Jalna Greek Plus yoghurt review
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of Jalna Greek Plus yoghurt. We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition and flavour of this very gut-friendly pot-set yoghurt.
This yoghurt is exclusive to Woolworths supermarkets in Australia.
Jalna has a few yoghurts with similar names, so this one is not to be confused with their regular Jalna Greek style yoghurt.
What is ‘pot set’ yoghurt?
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.
Pot set yoghurt can have a less appealing texture and creaminess, but as we will see that doesn’t apply in this case!
Ingredients of Jalna Greek Plus yoghurt
This is a fairly simple yoghurt with only milk, cream, vegetable fibre (prebiotics) and probiotics.
It doesn’t contain any additives like thickeners, sweeteners or flavourings.
It’s essentially an authentic, natural yoghurt with prebiotics added for extra health benefits.
Benefits of Jalna Greek Plus yoghurt
This yoghurt comes with some great health benefits, especially related to its prebiotics and probiotics.
For context, we’ll compare a few key factors against Vaalia Probiotics yoghurt which is one of its closest competitors.
Live cultures
Jalna Greek Plus yoghurt contains five strains of live cultures - Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus paracasei. And each of these strains are consider probiotic which means they bring health benefits to us. On their website, Jalna claim the last two strains have been scientifically shown to reduce bloating and improve digestion.
For comparison, Vaalia contains three strains of probiotics.
In terms of the amount of actual live cultures present (ie colony forming units), Jalna Greek Plus has more than a billion CFU per 100g. However, this number refers to all of the strains combined.
In contrast, there are over a billion CFU per 100g of each of the three strains in Vaalia.
Read more about the benefits of probiotic foods.
Postbiotics
Postbiotics are essentially things probiotics produce during fermentation. These include healthy short-chain fatty acids which nourish our gut lining and may help reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
Prebiotics
Along with probiotics, 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.
Read more about the benefits of prebiotics.
Other health measures
Fat: This yoghurt has high fat levels at 9.8%. Whereas Vaalia has only 1.9% fat.
Protein: Its protein content is moderate at 3.6% - which is significantly below Vaalia at 6%.
Calcium: Its calcium content is also moderate at 112mg per 100g - which is much below Vaalia at 200mg.
Appearance
As the picture below shows, it maintains an irregular shape in the bowl and looks very much like ice cream.
Texture
The texture is very thick and beautifully creamy. Yum. But you would expect this given the fat level!
Flavour
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.
Use
Because of its fantastic taste, you could use this yoghurt in any application - on its own, with fruit, on cereal, in a smoothie or in marinades.
And because of its high fat content it is likely to be very satiating which would make it a good mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack with fruit, nuts and seeds on top.
Cost of Jalna Greek Plus yoghurt
You can buy a 1kg tub from Woolworths for $8.80 - which puts it on the expensive end of the spectrum.
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
premium price
Health benefits of yoghurt
Aside from the specific benefits listed above, especially related to probiotics and postbiotics, yoghurt has some other important health benefits.
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 by bacteria during the fermentation process. 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!
