To take Greek or Greek-style yoghurt to the gym and keep it fresh, first choose a format you can store at the temperature stated on the packaging. Use an insulated bag and a cool pack for the journey. If protein content or not needing refrigeration matters more to you than texture, compare skyr or a drinkable format respectively, but don’t mistake either for Greek yoghurt. The words ‘mature’ or ‘aged’ aren’t enough to define a feature you can compare: ask the manufacturer what they mean for the specific product.
You want to eat yoghurt with a spoon after your workout and can keep it chilled during the journey. The DGCCRF recommends using an insulated bag to transport chilled food. Also check the storage temperature for the pot you choose.
You’re happy to compare Greek yoghurt with skyr or a high-protein dairy product. Check the figures for the serving you plan to eat: values per 100 g and per pot don’t necessarily refer to the same amount.
Your snack will be in your bag for several hours without a cool bag. Look for a stated time that the specific product can be kept out of the fridge, rather than assuming the same applies to another yoghurt.
For a snack in your gym bag, first work out whether you can keep a chilled product cold. Then choose between a creamy pot, a higher-protein alternative and a drinkable format, based on what you want to eat and how much room you have in your bag.
Choose this if: you want a creamy snack to eat with a spoon and can keep the pot chilled until you’re ready to eat it.
Bear in mind: you’ll need a way to keep it cold while you travel, and you’ll need a spoon.
Choose this if: protein per serving matters more to you than buying Greek yoghurt specifically.
Bear in mind: the product category and recipe are different; check the storage instructions for the product you choose, too.
Choose this if: you prefer a drinkable format and can find a stated time out of the fridge that suits your journey.
Bear in mind: a fruit drinking yoghurt isn’t the same product category or texture as Greek yoghurt eaten with a spoon.
| Consideration | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Keeping it chilled | The temperature range on the packaging and how you’ll maintain it during the journey. Auchan.fr states 0 °C to +6 °C for its plain Greek-style yoghurt; the Danone product information states +1 °C to +6 °C. | I can take a chilled pot with me, but I need to keep it cold until my break; around 36% of consumers would prioritise keeping it chilled. |
| Protein per serving | The amount per 100 g, the pot size and the product description. Don’t confuse the value per pot with the value per 100 g. | After a workout, I choose my snack based first on the protein in the serving, even if that means choosing skyr rather than Greek yoghurt; for around 21% of consumers, protein content would be the main consideration. |
| Transport without refrigeration | The format and any specific stated time the product can be kept out of the fridge. Yoplait says its 180 g Yop, a fruit drinking yoghurt, can be kept out of the fridge for up to 8 hours. | Without a cool bag or a fridge at my destination, I need a product that’s suitable for my journey; ease of transport would be the priority for around 29% of consumers. |
| Texture and recipe | The product description, ingredients and fat content per 100 g. If the word ‘mature’ appears in the product description, ask what it means. | If texture matters most to me, I compare the recipes rather than relying on the word ‘mature’; around 14% of consumers would put this preference first. |
The product name doesn’t replace its storage instructions. The Danone and Auchan Greek-style yoghurt pots mentioned here state refrigerated temperature ranges, and the DGCCRF recommends using an insulated bag to transport chilled food.
Before you set off, check the temperature stated on the pot and make sure you can maintain it during the journey. Don’t assume that a time out of the fridge stated for a drinking yoghurt also applies to this pot.
Texture and protein content are two separate considerations. Auchan.fr states that its plain Greek-style yoghurt contains 3.2 g of protein per 100 g, while Yoplait states that the stirred skyr mentioned here contains 7.6 g per 100 g. These are different product categories.
Compare the protein, fat and sugar content, as well as the amount you’ll actually eat, using the nutritional information for each product.
These words alone don’t tell you about the texture, recipe or taste of the pot you plan to take with you.
Ask what feature the manufacturer means, then compare the product descriptions, ingredients and nutritional information for the products you’re interested in.
A product described as ‘Greek-style’ and a yoghurt made in Greece don’t necessarily come from the same place. For example, Carrefour.fr describes the 1 kg Mavrommatis as made in Greece.
If origin matters to you, check the country of manufacture and the origin of the milk separately for the exact product you’re considering.
These examples show different formats and product categories; the details given apply to the specific products named, not to every product from each brand.
A plain Greek-style dairy product in 4 × 110 g portions, worth considering if you can keep a pot chilled while you travel.
Carrefour.fr features Mavrommatis strained Greek yoghurt, made in Greece and sold in a 1 kg tub.
Plain Greek-style yoghurt in 4 × 125 g pots for anyone who prefers to take an individual portion.
Lidl sells an Eridanous ‘Greek-style yoghurt’ product described as creamy.
Its Yop and skyr products offer two other types of dairy snack to compare, without presenting them as Greek yoghurt.
Don’t rely on an ordinary bag to keep a refrigerated pot cold all day. The DGCCRF recommends using an insulated bag to transport chilled food and limiting the time it spends in transit. Follow the temperature range shown on the pot you take with you.
It may suit you if you want a drinkable format, but it’s a different product category with a different texture. Yoplait states that its 180 g fruit Yop can be kept out of the fridge for up to 8 hours; this guidance doesn’t apply to a pot of Greek yoghurt.
No. Products sold under these names have different descriptions and recipes, which you should check separately. The Danone product information mentioned here describes a ‘plain dairy product’, Auchan’s describes plain stirred yoghurt, while the Yoplait product is stirred skyr. Read the product description and ingredients for the specific product before comparing its nutritional values.
On its own, the word doesn’t tell you which feature of the yoghurt it refers to. If you see it in a product description, ask the manufacturer whether it describes the recipe, texture or another quality, then check the information for the pot in question.
Check the ingredients list for the specific product and variety before you buy. The product information for the Danone and Auchan pots mentioned here lists milk and cream; don’t assume another product has the same ingredients.