Grab these tasty yogurts that have 10+ grams of protein per serving.
Reviewed by Dietitian Mandy Enright, M.S., RDN, RYT
Key Points
- Yogurt is a tasty way to add extra protein into your day, with many high-protein options available.
- Both skyr and Greek yogurts offer high-protein options from plain and flavored versions.
- Make sure to check labels for live active cultures, sources of sugar and protein content.
I have been hot and cold on yogurt for a lot of my life. I get a favorite, eat it every day for months, and then, suddenly, I need a break. As a result, I’ve bounced around to a few different brands. These days, I prioritize protein when I’m picking a yogurt. The popularity of protein has risen lately with the uptick in people using GLP-1s and among perimenopausal women who want to maintain bone health as they age. I fall into the early perimenopausal category, and am always looking for ways to help maintain my energy during busy days when I don’t have time or want to put in the effort to cook something. Grabbing a quick yogurt and some granola gets me through.
There are seemingly infinite choices when it comes to yogurt, so I picked the ones I have consistently loved for years. Besides wanting the highest protein content possible, I am somewhat picky about taste. I have a bit of a sweet tooth, but don’t want my yogurt to taste like watered down ice cream. I like a smooth texture, so I typically don’t prefer ones with chunks of fruit. Vanilla is a safe bet for flavor, and I love a good lemon yogurt. I don’t have dietary restrictions that would lead me to try a non-dairy, zero-sugar or even nonfat yogurt. I like nonfat yogurt, but have noticed I feel satisfied longer with some of the fuller-fat choices.
Icelandic Provisions Skyr
I have loved every flavor I’ve tried of the Icelandic Provisions Skyr, which is unusual for me. Of course I love my trusty vanilla flavor, which has 15 grams of protein, 9 grams of sugar and 1.5% milkfat in the 5.3-ounce container. In fact, all their flavored regular yogurts have 15 grams of protein. I also love their Strawberry & Lingonberry and Peach & Cloudberry for more slightly unusual flavor combinations I haven’t found elsewhere. I found these flavors to taste the least sweet and also the least tangy.
Their plain skyr has 17 grams of protein, so it’s the highest protein-content yogurt on my list. All the Icelandic Provisions yogurts are perfect to eat on their own or with fruit and granola. The extra creamy varieties are also super tasty, coming in 4.4 ounce containers with 11 grams of protein. Even better—all the yogurts have simple ingredients.
A huge plus is that I find Icelandic Provisions pretty much anywhere I shop, and I like that I can buy and enjoy a variety of flavors. Skyr has a more intensive straining process than regular yogurt, so its texture is dense and smooth. Compared to strained (Greek-style) yogurt, skyr tends to have a bit more protein with less carbs and sugar content.
Siggi's Skyr
Another skyr yogurt I love is Siggi’swhich is similar to Icelandic Provisions in its health benefits, processing and taste. Their vanilla nonfat has 16 grams of protein in a 5.3-ounce container, the highest I’ve seen for a flavored yogurt. Their plain provides 16 grams of protein, while some of their other flavors have around 15 grams. I also like their coconut because it’s simple and doesn’t taste like sunscreen, the way some regular coconut yogurts do.
Siggi’s also offers an extra creamy texture and flavors, with 13 grams of protein for the vanilla flavor in a 4.4-ounce container. Siggi’s is available everywhere I shop and comes in multipacks and bigger containers, along with the individual cups, offering many options based on my needs.
Tillamook Greek Yogurt
As an Oregonian, I’m a huge fan of all of our wonderful Tillamook products, like our yummy ice cream, cheese and yogurt. My favorite versatile yogurt from Tillamook is the vanilla Greek yogurt, which has 14 grams of protein per 5.3-ounce container. I also frequently buy the larger 24-ounce tubs of this yogurt, especially during farmer’s market season because this is my favorite yogurt to eat with sliced-up seasonal Oregon berries, like strawberries and blackberries.
Tillamook’s yogurt is thinner than the skyr yogurts on my list and a bit sweeter, so it tastes more like a dessert than some of the others, but still has a nice, classic tang. Strained (Greek-style) yogurt has a higher protein content than regular yogurt and offers many health benefits, including a lower sugar count than similarly flavored regular yogurts.
Trader Joe’s Greek Nonfat Yogurt
I end up at Trader Joe’s about once a week to get all the stuff my kids like to eat and often snag some yogurt for myself. Lately, if I need a plain Greek nonfat yogurt, the one at TJ’s is my go-to. Their Greek Lowfat Plain has 16 grams of protein in 5.3 ounces and is a perfect base for adding flavor like a little honey or stirring in some Trader Joe’s lemon curd. The plain flavor is incredibly versatile, like using in place of sour cream in recipes. I also find adding plain Greek yogurt to mac and cheese is a great way to add protein, tangy flavor and a creamy texture without using as much butter.
Trader Joe’s flavored yogurts taste sweeter to me than some other varieties, which some people will love or hate. Personally, I like other flavored yogurts better, so I go for the plain here and add my own sweetness, like granola. TJ’s yogurts are some of the lowest-priced on the list and, of course, are only available at Trader Joe’s.
Ellenos Greek Yogurt
Ellenos Greek Yogurt is my favorite yogurt to eat as if it were a dessert. It’s the only one on my list that, except for plain and vanilla, isn’t fully combined and requires stirring to get the flavor evenly distributed, though some people like to dip without stirring. Ellenos has the most exquisite lemon curd yogurt I’ve ever tasted.
Unlike most yogurts, the lemon curd flavor has eggs. It is sweetened with honey and has 12 grams of protein in the 5.3 ounce container. It does, however, have 23 grams of sugar and 230 calories, hence my treating it like a dessert, not a meal. Their pistachio cream is another one that’s more like a pudding, but still has those 12 grams of protein. Their plain has 15 grams of protein, so it’s on par with others. I often get the multipack of smaller, 4-ounce tubs at Costco and enjoy rotating through the three flavors: marionberry, lemon curd and vanilla.
Stonyfield Organic Greek Yogurt
Stonyfield yogurt is one of the most widely sold brands. I see it at every single grocery store in a variety of flavors and sizes. It’s one of the only brands of yogurt my pickier child will ever eat. For me, their organic protein vanilla is a really good choice to get 15 grams of protein in a 5.3-ounce package. This is another strained (Greek-style) yogurt option that is comparable to Tillamook. It’s not super sweet, but it does have quite a bit of flavor with 12 grams of sugar.
This is my second-favorite plain Greek yogurt container to grab, after Trader Joe’s. For price and taste, this is a good one to get a larger, 32-ounce tub of plain. It has 16 grams of protein per serving, so, again, it is comparable with others on the list. The plain has less sugar (4 grams) than some other plain yogurts on the list.
Tips for Choosing a High-Protein Yogurt
When it comes to choosing a high-protein yogurt, here are some helpful guidelines to follow.
- Review ingredients: Look for yogurt with live active cultures and no artificial sweeteners, colors or flavors.
- Check sources of sweetness: Many zero-sugar yogurts often use stevia, which many people can be sensitive to or find too bitter. Instead, prioritize lower sugar at 10 grams or less for flavors and 5 grams or less for plain.
- Highest protein per ounce: Do a little math and determine which yogurts have the most protein per ounce. For the most part, the highest-protein yogurts on my list are plain varieties, which have 15 to 17 grams of protein per container.
- Taste: When picking a new yogurt, I try to buy single-serving cups and try several for taste preference before getting a big tub or a multipack.
Our Expert Take
Taste is my number-one consideration when it comes to yogurt since I can be somewhat particular about texture and flavor. A sweeter, fuller-fat yogurt is still better than no yogurt. However, getting the most protein possible per serving is very important to me, so I balance my sweet tooth with my need for energy and nourishment by finding tasty yogurts with more than 10 grams of protein per serving. I look for Greek or Icelandic-style yogurt for taste, higher protein content and less sugars. While I prefer brands available at most grocery stores, like Icelandic Provisions, Siggi’s and Stonyfield, Trader Joe’s has some good options that are worth the trip. When choosing a high-protein yogurt, make sure to check the ingredients, sources of sweetness and protein content before placing in your shopping cart. The great thing about yogurt is that the containers are small and low-commitment, making it easy to try different brands and flavors to prevent yogurt boredom.