the recommended serving of granola for the healthiest combo.We are committed to bringing you researched, expert-driven content to help you make more informed decisions around food, health, and wellness. We know how important making choices about your overall health is, and we strive to provide you with the best information possible.

Whether eaten like cereal or used as a yogurt topping, granola can provide you with some impressive health benefits—that is, of course, as long as you're buying the right kind.

Granola is commonly found on lists of healthy foods that aren't really

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