Yoghurts are not a healthy snack - they’re ‘dessert in disguise’, experts warn

Yoghurts are often marketed as a light snack, with ‘reduced fat’ – and with health benefits such as boosting the immune system.

But many popular brands are so packed with sugar they’re basically a dessert – with some brands containing 7.5 teaspoons in a small 160g pot. .

That’s similar to the levels found in ice cream, according to analysis of 200 flavoured yoghurts by Australia’s Heart Foundation and Cancer Council.

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LiveLighter dietitian Alison McAleese said, ‘Our research has found that some manufacturers are turning yoghurt – which is a healthy food – into a dessert by adding excessive amounts of sugar or cream.

‘Some yoghurts contain a whopping 7.5 teaspoons of sugar in just one small 160g tub, or 4.5 teaspoons of sugar per 100g, which is almost as much sugar as ice cream.

‘What’s more, manufacturers are promoting these yoghurts as low in fat, diet, natural and high in probiotics, so it can be really confusing for shoppers to know which ones are genuinely good and which are desserts in disguise.’