MSGID: 1:317/3 6476cda8   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    That's not nuts: Almond milk yogurt packs an overall greater nutritional   
   punch than dairy-based    
      
     Date:   
         May 30, 2023   
     Source:   
         University of Massachusetts Amherst   
     Summary:   
         In a nutritional comparison of plant-based and dairy yogurts,   
         almond milk yogurt came out on top, according to new research.   
      
      
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   In a nutritional comparison of plant-based and dairy yogurts, almond   
   milk yogurt came out on top, according to research led by a University   
   of Massachusetts Amherst food science major.   
      
   "Plant-based yogurts overall have less total sugar, less sodium and more   
   fiber than dairy, but they have less protein, calcium and potassium   
   than dairy yogurt," says lead author Astrid D'Andrea, a graduating   
   senior whose paper was published May 25 in a special issue of the   
   journal Frontiers in Nutrition titled Food of the Future: Meat and   
   Dairy Alternatives. "But when looking at the overall nutrient density,   
   comparing dairy yogurt to plant-based yogurt, with the nutrients that   
   we looked at, almond yogurt has a significantly higher nutrient density   
   than dairy yogurt and all other plant-based yogurts."  Working in the   
   lab of senior author Alissa Nolden, a sensory scientist and assistant   
   professor of food science, D'Andrea was interested in comparing the   
   nutritional values of plant-based and dairy yogurts, an area of research   
   she found lacking. Driven by concerns over environmental sustainability   
   and eating less animal-based food products, the plant-based yogurt market   
   is expected to explode from $1.6 billion in 2021 to $6.5 billion in 2030.   
      
   "Plant-based diets are gaining popularity, especially in American culture,   
   but just because it's plant-based doesn't mean it's more nutritious,"   
   says D'Andrea, of Hazlet, N.J., who is heading to graduate school in   
   food science at Penn State. "There has to be specific research that   
   answers that question."  D'Andrea collected nutritional information for   
   612 yogurts, launched between 2016 and 2021, using the Mintel Global   
   New Products Database, accessed through UMass Libraries. She used the   
   Nutrient Rich Foods (NRF) Index, which assigns scores based on the   
   nutrient density of foods. "This allowed us to compare the nutritional   
   density of the yogurts based on nutrients to encourage (protein, fiber,   
   calcium, iron, potassium, vitamin D) and nutrients to limit (saturated   
   fat, total sugar, sodium)," D'Andrea writes in her paper.   
      
   The researchers chose the NRF model based on the nutritional benefits of   
   dairy yogurt, which provides a complete protein, something plant-based   
   products are unable to do.   
      
   Of the 612 yogurts analyzed, 159 were full-fat dairy, 303 were low-   
   and nonfat dairy, 61 were coconut, 44 were almond, 30 were cashew and 15   
   were oat. The researchers used the NRF Index to rank the yogurts from the   
   highest to lowest nutrient density: almond, oat, low- and nonfat dairy,   
   full-fat dairy, cashew and coconut.   
      
   D'Andrea attributed the high scores of almond and oat yogurts to their   
   low levels of total sugar, sodium and saturated fat. She and Nolden say   
   the study's findings can inform the food industry on ways to improve   
   the formulation and nutritional composition of plant-based yogurts.   
      
   One option the researchers offer is creating a hybrid yogurt that is   
   both plant- and dairy-based. This will add protein, vitamin B12 and   
   calcium while still minimizing total sugar, sodium and saturated fat.   
      
   "Going from dairy all the way to plant-based is a big change," Nolden   
   says.   
      
   "There are changes in the nutritional profile, and there's change in   
   the sensory profile, which might prevent consumers from trying it."   
   In fact, a recent study conducted in the Nolden lab led by former UMass   
   Amherst visiting researcher Maija Greis investigated consumer acceptance   
   of blended plant-based and dairy yogurt and found that people preferred   
   the blended yogurt over the plant-based one.   
      
   "Blending provides advantages," Nolden says. "It provides a complete   
   protein, and the dairy part helps to form the gelling structure within the   
   yogurt that so far we are unable to replicate in a plant-based system."   
   The UMass Amherst team says further research is warranted, based on their   
   findings that suggest a way to maximize the nutrition and functional   
   characteristics of yogurt.   
      
   "If we can blend plant-based and dairy yogurt, we can achieve a desirable   
   sensory profile, a potentially better nutritional profile and have a   
   smaller impact on the environment," Nolden says.   
      
       * RELATED_TOPICS   
             o Plants_&_Animals   
                   # Food # Endangered_Plants # Botany # Agriculture_and_Food   
                   # Cows,_Sheep,_Pigs # Food_and_Agriculture # Life_Sciences   
                   # Seeds   
       * RELATED_TERMS   
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   Story Source: Materials provided by   
   University_of_Massachusetts_Amherst. Note: Content may be edited for   
   style and length.   
      
      
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   Journal Reference:   
      1. Astrid E. D'Andrea, Amanda J. Kinchla, Alissa A. Nolden. A   
      comparison of   
         the nutritional profile and nutrient density of   
         commercially available plant-based and dairy yogurts in   
         the United States. Frontiers in Nutrition, 2023; 10 DOI:   
         10.3389/fnut.2023.1195045   
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   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/05/230530173851.htm   
      
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