Best yogurt for weight loss, plus cottage cheese, cheese and milk compared

Is dairy good for weight loss? The short answer

Dairy can help you lose weight when you pick the plain, protein-rich kinds and let them replace less filling foods. On its own, without eating fewer calories overall, it does not make you lose weight.

Milk, yogurt and cheese are very different foods. A glass of skimmed milk, a pot of plain skyr and a thick slice of brie have little in common except where they come from. That is why the useful question is not “dairy, yes or no?” but “which dairy, how much and instead of what?”.

On this page we compare yogurts, cottage cheese, cheeses, milks and plant drinks side by side. All numbers come from the USDA food composition database (SR Legacy) and are approximate, because products and brands differ.

What research shows about dairy and weight loss

The best evidence says dairy has little or no effect on weight by itself, and a small helpful effect when people also cut calories. Several groups of researchers pooled the same kind of trials and came to that same conclusion.

Four reviews of randomised trials

• 29 trials, about 2,100 adults: a Harvard team found no overall effect of more dairy on body weight. Dairy did lower weight in short trials and in trials where people also ate less, but in longer trials, and in trials without calorie limits, the effect went the other way.
• 14 trials: an Iranian review found that more dairy without calorie restriction did not clearly change weight. Within calorie-reduced diets, dairy groups lost a little more weight, fat and waist size and kept slightly more lean mass.
• 37 trials: a later update found that dairy within a calorie-reduced diet led to about 0.6 kg more weight loss and about 2 cm less waist. Without calorie restriction, the dairy groups gained about 0.4 kg.
• 41 trials on calcium: an Australian review tested calcium tablets and extra dairy. Neither changed body weight. With calorie restriction, around three servings of dairy a day led to about 1 kg more fat loss over roughly four months, without a clear difference in weight.

So dairy is a helper, not a driver. The extra loss in these trials was modest, between about half a kilo and just over 1 kg on average, and the results varied a lot between studies.

The calcium review also tested an old claim from diet blogs: that calcium makes your body burn more fat. Calcium tablets did not change weight, so there is no reason to take them for weight loss.

Yogurt in long-term studies

Yogurt looks especially promising in studies that follow people for years. In three large US cohorts with about 120,000 adults who did not have obesity at the start, each extra daily serving of yogurt was linked with about 0.4 kg less weight gain over four years.

A systematic review of yogurt found the same pattern in cohort and cross-sectional studies. However, the few trials were small and short, and the reviewers concluded they could not show cause and effect. That review was funded by an institute linked to a large yogurt company.

Why the caution? People who eat yogurt often differ in other ways, such as eating more fruit or less fast food. Studies try to correct for this, but they can never do it perfectly.

What this means for you

Choose dairy because it is filling, nutritious and easy to use, not because it melts fat. A pot of plain yogurt instead of a pastry is a real improvement; a pot of yogurt on top of the pastry is not.

Your total intake over the day still decides the direction of your weight. Our calorie calculator gives a rough estimate of what your body uses, as a starting point to discuss with your doctor or dietitian.

Protein and fullness: why some dairy keeps you going longer

Strained yogurt and cottage cheese help with weight loss mainly because they hold a lot of protein for their calories, and protein tends to satisfy hunger well. Milk and plain yogurt bring a fair amount too.

In one small US study, 15 women ate a 160 kcal afternoon yogurt snack with either 5, 14 or 24 grams of protein. After the high-protein Greek yogurt, they felt less hungry and asked for dinner about 25 minutes later than after the low-protein version.

A single small study cannot predict exactly what happens in daily life, and protein from eggs, beans or fish works in the same way. Our page on foods for weight loss explains protein and fibre in more detail, and the macro calculator estimates how much protein suits your height.

Best yogurt for weight loss: plain, flavoured and strained

The best yogurt for weight loss is plain (unflavoured), with no added sugar and a good amount of protein. Plain Greek yogurt, skyr and quark are the most filling; ordinary plain yogurt is a cheaper option with less protein.

The table compares a typical 150 g pot. The “sugars” column shows total sugar, which in plain yogurt is the natural milk sugar lactose. In flavoured yogurts, most of the extra sugar is added.

Two things stand out. The fruit yogurt has about 17 g more sugar than plain low-fat yogurt, roughly four teaspoons, and fewer grams of protein. Plain Greek yogurt has nearly twice the protein of ordinary plain yogurt for about the same calories.

Ordinary plain yogurt has more calcium than Greek yogurt. Straining removes some of the liquid whey, and with it part of the calcium and lactose.

Flavoured yogurt: what to do if you prefer it sweet

You do not need to give up sweet yogurt; you can make it yourself with far less sugar. Stir fresh or frozen berries, a grated apple, a mashed half banana or a pinch of cinnamon into plain yogurt.

If you buy flavoured pots, compare labels and choose the one with the lowest added sugar. The latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest that a yogurt snack should contain no more than 2.5 g of added sugar per serving of about two-thirds of a cup.

Many “light” or “diet” yogurts use sweeteners instead of sugar. They are lower in calories, but some guidelines advise limiting sweeteners too, so plain yogurt with fruit remains the simplest choice.

Is Greek yogurt good for weight loss?

Yes, plain Greek yogurt is one of the most useful dairy foods for weight loss. It is thick, creamy and filling, with around 10 g of protein per 100 g, which is roughly double that of ordinary yogurt.

Greek yogurt is strained, so more of the watery whey drains away. Skyr, an Icelandic dairy food, and quark, common in Germany and the Netherlands, are made in a similar thick, high-protein style.

Protein still varies between products, including yogurts sold as “Greek style”, so check the label. Around 8 to 10 g of protein per 100 g suggests a strained, high-protein product.

Easy ways to use Greek yogurt

• Instead of cream or sour cream: on chilli, curry, jacket potatoes or soup, where it adds protein and saves calories.
• As a dressing base: mix with lemon juice, garlic and herbs, or with grated cucumber and mint for a tzatziki-style dip.
• In baking and marinades: it keeps chicken moist and can replace part of the butter or oil in some cakes.
• As a pudding: with warm stewed apple or frozen cherries and a pinch of cinnamon.

For breakfast bowls and overnight oats, our guide to breakfast for weight loss has ready-made ideas. Yogurt also blends well into a drink; see our smoothies for weight loss for balanced recipes.

Is cottage cheese good for weight loss?

Yes, cottage cheese is a good food for weight loss: it is high in protein, fairly low in calories and filling. Its main drawback is salt, which matters if you have high blood pressure, kidney disease or heart failure.

The salt in cottage cheese is added during making, which is why the no-salt-added version has almost none. A 150 g serving of the 1 % kind holds about a quarter of the US limit of 2,300 mg of sodium a day.

Ricotta is softer and milder but has nearly twice the calories of low-fat cottage cheese. It works well in small amounts, for example spread thinly on toast.

Ways to enjoy cottage cheese

• Savoury: on rye crispbread with sliced tomato and black pepper, or stirred through warm pasta with spinach.
• Sweet: with pineapple, pear or berries; blending it first gives a smooth, creamy texture.
• In cooking: as a lighter filling for lasagne or pancakes instead of a white sauce or cream cheese.

If the texture puts you off, blend it smooth or try quark instead. More quick bites built around protein are in our list of healthy snacks.

Best cheese for weight loss: hard, soft and lower-fat cheeses

The best cheese for weight loss is one you can enjoy in a small, measured amount. Lower-fat and fresh cheeses such as part-skim mozzarella, ricotta and reduced-fat cheddar have the fewest calories, while strong-tasting cheeses such as parmesan or mature cheddar give a lot of flavour from a little.

Cheese is not a problem food. It provides protein and a lot of calcium, but most cheeses are energy-dense, salty and rich in saturated fat. The table shows a 30 g portion, about the size of a small matchbox.

Feta and blue cheese are among the saltiest per bite, while Swiss-type cheese is relatively low in salt. Cream cheese is mostly fat, with little protein or calcium.

Parmesan has the most protein and calcium of the hard cheeses here, and because it is so strong, a tablespoon grated over pasta or vegetables goes a long way.

Practical cheese tips

• Weigh once, then eyeball. Cut 30 g on a kitchen scale a few times so you learn what it looks like, then put the block back in the fridge.
• Grate, do not slice. Finely grated cheese covers more of a dish, so you need less for the same taste.
• Pick a strong flavour. Mature cheddar, parmesan or blue cheese give more taste per gram than a mild cheese.
• Make it part of a plate. Cheese with tomatoes, cucumber, an apple or wholegrain crackers is more filling than cheese alone.

Pizza, cheese sauces and toasties are where cheese calories often hide. Our healthy recipes for weight loss use small amounts of cheese for flavour, and portion control explains simple ways to judge amounts by eye.

Best milk for weight loss: whole, semi-skimmed or skimmed

The best milk for weight loss is the one that fits your taste and your total calories; for most people who drink a lot of it, skimmed or semi-skimmed milk is the easiest saving. All cow’s milks have about the same protein and calcium, so the main difference is the fat.

A glass of skimmed milk has about 65 to 70 kcal less than whole milk. If you drink two glasses a day, that comes to close to 1,000 kcal a week, without losing any protein or calcium.

The 13 g of sugar in a glass of plain milk is lactose, which comes naturally with the milk. It is not counted as added sugar in dietary guidance; flavoured milks and milkshakes are a different story.

If you only use a splash of milk in tea or coffee, the type hardly matters for your weight. It matters much more in large milky coffees, hot chocolate and big bowls of cereal, which can easily hold 300 ml of milk or more.

What about kefir and buttermilk?

Plain kefir and cultured buttermilk are fermented milks with roughly the same calories and protein as low-fat milk. Many people like their sour taste, and some find them easier on the stomach.

The latest US guidelines list kefir among fermented foods that may support a varied gut microbiome. That is a reason to enjoy it, not a weight-loss effect; flavoured kefirs can also contain added sugar.

Oat, almond, soy or coconut milk for weight loss?

For weight loss, unsweetened plant drinks are fine choices, but they are not the same as milk. Unsweetened soya drink is the closest match to cow’s milk for protein, while almond, oat, rice and coconut drinks have much less.

An international study of 148 plant drinks found that protein ranged from almost none in coconut drinks to 8 or 9 g per glass in soya and pea drinks. Oat drinks had a median of about 2 g per glass, rice drinks less than 1 g, and nut drinks around 1 g.

In that study, about four in five plant drinks were fortified with calcium, and just over half matched or beat cow’s milk. Vitamin D and vitamin B12 were added much less often, and only about one in six drinks was labelled unsweetened.

A quick guide to each plant drink

• Soya: the most milk-like for protein. Choose unsweetened and calcium-fortified versions.
• Almond: very low in calories when unsweetened (about 40 kcal a glass), but with hardly any protein. Fine in coffee or porridge if protein comes from elsewhere.
• Oat: creamy and popular in coffee, with a little fibre but little protein. Many oat drinks are sweetened, so read the label.
• Coconut drink: low in protein and relatively high in saturated fat for a drink. Do not confuse it with tinned coconut milk for cooking, which is far richer.
• Rice: naturally sweet, with more carbohydrate and almost no protein. It is the least filling choice.
• Pea: similar in protein to soya, and an option if you avoid soya.

Unfortified plant drinks, including many organic ones, may contain very little calcium. The USDA data show an unfortified soya drink with only about 65 mg per glass, against roughly 300 mg in cow’s milk.

How to read dairy labels: added sugar, protein and salt

Three numbers on the label tell you most of what you need: sugar, protein and salt. Check them per 100 g if you live where that is shown, or per serving elsewhere, and compare like with like.

1. Sugar: plain yogurt and milk naturally contain about 4 to 8 g of sugar per 100 g. Much more than that in a flavoured product is mostly added sugar. In the US, the label shows “Includes … g added sugars” separately.
2. Ingredients list: look for sugar, syrups, fruit juice concentrate, honey and words ending in “-ose”. The fewer ingredients a plain yogurt or milk has, the better.
3. Protein: for yogurt, around 8 to 10 g per 100 g means a strained, filling product; 3 to 5 g is typical for ordinary yogurt. For plant drinks, 3 g per 100 ml or more is close to cow’s milk.
4. Salt or sodium: mainly important for cottage cheese, feta, blue cheese and other salty cheeses. Compare brands and choose the lower one.
5. Calcium: plant drinks and yogurts should say “fortified” or list calcium, ideally about 120 mg per 100 ml, similar to milk.

Words such as “light”, “high protein” or “natural” on the front of a pack are marketing. The nutrition panel on the back is what counts.

Full-fat or low-fat dairy for weight loss: an honest look

There is no clear evidence that full-fat dairy causes weight gain, but lower-fat versions do have fewer calories. For weight loss, that calorie difference is the main thing to weigh, together with your heart health and what you enjoy.

A review of observational studies found that in 11 of 16 studies, people who ate more full-fat dairy actually had less body fat or a lower risk of obesity. Such studies cannot rule out other differences between people, so they do not prove that full-fat dairy helps.

Guidance is shifting. The latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans now say to include full-fat dairy with no added sugars, while still keeping saturated fat below 10 % of daily calories.

Australia’s Heart Foundation says that milk, yogurt and cheese appear to have a neutral effect on heart health overall. For people without heart disease it sees no reason to prefer full-fat or reduced-fat, but it advises reduced-fat dairy for people with heart disease or high cholesterol.

Which should you choose?

• If you drink or eat a lot of dairy, lower-fat milk and yogurt save a noticeable number of calories with the same protein.
• If a small amount of full-fat yogurt keeps you satisfied and stops you reaching for biscuits later, it can be the better choice for you.
• If you have heart disease, high LDL cholesterol or diabetes, ask your doctor or dietitian; reduced-fat dairy is usually advised.
• Whatever the fat level, plain beats sweetened. Butter, cream and ice cream are treats, not everyday dairy.

How much dairy and calcium do you need?

Most adults need between 700 and 1,200 mg of calcium a day, depending on where they live, their age and their sex. Two to three servings of dairy or fortified alternatives a day cover a large part of that.

• United Kingdom: the Royal Osteoporosis Society says most adults need 700 mg a day, and around 1,000 mg if a doctor advises it because of osteoporosis risk.
• United States: the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation advises 1,000 mg a day for women up to 50 and men up to 70, and 1,200 mg after that.
• Servings: the latest US guidelines suggest three servings of dairy a day at 2,000 kcal, adjusted to your own calorie needs.

Low-fat dairy contains just as much calcium as full-fat. A glass of milk gives around 300 mg, a 150 g pot of plain yogurt 165 to 300 mg, and 30 g of cheddar about 215 mg.

Calcium also comes from calcium-set tofu, fortified plant drinks, green vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage, and fish such as tinned sardines. Spinach contains calcium but the body absorbs little of it.

Food is the best source of calcium. Whether you need a supplement is something to discuss with your doctor; extra calcium tablets do not help weight loss, as the review above showed.

Lactose intolerance and milk allergy: safe alternatives

Lactose intolerance and milk allergy are different conditions that need different approaches. Lactose intolerance is a problem digesting milk sugar; milk allergy is an immune reaction to milk protein and can be serious.

Lactose intolerance

Most people with lactose intolerance can still enjoy some dairy. A systematic review of trials found that most adults with lactose intolerance or malabsorption tolerate 12 to 15 g of lactose at once, about the amount in a glass of milk.

Hard cheeses such as cheddar, parmesan and Swiss contain almost no lactose, under 1 g of sugar per 30 g. Strained yogurt has less than ordinary yogurt, and lactose-free milk and yogurt are widely available.

Spreading dairy over the day, in small amounts with meals, often works better than one large glass. If your symptoms are severe or you are not sure what causes them, see your doctor before cutting out whole food groups.

Milk allergy

Milk allergy is most common in young children: about 2 to 3 in 100 children under three are allergic to milk, and around 80 % outgrow it before 16. Some adults still have it.

The only way to manage a milk allergy is to avoid milk protein completely. Lactose-free milk is still cow’s milk with the same proteins, so it is not safe for people with a milk allergy, and many people allergic to cow’s milk also react to goat’s or sheep’s milk.

Milk proteins such as casein and whey can hide in unexpected foods, including some sausages, tinned tuna and protein drinks. Read every label, and work with an allergy specialist or dietitian to plan safe replacements.

If you have a milk allergy, a soya allergy, kidney disease, or have been told to limit salt, protein, phosphorus or potassium, talk to your doctor or dietitian before you change how much dairy or plant drink you have.

Good milk-free swaps include unsweetened, calcium-fortified soya or pea drinks and soya yogurt for protein, plus the other calcium sources listed above. If you live with diabetes or insulin resistance, plain unsweetened products are the best fit for blood sugar too.

Dairy portion ideas for weight loss

A sensible dairy portion is a 150 g pot of yogurt, a 200 to 250 ml glass of milk, about 150 g of cottage cheese or 30 g of hard cheese. Talk to your doctor first before you make bigger changes to how you eat, especially if you take medicines for blood pressure or diabetes.

Dairy also fits around exercise. A glass of milk or a yogurt after a walk or workout brings protein and fluid together, as our page on what to eat before and after a workout explains.

If you do not eat dairy, you can build the same plate with soya yogurt, tofu or beans. For other protein foods that work at breakfast, our guide to eggs for weight loss is a good next read.

Dairy, walking and moving more

Food choices work best together with regular movement. In the trials above, dairy helped mainly as part of eating a little less, and activity adds to that by helping you keep muscle while you lose fat.

Start where you are. Our guide to walking for weight loss builds up step by step, and our free workout videos begin with seated sessions if walking is difficult right now.

How Obesity Foundation helps you lose weight with good food

We help people lose weight and get healthier with good food, suitable exercise and walking. Everything we offer is free, and you decide how much of it you use.

• A free eating plan: meals that suit your taste and budget, with dairy, without dairy or with plant alternatives. Request your free eating plan, or browse our sample 7-day eating plan first.
• 150 workout videos: three levels, Start, Build and Strong, from chair-based sessions upwards. Get the free workout videos.
• A free video meeting (in English): talk through food choices, labels or allergies with someone who listens without judging. Book your video meeting.
• The Obesity Foundation Club: your free account to track progress and ask questions. Join the Club for free.

One easy step for this week: swap one sweetened yogurt or snack for plain yogurt with fruit, and see how long it keeps you satisfied.