Yogurt has been a common choice for breakfast and snacks for quite some time. Not only for adults, but it is also often chosen for children as well.
Yogurt offers many nutritional benefits such as probiotics and calcium while also affording the opportunity for variety.
There are many different options for toppings such as granola, fruit, chocolate chips, and so on.
It can also be served in different ways, like being frozen and served as a popsicle.
GoGurt has worked on creating a yogurt product that is convenient for parents compared to traditional yogurt brands.
Generally speaking, GoGurt is a healthy yogurt option with many nutritional benefits. There are very few unnecessary ingredients, which is something to look for when searching for healthy food options.
Their products range in how healthy they are, depending on which is preferred.
The most healthy product they offer currently would be the “simply” version with limited ingredients and the omission of artificial colors and sweeteners.
Is Yogurt a Healthy Breakfast Option?
As a whole, GoGurt offers a great, healthy option for breakfast or snacks on the go.
GoGurt also has a line of “Simply” products that boast better ingredients compared to their mainline. These are made with no added color, and no high fructose corn syrup.
They use natural flavor and plain sugar as the sweetening agent.
There are less flavor options for this line of products but they still offer the “standard” berry, strawberry, and strawberry banana.
When compared to other common “on the go” breakfast/snack options, GoGurt products offer a good amount of nutritional value.
Many other choices would include ready-made pastry products that are full of sugar and carbs and lacking in vitamins and protein.
Yogurt is a great source of calcium, protein, probiotics, vitamin A, and vitamin D. There are limited other fast snack/breakfast options that offer this much nutrition. Parents are often concerned about their children being exposed to too many artificial color sources.
Even the heavily colored GoGurt products such as the “slushie” flavors are made with natural sources for their colors.
The ingredient list states that fruit and vegetable juice/extract is used for this purpose.
Is Yogurt Healthy for Dinner?
Most commonly, GoGurt is seen as a breakfast or snack option. So why not use it for lunch or dinner?
There certainly is nothing wrong with adding this to your lunch or dinner options, however, it is not likely a great choice to replace the meal.
The serving sizes are relatively small, especially for an older child or an adult, so this would not be very filling as a meal.
Eating enough servings of the yogurt to satisfy a dinner craving would likely result in eating several containers which would up the sugar intake quite a bit.
Also, while this product does have some protein, it does not have as much as you would likely get in a typical dinner, nor does it have other important nutrients like iron.
While this option is fine on occasion, it is not particularly advisable to regularly replace other meals with GoGurt.
That being said, this is still a great food item if this is something that is accessible to you or is one of the very few food items that your child will reliably eat.
Serving it as a side dish alongside meals can be a great way to work in extra calcium and calories during the day.
GoGurt Specialty Products
Aside from their standard yogurt tubes, GoGurt also has a couple of specialty products that have been released lately.
They have a line of “slushie” yogurt tubes that contain an ingredient that makes them seem fizzy when you eat them. These currently come in cherry and blue raspberry.
They also have introduced Dunkaroos in cotton candy, strawberry, and vanilla birthday cake.
These come individually packaged with vanilla-flavored cookies to dunk in each flavor of yogurt. Dunkaroos are marketed as less of a breakfast option, and more focused on snack choices.
If desired, GoGurt can be taken out of its container and “dressed up” for even more added nutrition.
Things such as granola or fruit are wonderful options to add even more nutritional value while still allowing the child to have the flavor of yogurt that they prefer.
Granola is often fortified with iron, a nutrient that is essential for growing kids. Fruit will also add vitamins and fiber to their meal.
Alternatives to GoGurt
Stonyfield Yogurt Cups
Another brand that offers child friendly “on the go” yogurt options is Stonyfield. They boast of using all-natural and organic ingredients in their products.
They also offer a variety of formats for convenience such as yogurt cups, tubes, and squeeze pouches.
They also offer yogurt cups with organic toppings already attached to them to mix in. Stonyfield also offers a line of yogurt smoothies with a wide variety of flavors such as strawberry banana, peach, and berry.
Some smoothies also include other “add ins” such as oats in order to add even more nutritional value. The target age group for Stonyfield seems to be a slightly younger audience when compared to GoGurt.
Their packaging typically includes pictures of toddlers and provides an age recommendation of “6 months +” on each item.
However, these could still be used in the elementary-aged crowd as the nutrition is very similar.
Daminals
Another brand that is targeted toward this age demographic is Daminals. Daminals comes in the form of a smoothie, cup, or pouch and is branded with a monkey mascot on each package.
Their website and packaging offer not only breakfast suggestions but also “lunch box ideas”, suggesting that this product is also aimed at the early elementary-aged crowd.
They also feature Disney, Pixar, and Nickelodeon characters on their packaging.
The nutrition of Daminals is very comparable to GoGurt, as are the flavor offerings, so this would really just come down to cost or preference of the child eating them.
Store Brand Greek Yogurts
Other brands of yogurt are also available in many places, including some Greek yogurt options.
The ones mentioned here are the largest ones present in mainstream supermarkets around the US.
Many of them will have very similar nutrition facts to these mentioned. The biggest difference parents may see is in the quality of ingredients. The biggest things to take note of are the source of sweeteners used and the type of coloring used.
Is it artificial dye or derived from natural ingredients like fruit juice? That being said, the best food for your child is the food that you have access to and that they will eat.
An added perk of yogurt for toddlers is the fun flavor options, this makes it more enticing for them to eat and adds variety if they get tired of one flavor.
About The GoGurt Brand
GoGurt is owned by the popular yogurt mogul, Yoplait. This line of products was specifically geared towards the younger audience in both its flavor selection and product design.
Their main offering is a variety of flavored yogurts in 2-ounce tubes. The tubes are aimed at convenience and less mess, providing a single serving in its own packaging.
They also can be frozen in their packaging and used as popsicles later, or tossed into a lunchbox for it to thaw by lunchtime.
These tubes come in a variety of flavors such as berry, vanilla, cotton candy, and cherry. They also have a “mystery” flavor that is in a mixed box with strawberry tubes as well.
Recently, they have released a dairy-free option that is made with a coconut base. This provides an option for kids with a dairy intolerance who would still like to have similar snacks to their peers.
The packaging of GuGurt products is often targeted toward elementary-aged children with characters like Star-Wars, Spider-man, Frozen, and Spongebob.
They also feature pictures of athletes, such as famous snowboarders.
Often, on each tube, there is also some sort of joke, riddle, or puzzle. This is also meant to engage with the elementary-aged population.
Final Considerations
Overall, GoGurt can be a great option for parents looking to give their children a nutritionally balanced snack or breakfast offering.
There are many options for offering variety both in flavor and in add-ins.
The element of having the food in pouches is often appealing to parents with toddlers, as that is a “fun” food item that they will typically not resist eating.
It is also wonderful for the active lifestyle that society is quickly adopting.
The yogurt tubes can be frozen and taken on the go, they will thaw within a few hours and be ready to eat. They also can be eaten frozen as popsicles in their tubing which is great for a summer treat with minimal mess.
GoGurt is a well-established product with familiarity among many households across the US.
They have continued to successfully provide products that children have enjoyed since 1999, making them a reliable choice to this day.
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