Vaalia Probiotics yoghurt review
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of Vaalia Probiotics yoghurt. We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition and flavour of this health-focused yoghurt.
For this review we have tested the natural version.
This yoghurt is available widely in Australian supermarkets.
Ingredients of Vaalia Probiotics yoghurt
Along with milk and milk solids, this yoghurt also includes inulin, a dietary fibre and various strains of bacteria.
There’s no added gelatin, sugar or sweeteners - as you would expect from a health-focused yoghurt.
Benefits of Vaalia Probiotics yoghurt
This yoghurt has numerous health benefits which help it sit above competitors. For context, we’ll compare a few key factors against Tamar Valley yoghurt - which is another high quality and popular Australian yoghurt, however it doesn’t pitch itself as such a health product as Vaalia does. (Read our review of Jalna Greek Plus yoghurt for another comparison with Vaalia.)
Calcium
Vaalia has around 30% more calcium than Tamar Valley - 200mg per 100g vs 148mg per 100g.
Protein
Vaalia is slightly higher in protein at 6%, whereas Tamar Valley has 5%.
Fat
Vaalia has *far less* fat than Tamar Valley - 1.9% vs 9.6%
Probiotics
While Tamar Valley gives no information on the strains of bacteria present or their number (ie colony forming units), Vaalia does mention the strains and colony forming units included.
Vaalia includes the following probiotics:
L. acidophilus
Bifidobacterium
Lactobacillus GG
On their website, they claim that clinical studies show that the last two of these probiotics “survive through the gastrointestinal tract to deliver immune and digestive health benefits”.
In terms of colony forming units, there is a minimum of 1 billion per 100g for each of these strains - which is higher than most other brands.
Read more about the benefits of probiotic foods.
Prebiotics
Along with probiotics, Vaalia also includes prebiotic fibre in the form of inulin. This fibre will feed the good bacteria in your gut and help them multiply.
There is 1.8g of dietary fibre per 100g in this yoghurt.
Appearance
It looks like yoghurt! Plain white.
It also looks runnier than Tamar Valley in the way it sinks in a bowl almost uniformly as a liquid would.
Texture
The texture is thick enough, but I wouldn’t describe it as creamy. The mouthfeel is definitely less satisfying than Tamar Valley - which is undoubtedly due to the much lower fat content in Vaalia.
You can’t have everything ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
Flavour
It has a typical soured milk aroma.
The taste is not very sour and quite approachable.
Overall, the taste is fine - but the lack of creaminess prevents it being luxurious.
Cost of Vaalia Probiotics yoghurt
The normal retail price for a 900g tub from Coles is $7. I think this is quite good value considering the health benefits of this yoghurt.
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)
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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