After all of the articles I’ve written lately, and all the nutrition advice I’ve been spouting recently people are now asking me “are milk and yoghurt bad for you? Do they make you fat??”

I think people ask this question because milk and yoghurt are usually high in sugar (lactose), which is a really bad idea if  you’re trying to lose belly fat quickly. What’s more,  if you purchase the sugar-free yoghurts, keep in mind they are typically packed with artificial sweeteners which can also lead to fat gain (remember the aspartame scares?).

Because of the sugar content of milk and traditional yogurts, you shouldn’t consume too much of them. And when you do, I recommend the organic versions to avoid the hormones and other chemicals found in processed dairy products. (for a high quality source of protein and calcium cottage cheese is always good.)

With that in mind, below is a few quick swaps you can make to reduce belly fat when it comes to dairy products.

Let’s compare whole milk almond milk. The whole milk has 8 g of total fat and 11 g of sugar compared to the almond milk which has just 3 g of fat and no sugar. Lower fat milk has even more sugar. The bottom line: It makes a big difference. Try mixing natural sweetener such as Sweet Freedom into your cereal when using unsweetened almond milk.

A lot of people think that yoghurt is a nutritious snack, but you’ve got to be very careful. For example, Yoplait’s Original Yoghurt, 99% fat free, contains high fructose corn syrup and 27 g of sugar in a little six ounce container! What’s more, the Yoplait Light fat-free version still contains 14 g of sugar in just a six ounce container, and it also contains high fructose corn syrup. On the other hand, Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt contains only 5 g of sugar and has no high fructose corn syrup and double to triple the protein of most brands. Try mixing in a little Sweet Freedom and a few frozen blueberries to make this a special treat.

“Bird’s Dream Topping with no added sugar” is one of my “most wanted” obesity additive foods. Right on the label, it sounds healthy because it has the words “No Added Sugar” spread across it. However, when you look at the ingredients, the first ingredient is hydrogenated vegetable oil (fats), and the second is maltodextrin (sugars). Not exactly healthy! On the other hand, Anchor Light Dairy Cream (squirty cream) is made from real cream and it does not contain any trans fats or hydrogenated oil or high fructose corn syrup. It’s a much better choice.

As an extra bonus, I’ve included Coffee-Mate Creamer. What a joke. The front of the package says it has 0 g of trans fat. However, its second ingredient is partially hydrogenated oil! So, the product’s main ingredient, besides sugar, is hydrogenated oil which is just another form of trans fat. Don’t use this product in your coffee. Instead, opt for a natural sweetener and a low fat dairy product or unsweetened almond milk. You’ll be far better off in the future.

Eye opening information isn’t it? Please leave your comments below.

Yours in fitness,

Simon Caddy
Body Transformation Expert