Yogurt on the Military Diet

Can You Use Yogurt as a Military Diet Substitution? Read This Before You Eat.

Think yogurt is always a health food? Think again. Over the years, many grocery store yogurts have crossed the line from a healthy breakfast to a sugary hazard. Thanks to a cultural obsession with sugar, some yogurts on the shelf pack as many calories, corn syrups, and artificial sweeteners as a bowl of ice cream.

And if you’ve been reading our site, you already know how we feel about artificial sweeteners—they’re worse for you than real sugar.

The “Dead Yogurt” Problem

We’ve all seen the commercials raving about probiotics and gut health. But not all yogurts are created equal. If your yogurt is sweetened with sucralose (Splenda), you might be eating a completely “dead” product. Sucralose can actually kill off the beneficial bacteria, completely defeating the purpose of eating it for your digestion and immune system.

How to Choose the Right Yogurt

To get the most out of your substitution on the Military Diet, you have to read the labels.

• Look for Live and Active Cultures: Real, living yogurt is actually easier to digest than regular dairy because the microbes break down the lactose.
• Check the CFU Count: The average cup of yogurt contains 3 to 4 strains of probiotics and about 1 to 5 billion CFUs (colony-forming units).
• Upgrade to Kefir: If you really want to boost your gut health, try Kefir. It’s a 99% lactose-free dairy drink that boasts 10 to 20 strains of probiotics and a massive 7 to 50 billion CFUs per cup. It’s incredibly gentle on sensitive stomachs.

Don’t Fear the Fat

Fat isn’t the enemy—sugar is. Skipping the fat just to eat a zero-fat yogurt loaded with chemical sweeteners is like eating a bowl of white chemical soup.

Instead, choose a plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt. If you need it a little sweeter, add a touch of stevia, raw honey, or a bit of fruit. Eating healthy fats in the morning provides sustained fuel for your day and satisfies your appetite, keeping you full so you don’t overcompensate and cheat on your diet later.