Does Greek Yogurt Have Sugar?
Why does the nutritional label on plain Greek yogurt state there is sugar even when sugar isn’t listed in the ingredient list?
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Any plain Greek yogurt with no added sugar will still list some sugar on the nutritional label, anywhere between 6 and 12 grams, depending on the brand and size of the container. What that represents is the natural sugar found in milk, called lactose. The government does not currently require food manufacturers to differentiate between naturally occurring sugars and added sugars on food labels.
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Remember this: There are 9 grams of lactose in 8 ounces of plain Greek yogurt. Adjusting for size of container, with 5.3-ounce containers being the most common, that would mean there is 6 grams of lactose in that container of yogurt. So, if you are eating a flavored yogurt, subtract 6 from the total sugars, which will leave you with the amount of added sugar. There are 4 grams of sugar in 1 teaspoon, so do the math to see how many teaspoons of added sugar is in flavored yogurt. We recommend that you use plain Greek yogurt and add your own flavoring with fresh fruit.