8 Reasons to eat yoghurt regularly

A few weeks ago, my family and I got home exhausted and hungry after a long drive. As soon as I opened the door to my house, everyone rushed to the kitchen for a cup of chilled yoghurt. As we gulped it down, I started wondering about just what it is that makes yoghurt so great. Well, yoghurt is made by conversion of pasteurised milk to fermented milk using certain bacterial cultures.

These bacteria break down lactose (the natural sugar found in milk) into lactic acid, which causes the milk to curdle up and produce a unique flavour. Many people across the world enjoy yoghurt drinks on a day-to-day basis without knowing about its many benefits so here we go…

1. Yoghurt contains so many nutrients

It is virtually a complete meal. It contains carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins B2, vitamin B12, calcium and other micronutrients. These nutrients are present in good quantities and thus help us in meeting the daily-recommended allowance. Yoghurt is also good for children. Young yoghurt consumers have higher intakes of calcium, vitamin D, and potassium than non-yoghurt consumers. Yoghurt is also a dietary source of vitamin B, riboflavin, iodine, and phosphorus for children.

2. Yoghurt is great for people who have lactose intolerance

This is a condition where the body lacks an enzyme called lactase, which helps in the breakdown and digestion of lactose. The fermentation process used in producing yoghurt breaks down some of the lactose, making it easier to digest even for people with lactose intolerance.

3. Yoghurt contains complete proteins

These are proteins that have all the essential amino acids, hence making it of a higher quality compared to plant proteins.

4. Yoghurt is a convenient healthy snack option

Many people, especially those striving to eat healthily, struggle with getting healthy snacks. Yoghurt, especially the natural variety, helps meet this need. For active children, the sweetened varieties have some added advantage of containing extra energy.

5. Yoghurt is versatile

It can be customised to so many flavours to suit various tastes. One can add fruits, for example, mango, strawberries and apples to create an array of different yoghurt flavours. Yoghurt can also be consumed with high fibre cereals, and this can be good especially for a healthy breakfast. It can also be used as a great fruit or vegetable salad dressing.

6. Yoghurt can be great as a pre- or post-workout energy and protein drink

This extra boost of energy will help in maximising a workout and assist in the recovery period afterwards.

7. Increased consumption of low sugar dairy foods, especially yoghurt, at snack times could increase the intake of important micronutrients without contributing to dietary excesses.

8. Yoghurt consumption can help children to enjoy the snack while staying within the daily caloric limits.

Yoghurt delivers a powerhouse of nutrients that help support their health in an appealing and readily available way, which is unmatched with many other foods.

YOGHURT IS VERSATILE AND FUN!

One might never know about all these benefits, but what we all know is that a drink of yoghurt is a truly refreshing experience. See below some variants. They do not contain any additives or preservatives hence they must be refrigerated.