Yogurt Healthy Food Guide

Peak season: Available year-round.

Recipe shown above: Pina Colada Yogurt Parfait

Who knew there was so much healthy goodness packed into a creamy cup of yogurt? Low-fat and nonfat yogurt offers an ideal blend of protein and carbohydrates as part of a healthy breakfast, for an energy-packed snack or as a tasty addition to healthy sauces and recipes.

Not only does the calcium in yogurt help to keep your bones strong, but it may also help you shed pounds. Some studies suggest that weight-loss diets that include three to four daily servings of dairy foods are more effective than conventional diets.

Another reason to smile: the probiotics (live active cultures used to ferment foods) in yogurt may also protect against gum disease. Researchers from Japan recently found that people who consumed the highest levels of dairy—specifically yogurt and yogurt-type drinks—had the healthiest gums. These same probiotics may also improve digestion and boost immunity too.