Best yoghurt in Australia reviewed
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of some of Australia’s most popular yoghurts, including Tamar Valley, Chobani, Farmers Union, Procal, Jalna, Coles, Woolworths, Activia, Vaalia, and Lyttos and Brooklea by Aldi.
We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition and flavour of these popular yoghurts and see where each yoghurt stands above the competition.
What is ‘pot set’ yoghurt?
A couple of the brands reviewed here (like Jalna and Coles) are ‘pot set’ - so what does that mean exactly?
Pot set yogurt is cultured (ie fermented) and set directly in the container it will be sold in. Other yoghurts which aren’t pot set are cultured in a larger vat and then stirred to create a more smooth texture.
In general, pot set yoghurts tend to be less homogenous and less creamy (but not always as Jalna Greek Plus yoghurt shows). They also have a more irregular texture and it feels like the yoghurt is made up of tiny lumps.
So you could say that pot set yoghurts are more traditional, however I think the texture is often not as good as other yoghurts.
Now, on with the reviews!
Best yoghurt overall in Australia
Jalna Greek Plus yoghurt
Jalna Greek Plus yoghurt does better than any other yoghurt in Australia at combining great taste, good probiotics and prebiotic content.
It is a fairly simple yoghurt with only milk, cream, vegetable fibre (prebiotics) and probiotics.
Jalna Greek Plus yoghurt contains five strains of live cultures which are all considered probiotic (ie they bring health benefits). On their website, Jalna claim two of these strains have been scientifically shown to reduce bloating and improve digestion.
In terms of the actual amount of probiotics present (ie colony forming units), this yoghurt has more than a billion CFU per 100g.
Jalna Greek Plus also includes prebiotic fibre in the form of vegetable fibre. This fibre will feed the good bacteria in your gut and help them multiply. It has 3g of dietary fibre per 100g.
It has high levels of fat though, and moderate levels of protein and calcium.
Flavour
The texture is very thick and beautifully creamy. Yum. But you would expect this given the fat level!
Similar to Procal Greek yoghurt, it has a savoury cheese aroma - which is not a bad thing!
The taste is lovely. It is rich and creamy, with some cheesy notes coming through. The acidity is moderate and definitely less sour than other creamy, fatty yoghurts like Tamar Valley Greek style yoghurt.
Overall, the taste is very nice and thoroughly satisfying.
Cost and availability
You can buy a 1kg tub from Woolworths for $8.80.
Summary
4.75 stars out of 5.
A fantastic yoghurt which ticks a lot of boxes - great taste, added prebiotics and a good range of probiotics.
Pros
5 strains of probiotics
added prebiotics
great, creamy taste
Cons
high in fat
only moderate levels of protein and calcium
Best tasting yoghurt
Tamar Valley Greek style yoghurt
Tamar Valley Greek style yoghurt is best if you want to prioritise taste above other factors.
This yoghurt has only four ingredients - milk, cream, milk solids and cultures.
It does have a high degree of fat compared to others brands and a decent amount of protein.
Unfortunately it doesn’t give any information on the live cultures it contains or the amount of them.
Flavour
The texture is very thick, creamy and luxurious - more so than most of the competition.
The acidity is quite high, so it might not be for people who don’t like sour taste too much. But for me this balances the richness very well.
Overall, the creamy taste, texture and consistency are just very good.
Cost and availability
I bought a 1kg tub from Coles for $7.80.
Summary
4.5 stars out of 5.
A delicious, high quality yoghurt with a strong sour kick.
Pros
great taste
thick and creamy
simple ingredients
Cons
high in fat
some information on the bacterial strains present and colony forming units would be helpful
might be too sour for some
Best yoghurt for gut health
Vaalia Probiotics yoghurt
Vaalia Probiotics yoghurt is the choice for those who want to prioritise health benefits above taste (which is not to say it tastes bad, it doesn’t).
Along with milk and milk solids, this yoghurt also includes inulin, a dietary fibre and various strains of bacteria. This means that Vaalia gives you probiotics (ie live bacteria) as well as prebiotics (ie fibre which will feed the good bacteria in your gut).
In terms of probiotics, Vaalia includes three strains. And it has over 3 billion colony forming units of these probiotics per 100g - which is much higher than most brands.
On their website, they claim that clinical studies show that two of these probiotics survive through the gastrointestinal tract to deliver immune and digestive health benefits.
It also has more calcium than most brands which is essential for maintaining the integrity of the intestinal lining.
And it is low in fat and has a good level of protein.
Flavour
The texture is thick enough, but I wouldn’t describe it as creamy.
The taste is not very sour and quite approachable.
Overall, the taste is fine - but there is something a bit bland and underwhelming about it.
Cost and availability
The normal retail price for a 900g tub from Coles is $7.
Summary
4.75 stars out of 5.
A health-focused yoghurt with good probiotics and added prebiotic fibre for extra health benefits. The taste might not blow you away, but the health factors are impressive.
Pros
various probiotic strains
high levels of probiotics (ie colony forming units)
added prebiotic fibre
low in fat
high in protein
good source of calcium
Cons
the low fat content prevents it from having a nice creaminess
slightly underwhelming taste (without being bad)
Best high-protein yoghurt
Chobani Greek yoghurt
This is the yoghurt to choose if you’re after high protein as well as a good taste.
Chobani has only three ingredients: skim milk, cream and live cultures.
They strain their yoghurt three times to thicken it and increase the protein content. The final product is 8.6% protein.
Chobani includes five strains of probiotics:
Streptococcus thermophilus
Lactobacillus bulgaricus
Lactobacillus acidophilus
Bifidus
Lactobacillus casei
Flavour
It appears thick with an almost cottage cheese-like texture.
The texture is very thick and somewhat creamy. Although the mouthfeel is not as satisfying as Tamar Valley.
In terms of taste, the sourness is quite low for a yoghurt.
Overall, the taste is good and preferable to that of Vaalia.
Cost and availability
The normal retail price for a 907g (hmmm, is that 7g free or 93g lost??) tub from Coles or Woolworths is around $8. This puts it at the premium end of the market.
Summary
4.5 stars out of 5.
A high-protein yoghurt with a relatively low fat level and five strains of probiotics. It’s a great compromise between taste, and good protein and fat levels.
Pros
high in protein
low in fat
five probiotic strains
good taste
Cons
not as creamy as some
price is higher than others
Best value yoghurt
Lyttos Greek style yoghurt
Its gut health credentials aren’t as clear as other brands, but from a taste and value perspective this is a fantastic yoghurt.
It is an authentic natural yoghurt with just milk, milk solids, cream and live cultures.
It doesn’t contain any additives like thickeners, sweeteners or flavourings. And unlike Aldi’s other own-brand yoghurt Brooklea organic natural yoghurt, it doesn’t use milk powders.
It has high fat levels, and fairly good levels of protein and calcium. (More information in our full review.)
Unfortunately it doesn’t give any information on the live cultures it contains or the amount of them.
Flavour
The texture is lovely - very thick with an even consistency and delightfully creamy thanks to all the fat!
The aroma is mainly of cheddar-like savoury cheese and soured milk as you would expect.
In terms of the taste, I absolutely love it - but boy is it sour! The first time you have it the sides of your tongue tingle.
Otherwise there is a fantastic rich creaminess and subtle savoury cheese flavours. The flavour is quite similar to Tamer Valley - rich creaminess backed up by strong sourness.
Overall, the taste is excellent - provided you don’t mind this level of sourness.
Cost and availability
You can buy a 1kg tub from Aldi for $3.99.
Summary
4.5 stars out of 5.
An incredibly good value yoghurt with a great luxurious taste. Just mind the sourness.
Pros
fantastic taste
great value for money
thick, creamy texture
clean and authentic ingredients
Cons
needs more information on the live cultures it contains
high in fat
Runner up yoghurt for value
Farmers Union Greek style yoghurt
This is a great all-round yoghurt for a reasonable price.
Farmers Union yoghurt has only milk, cream, milk solids and live cultures.
It has two strains of live cultures which are common in traditional yoghurts - Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus.
It has moderate levels of protein (4.2%) and high levels of fat (9.4%).
Flavour
It has a normal soured milk aroma as you would expect.
The sourness is fairly low. Some people may find this more approachable, but I would prefer a little more sourness to balance out the rich creaminess personally.
Overall, the taste is quite good though. And it definitely does come across as a natural yoghurt with clean ingredients.
Cost and availability
The normal retail price for a 1kg tub from Woolworths is $6.50
Summary
4.25 stars out of 5.
A good value, clean and natural yoghurt. A good all rounder as long as you don’t mind the fat content.
Pros
good value
high in calcium
good taste (but I’d prefer more sourness)
Cons
high in fat
more information needed on the amount of live cultures it contains
Runner up yoghurt for taste
Procal Greek yoghurt
Procal Greek yoghurt is another good all round yoghurt.
It has simple, clean ingredients - only milk, cream, milk solids and live cultures. So this is a natural, authentic product without thickeners, sweeteners or flavourings.
Like Farmers Union, it has the two common strains of live cultures found in yoghurt - Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus. Procal gives no information on the amount of bacteria present.
Procal has fairly high levels of protein at 6.8%, but also high levels of fat (8%).
Flavour
The texture is very thick and creamy - a gift from the high fat content!
The taste is a little different to other yoghurts we have reviewed. The sourness is low to moderate and there is a slight cottage cheese taste to it - and I don’t mean that in a bad way. This gives it a nice savoury characteristic.
Overall, the taste is very good with a lovely thick texture. It does feel like you are eating a natural, authentic product.
Cost and availability
The normal retail price for a 900g tub from Coles or Woolworths is $7.
Summary
4.5 stars out of 5.
An authentic, natural yoghurt with a unique taste and a good amount of protein.
Pros
delicious, unique taste
high in protein
simple, traditional ingredients with no additives
Cons
fairly high in fat, but below competitors
more information needed on the amount of live cultures it contains
just the two strains of probiotics (as is common in authentic, traditional yoghurts)
Another good yoghurt for gut health
Activia yoghurt
The first thing to note is that Activia has some great aspects for gut health but it does include a lot of additives like flavours, thickeners, sweeteners and colourings. Therefore it isn’t a traditional-style yoghurt.
In terms of positives, Activia has four strains of probiotics, including a unique strain which has been scientifically proven to survive well in the digestive system.
It also has a lot of actual bacteria - 3.5 billion colony forming units per 100g - which compares very well to other brands.
Activia includes lemon pulp which provides prebiotic fibre and lactase which is the enzyme your body uses to break down lactose.
It is high in calcium and low in fat compared to other brands.
Flavour
The texture is thick, but a bit different from the luxurious, creamy thickness of Tamar Valley which comes from the high fat content. In contrast, the thickness in Activia comes from the added thickener which is a modified starch.
In terms of taste, it is surprisingly low in sourness. The vanilla comes through nicely and there is a little citrus in the background.
Overall, the taste is fine and approachable but not very deep or complex. There is something about the texture which isn’t quite right if you’re used to natural yoghurts which don’t use thickeners.
Cost and availability
The normal retail price for a 500g pack (of 4x125g tubs) from Coles or Woolworths is $5.75. This makes it one of the most expensive yoghurt options in supermarkets on a per gram basis.
Summary
4.25 stars out of 5.
A gut-focused yoghurt with great probiotics and an approachable taste. It does include a lot of (not necessarily nasty) additives so it isn’t a traditional-style yoghurt.
Pros
scientifically proven probiotics
high in calcium
source of fibre
low in fat
Cons
a lot of additives including thickeners, flavourings, sweeteners and colourings
expensive
the texture isn’t luxuriously creamy like other brands (with higher fat levels)
Another good tasting yoghurt
Jalna Greek style yoghurt
This pot set yoghurt is very natural and only includes milk, cream and live cultures.
It has three strains of probiotics - Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei and Bifidobacterium lactis. In contrast to other brands which often give no information on the amount of bacteria present (ie colony forming units), Jalna specifies that it has over 1 billion CFU units per 100g.
It is quite high in fat at 9.5% and low in protein at 3.3%. It also has less calcium than other brands reviewed here.
Flavour
The texture is thick but not as creamy as you might expect. It also has the typical small lumpy texture of pot set yoghurt.
Similar to Procal, it has savoury, cottage cheese characteristics.
The aroma is quite cheesy - with mature cheddar vibes.
The taste has a low sourness with subtle cottage cheese aspects.
Overall, the taste is good but with a slightly underwhelming texture, especially considering its fairly high fat content.
Cost and availability
The normal retail price for a 1kg tub from Coles or Woolworths is around $8 - which places it on the more expensive end.
Summary
4.25 stars out of 5.
A clean, authentic, natural yoghurt with a good, savoury taste but underwhelming texture.
Pros
nice, savoury taste
very simple, traditional ingredients with no additives
three strains of probiotics
Cons
high in fat
texture not as creamy as others
low in protein and calcium compare to others
more expensive than others
Another good value yoghurt
Coles pot set natural Greek style yoghurt
This natural pot set yoghurt only includes skimmed milk, cream, milk solids and live cultures.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t give any information on which probiotic strains are included.
It is fairly high in fat at 8.6% and low in protein at 3.4%. It also has less calcium than other brands reviewed here.
Flavour
The texture is thick and more creamy than other pot set yoghurts. It does still have the typical lumpy texture of pot set yoghurts though.
The aroma is soured milk as you would expect but also with some savoury cheese notes.
The taste is more on the sour side than other brands (not a bad thing in my opinion) with subtle cottage cheese characteristics.
Overall, the taste is very good but with that pot set lumpy texture which I find a bit lacklustre.
Cost and availability
The normal retail price for a 1kg tub from Coles is $5.50 - which is great value.
Summary
4.25 stars out of 5.
An authentic, natural pot set yoghurt with a lovely taste. The texture is not as good as other brands which aren’t pot set though.
Pros
nice taste (provided you don’t mind a higher level of sourness)
simple natural ingredients with no additives
great value
Cons
fairly high in fat - but below some similar brands
texture doesn’t match other brands which aren’t pot set
low in protein and calcium compare to others
no information on which probiotic strain are included
Read our full review of Coles pot set natural Greek style yoghurt.
Another good value yoghurt
Woolworths Greek style yoghurt
This yoghurt contains milk, cream, skim milk powder and live cultures.
Because it contains milk powder it isn’t a truly authentic Greek style yoghurt. I wonder if this is how Woolworths keeps the cost of this yoghurt so low...
Apart from this, the yoghurt doesn’t contain anything questionable - there’s no additives like thickeners, sweeteners or flavourings.
This yoghurt contains four strains of probiotics. It has fairly high levels of fat, but good amounts of protein and calcium.
Flavour
The texture is fairly thick and with an even creamy consistency.
The aroma is like soured milk with mild cheesey notes.
The taste is moderately sour with those slight cheese vibes coming through. There’s something a little bland and underwhelming about the taste though.
Overall, the taste is not bad at all, but it is lacking something.
Cost and availability
The normal retail price for a 1kg tub from Woolworths is $4.20. This means it is coming in at nearly half the price of some competitors!
Summary
4 stars out of 5.
A great value, natural yoghurt with good levels of protein and calcium. The flavour won’t blow you away though and it does use some milk powders.
Pros
great value
nice, creamy texture
good levels of protein and calcium
four strains of probiotics
Cons
uses milk powder (along with real milk and cream)
somewhat underwhelming taste - but not a bad taste
lower amount of actual live cultures (ie colony forming units) than other brands
Another high protein yoghurt
Woolworths high protein plain yoghurt
The appeal of this yoghurt is that it has very high levels of protein (9.4%) and very low levels of fat (less than 1g). Less of an appeal is the taste (more on this below).
This is a very simple and clean yoghurt with only three ingredients: skim milk, skim milk solids and live cultures.
It doesn’t contain any additives like thickeners, sweeteners or flavourings. And unlike Woolworths Greek style yoghurt it doesn’t use milk powders.
It contains at least four live cultures, but doesn’t give any information on the actual amount of bacteria present (ie colony forming units).
Flavour
The texture is indeed very thick - but not in a nice creamy way (like Lyttos or Tamar Valley) because of its low fat content.
The aroma is subtle with a bit of pongy cheese coming through.
Taste is unfortunately where this yoghurt falls down. I can best describe the taste as ‘empty’. There’s just not much going on except a subtle slightly unpleasant funky cheese characteristic. There’s a moderate acidity which seems strange without it being balanced by the richness of some fat.
The texture is odd. It is thick as you would want, but again without the fat it’s just underwhelming.
Overall, the taste isn’t awful by any means - just quite unsatisfying.
It’s probably best to use this yoghurt in a smoothie where the taste can disappear amid other flavours.
Cost and availability
You can buy a 900g tub from Woolworths for $6.
Summary
3.75 stars out of 5.
A simple, clean yoghurt with great protein and fat levels, but the taste is a let down.
Pros
very high in protein
very low in fat
four strains of live cultures
Cons
unsatisfying taste
doesn’t have a creamy texture
needs more information on the actual amount of live cultures it contains (ie colony forming units)
Read our full review of Woolworths high protein plain yoghurt.
Other yoghurts in Australia
Brooklea organic natural yoghurt
This Aldi own-brand yoghurt is organic and contains full cream milk, milk powders and live cultures.
Like some other cheaper natural yoghurts (eg Woolworth Greek style yoghurt), it relies on milk powders to keep costs low. So while it is organic, it isn’t a wholly authentic traditional yoghurt.
In better news, it doesn’t contain any additives like thickeners, sweeteners or flavourings. And it is fairly low in fat compared to other brands.
This yoghurt includes at least two strains of live cultures. However, there isn’t much detail as they simply state it “includes Acidophilus and Bifidus”.
Flavour
The texture is fairly thick with an even consistency.
The aroma has mainly savoury cheese notes.
The taste has a low level of sourness - much too low in my opinion. Again the savoury cheese characteristics come through most.
Overall, the taste is not bad. But like Woolworths Greek style yoghurt, it is a bit underwhelming and bland.
Cost and availability
You can buy a 1kg tub from Aldi for $6.
Summary
3.75 stars out of 5.
An organic yoghurt with low levels of fat compared to other brands. It does use milk powders though, which may be why the flavour is a bit lacking.
Pros
organic
low level of fat
thick texture
Cons
uses milk powder (along with real milk)
taste is a bit bland, but not bad
needs more information on the live cultures it contains
Health benefits of yoghurt
Live cultures
These are the live microbes you are ingesting when you eat yoghurt. And many are considered probiotic which means they bring health benefits.
Probiotics offer many health benefits including:
better digestive health
better immune function
reduced inflammation
reduced allergies
better nutrient absorption
Postbiotics
In simple terms, postbiotics are essentially things probiotics produce. These include short-chain fatty acids which nourish our gut lining and may help reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
Prebiotics
Not traditionally in yoghurt but some brands (like Vaalia and Activia) add prebiotics for extra health benefits.
Prebiotics are essentially fibres which feed the good bacteria in your gut and help them multiply.
Vitamins and minerals
Yoghurt is a source of various vitamins and minerals including::
calcium - which helps digestion and supports bone and teeth health
magnesium - which supports bone health, muscle function and energy production
phosphorus - which is important for bone and teeth health and energy metabolism
potassium - which supports heart, muscle, nerve and kidney health
vitamins B2 and B12 - which support immunity, energy production and cell and nerve function
vitamin A - supports vision, immune function, cell growth and healthy skin
Satiety and weight management
The high protein and low carbohydrate content in yogurt, especially Greek-style yogurt, helps you feel fuller for longer which can help control your appetite. Greek yoghurt is often recommended by dietitians for this reason.
Reduced lactose
Compared to unfermented dairy products such as milk, yoghurt has lower levels of lactose as this is partially consumed during the fermentation process by the bacteria. This makes it more digestible for people who have some degree of lactose intolerance.
Your reviewer
This article was reviewed by Travis, the founder of this website, long-time gut enthusiast and passionate kombucha maker!
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