(P09-039-24) Plant-Based Yogurt Alternatives: Suitable Substitutes for Cow’s Milk Yogurts?

Objectives: More types of yogurts and plant-based yogurt alternatives are becoming available on the market; however, the extent to which these foods can be substituted based on their fatty acid (FA) contents is unclear due to limited literature available. Our objectives were to analyze and compare the FA content per one cup (245 g) serving of yogurts and yogurt alternatives available on the market.

Methods: A total of 67 yogurt and yogurt alternatives were purchased in the state of Vermont, USA. These included cow’s milk yogurts (n = 45) as well as soy-based (n = 5), almond-based (n = 6), and coconut-based (n = 11) yogurts. Total lipids in each yogurt were extracted, transesterified, and analyzed via gas-liquid chromatography.

Results: On average, coconut-based yogurts contained more total fat per serving than cow’s milk yogurts and soy-based yogurts (18.3 g compared to 10.4 and 5.6 g, respectively; P < 0.01); almond-based yogurts (13.8 g fat) did not differ by total fat content compared to the other yogurt types. Cow’s milk yogurt contained more saturated FAs per serving than almond- and soy-based yogurts (6.90 g compared to 0.97 and 0.80 g, respectively; P = 0.01), but approximately half the content of coconut-based yogurts (16.24 g; P < 0.001). The monounsaturated FA content of almond-based yogurts was more than twice that of the other yogurt types (P < 0.001). Almond- and soy-based yogurts were comparable sources of polyunsaturated FAs (2.95 and 3.16 g, respectively) while cow’s milk and coconut-based yogurts were poor sources (0.37 and 0.14 g, respectively; P</em> < 0.001). Almond-based yogurts had a 120 times greater n-6 to n-3 FA ratio than soy-based or cow’s milk yogurts (P < 0.001); coconut-based yogurts were not compared due to trace n-3 FA content.

Conclusions: In summary, almond- and soy-based yogurts contained predominantly unsaturated FAs, differentiated by their monounsaturated FA contents, while coconut-based and cow’s milk yogurts primarily contained saturated FAs, but were distinguished by their saturated FA and total fat contents. Thus, plant-based yogurt alternatives are not direct substitutes for cow’s milk yogurts and substitutions should be made with attention to these differences in FA content.

Funding Sources: Funding provided by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and The University of Vermont Food Systems Research Center.