We Tried Chobani's New Yogurt And It Tastes Like Your Childhood
As Greek yogurt exploded on the scene as a protein-packed health food, Chobani has dominated the market with its thicker yogurt in many different varieties.
And now it's about to stir up the yogurt aisle again. Today, Chobani announced a new product: Chobani Smooth.
It's a better-for-you take on a childhood classic: traditional, or what Chobani calls "Classic," yogurt. For as popular as Greek yogurt has become over the last decade, Americans are still reaching for a traditional yogurt nearly 50 percent of the time. These classic American cultures are the yogurt brands you grew up with (think: Yoplait and Dannon)—but Chobani's is healthier.
Our team at Eat This, Not That! got our hands on some Chobani Smooth and gave it a taste. Read on below to find out our thoughts on this (spoiler alert) delicious new yogurt and discover how it stacks up to the competition. Need another reason to pick up a carton on your next supermarket shop? Don't miss this essential list of 30 Best Anti-Inflammatory Foods!
How Chobani Smooth is Different from Greek Yogurt
Labeled as a "low-fat classic yogurt," Chobani Smooth is more comparable to other American yogurt brands than the thicker Greek yogurt the brand is known for. That's because the yogurt making process is different: Greek yogurt is strained to remove the whey, that liquid you notice when the yogurt separates, which results in less sugar, fewer carbs, and more protein compared to regular yogurt.
Although the smooth yogurt line isn't strained like Greek yogurt, Chobani still manages to retain a lot of protein. The nutrition labels between Chobani Smooth Strawberry and Chobani Greek Strawberry on the Bottom yogurts are almost identical: Both have 120 calories, smooth has just 1.5 grams more fat, and fruit on the bottom has 2 grams more carbs, 1 gram more sugar, and 1 gram more protein.
What it Tastes Like
Our editors tried the Chobani Smooth Black Cherry and found the taste and texture almost identical to Yoplait. Chobani's line of Greek yogurt is markedly thicker, creamier, and a little more tart. The smooth yogurt, on the other hand, is much more watery and has a runnier texture. When you first open the container, you will notice the watery whey has separated from the thicker yogurt part, which requires some stirring to blend it all together.
Since the yogurt is sweetened with evaporated cane sugar, real fruit, and, in the case of black cherry, fruit juice concentrate, the flavor is on the sweeter side, similar to Chobani Greek's flavored yogurts. If you like the taste of flavored yogurts in general, then you'll like the taste of Chobani Smooth. If black cherry isn't your jam, it also comes in peach, strawberry, blueberry, and vanilla.
How the Nutritionals Compare
The texture may be similar to other traditional yogurt brands, but how does the nutrition panel stack up? Chobani Smooth has much more protein and fewer calories compared to Yoplait's Original Strawberry, which has just 6 grams of protein, but 150 calories, 18 grams of sugar, and a whopping 25 grams of carbs. Plus Yoplait is sweetened with sugar and corn syrup, and thickened with corn starch and gelatin, while Chobani Smooth is sweetened with just evaporated cane sugar and uses guar gum as a thickening agent.
Chobani Smooth also has fewer calories than Dannon Fruit on the Bottom Strawberry, which is packed with a shocking 22 grams of sugar and has only 5 grams of protein. Although it's just sweetened with sugar and real strawberries, that's still more sugar than two Krispy Kreme glazed donuts! Eating that much of the sweet stuff at once, especially for breakfast, is a surefire way to spike your blood sugar and leave you feeling tired and hangry down the road. There's a reason Dannon Fruit on the Bottom is one of our Worst Yogurts for Weight Loss.
Aside from a similarly runnier texture and real fruit pieces, all of these traditional yogurts contain active yogurt cultures. These probiotic cultures are helpful for feeding your good gut bacteria, which helps with digestion and can even fight belly bloat and weight gain.
They'll Only Be Available In a 2-pack
One of the downsides of Chobani Smooth is that it's only offered in a two-pack container. Chobani Greek, on the other hand, seems to be available almost everywhere as single 5.3-ounce containers as well as bigger 32-ounce tubs. So if you're looking to just try it out, you'll be stuck with two pots — hopefully you have a friend who is curious as well!
Our Final Verdict
If you're a fan of traditional yogurt's texture, and looking for a yogurt that still comes packed with protein, then Chobani Smooth is a great option. Although there is still 14 grams of sugar per container, it comes packed with 11 grams of protein and just 1.5 grams of fat.
Although we still love Greek yogurt for it's thicker texture and extra protein — especially the plain varieties with no added sugar — Chobani Smooth is a nostalgic nod to the yogurts we grew up with in our lunchboxes. Still prefer Greek yogurt? Check out our list of the 20 Best and Worst Greek Yogurts.
