Least Processed Yogurts
Each product is ranked by its own Processing Score, lowest first. To keep the list from being one company's catalog, it shows at most two products from any one brand.
Yogurt by the Numbers
We scored every yogurt product in our database: 6,542 items across 423 brands. In our analysis, about 60% land in the Highly or Ultra-Processed tiers.
What should you look for on the label?
- Plain yogurt should list only milk and live cultures, nothing else
- Avoid yogurts with modified food starch, carrageenan, or artificial sweeteners
- "Fruit on the bottom" yogurts often contain more sugar and additives than adding real fruit yourself
- Greek yogurt is strained (a simple physical process), not chemically processed
Most Processed Yogurts
For context, here are the top 5 of the opposite ranking, the most processed yogurts in our analysis.
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How are products scored?
Every product is evaluated using two independent scores. The Processing Score (lower is better) measures the degree of industrial processing based on ingredient analysis, including the presence of artificial additives, preservatives, and highly modified ingredients. The Nutrition Score (higher is better) rates overall nutritional quality, rewarding protein and fiber while penalizing excess sodium, added sugars, and saturated fat.
Products are assigned to one of four processing levels: Minimal (score ≤ 2.5), Processed (2.6 to 5.0), Highly Processed (5.1 to 8.0), and Ultra-Processed (above 8.0). Each product in the ranking is placed by its own Processing Score, not by its brand. Based on our analysis of 445K+ curated products from the USDA FoodData Central database. For a deeper look, see our Processing Score guide and Two-Score System explanation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Greek yogurt less processed than regular?
Greek yogurt is regular yogurt that is strained to remove whey, a simple physical process. Plain Greek yogurt scores as low as plain regular yogurt. Flavored versions vary widely.
What additives should I avoid in yogurt?
Key additives: modified food starch (thickener), carrageenan (stabilizer), artificial sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose), and artificial colors. Each one pushes a yogurt further up our scale.
Is flavored yogurt ultra-processed?
Commercial flavored yogurts tend to score high on our scale because of added sugars, modified starches, artificial colors, and flavorings. A better option: buy plain yogurt and add your own fruit and honey.