Sugar in Yogurt question

[BastardCancer]

Can someone please explain to me how it is that fat free yogurt is said to have a lot of sugar in ? Is this sugar that is added or comes about naturally as it is low fat?

Sorry of I appear stupid, but I've just witnessed a (friendly) arguement between two friends, one of whom is doing slimming world and is devoted to fat free plain yogurt, which she is adamant has no added sugars, only naturally occuring ones. And the other who was insistant that all fat free yogurt, plain or flavoured, is the work of the devil and full of sugar.

Almost anything that's advertised as fat free has loads of added sugar, even plain yogurt. It's always either fat or sugar that makes food taste good. Take out the fat, you have to add something to make it taste better nice and that will be sugar (or artificial sweetener)

But wouldnt they have to put that on the ingredients? slimming world friend says her Sainsburys fat free greek yogurt says the only ingredient listed is cows milk

The fat free yogurt fan only needs to look at the ingredients. A plain whole yogurt has only one ingredient, "yogurt". A plain fat free yogurt will list yogurt and sugar (probably along with various thickeners and other additives)

Neither is the work of the devil and both preferable to a fruit flavoured yogurt imo but I'd go for the full fat one every time. It's still relatively low in fat and tastes better.

I have had this argument too!

It was definitely said in the press a few years ago that 'all fat free yogurt, plain or flavoured, is the work of the devil and full of sugar.' Or words to that effect.

This is utter bollocks, lot's of crap fat free yoghurts like Muller corners and such like are indeed full of sugar, but fat free plain yoghurt is not.

I think that they can add more lactose (i.e. sugar) without putting it on the ingredients list, because it's already in milk.
(Different brands of orange juice taste different because most manufacturers add flavourings that occur naturally in oranges in varying proportions.)

Cows milk contains lactose. Lactose is a sugar. ‘Naturally occurring’ isn’t terribly helpful as a description of sugars. Sucrose and fructose occur ‘naturally’ (e.g. in sugar beet and fruit, respectively).

Normally when you take fat out of a food you have to add something in (to improve the texture or mouthfeel and taste). Carbohydrates (e.g. starch, sugar) are a cheap and easy option.

Remember low fat does not necessarily mean low calorie (and don’t lose sight of the fact that you do need some fat in your diet).

hugo I've just randomly looked at two Greek-style yoghurts made by the same supermarket. The full fat one has 5.1g/100g sugar, the low-fat one has 7.1g/100g.

Check the nutritional content and the calories.

I’m curious. If you had a choice between semi-skimmed milk, and milk which was sold as being 96% fat free, which would you choose?

(Full fat milk usually contains about 4% fat, and is thus 96% fat free)...

roses you will notice that the sugar content is also different between whole and skimmed milk.

Plain Fage 0% has no added sugar, the fruit ones (and honey obviously) have added sugar

My DH doesn't understand this either.

PLAIN yoghurt ie usually in a big tub, can be Greek or plain. This is usually (check the ingredients) just yoghurt made from milk, NO ADDED SUGAR whether full, low or no fat. They are made from milk with different fat content e.g. skimmed/semi/whole milk.

Flavoured yogurts almost always have added sugar, and the lower fat ones almost always have more added sugar than the full fat ones.

(Side note - should yogurt have an h? I don't know!)

I am rubbish at explaining it, but my understanding is it takes more an whole milk by volume to make skimmed milk, say 120ml to make 100ml,( I really have no idea) so when the fat is removed there is a bit more sugar in the skimmed milk from the extra 20ml ( or whatever).