Astro Protein & Fibre yogurt – Dietitian Review

There’s a new yogurt in town! This Astro Protein & Fibre Dietitian Product Review will help you decide if this product is nutritionally sound and lives up to its marketing claims. Read on for my review of taste, nutritional properties, ingredients, uses, cost, and overall versatility before you buy.

About Astro Protein & Fibre yogurt

Astro Protein & Fibre is a stirred yogurt. Stirred yogurt is the traditional form of yogurt made by fermenting milk in a large batch, then cooling and stirring it to create a creamy texture. This yogurt is different from other traditional yogurts on the market because it is higher in protein and a source of fibre. Astro promotes this yogurt as “full of protein and fibre, great tasting yogurt that keeps you going through the day.”

This Astro yogurt is available in three flavours:

Plain with a touch of honey and oats
Vanilla flavour with oats
Pineapple with oats
Blueberry with a touch of honey and oats

Taste & Texture

astro protein & fibre yogurt in a bowl

This yogurt has a thicker texture than traditional yogurt, similar to the thickness of Greek yogurt. There are small granules of oat flour in the yogurt that appear gritty. These granules weren’t very noticeable when sampling the yogurt.

I sampled the “plain with a touch of honey” flavour. It has a subtle honey flavour that completely masks the taste of plain yogurt. Based on the flavour description I expected this flavour to be less sweet, and taste more like plain yogurt. Overall, I enjoyed this yogurt.

Astro Protein & Fibre yogurt – Dietitian Review

Ingredients

astro protein & fibre yogurt

Skim milk, cream, bacteria cultures: these ingredients are typical ingredients found in dairy-based yogurts.

Sugar, honey, natural flavour, lemon juice: these ingredients add flavour to the yogurt.

Inulin: this is a type of soluble fibre added to this product to boost the fibre content. As a fibre supplement, inulin is flavourless and blends well into food products. You’ll often find inulin in granola bars, fibre supplements, and cereal on the market.

Oat flour: oat flour is made by processing whole oats into a fine powder. Oat flour adds a subtle oat flavour to this yogurt and contributes to the protein and fibre content. Each Astro Fibre & Protein yogurt flavour includes the statement “with oats”. There are no whole oats in the yogurt, only oat flour.

Priority allergens:

Contains: dairy

Note: always check the nutrition label for up-to-date allergen information.

Nutrition Profile

astro protein & fibre yogurt nutrition facts

Calories: this yogurt contains ~150 calories per 3/4 cup. This is a standard portion size for yogurt, and the calorie content is similar to other flavoured 2% yogurt options.

Fat: each serving provides 3g of fat coming from cream. The fat content is comparable to other 2% yogurt options.

Fibre: a serving of this yogurt contains 4g of fibre. Yogurt is not naturally a source of fibre. The fibre in this yogurt is coming from the added inulin and oat flour.

Sugar: there is 14g of sugar in 3/4 cup of this yogurt. This is comparable to other sugar-sweetened yogurts on the market.

Protein: this is a high-protein yogurt, with 14g per 3/4 cup serving. Protein is coming from skim milk and oat flour in this product.

Other nutrients: similar to other yogurts on the market, this product is a good source of calcium. The manufacturer does not specify if fortified milk was used in this product so the vitamin A and vitamin D content of the yogurt are unknown.

Cost: 

astro protein & fibre yogurt ingredients

This product is sold at a higher price point compared to other Astro yogurt products on the market, at $4.29-5.49 per 650g tub. 

Note: prices reflect regular prices available in Ontario, Canada at the time of this review.

Astro Protein & Fibre yogurt – Dietitian Review

Is Astro Protein & Fibre Healthy?

Yogurt is a highly nutritious option. Compared to a traditional plain stirred yogurt, Astro Protein & Fibre yogurt is higher in protein, fibre and contains added sugar. Let’s look closer at each of these nutrients to determine if this is a better-for-you option compared to its yogurt counterparts. 

Protein content:

A highlight of Astro Protein & Fibre yogurt is its protein content. We recommend including a source of protein with each meal and snack to keep you fuller longer, and this product serves well as a protein option. Each 3/4 cup serving contains 14g of protein which is higher than most traditional stirred yogurt. The protein content of this yogurt is comparable to Greek yogurt varieties, which have ~14g of protein per 3/4 cup serving. 

Fibre content:

The fibre content is what separates Astro Protein & Fibre from its competitors. The added inulin and oat flour provide 4g of fibre per 3/4 cup serving. The benefits of consuming a diet rich in fibre from whole food sources (think: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seeds, and legumes) are well known. Fibre helps maintain a regular digestive system and can help keep you full between meals by digesting slower than other carbohydrate sources. 

But what about fibre supplements, such as the inulin used in this product? There have been many studies done looking at the potential satiating effect of inulin supplementation. One study found that supplementing traditional yogurt with 6g of inulin at breakfast reduced participants’ post-meal perceived desire to eat after eight days of supplementing, but participants reported no difference with perceived hunger or fullness. 

Another study found that the addition of 6g of inulin to a yogurt beverage increased satiety and fullness compared to fibre-free yogurt, however, this benefit was only observed in low-calorie yogurts. There was no added benefit to inulin fibre in energy-dense (high calorie) yogurt, indicating that energy density may have the most significant role to play on hunger and satiety. 

Sugar:

Despite the description of this flavour as “a touch of honey”, this yogurt contains a similar amount of total sugar to other flavoured yogurt products on the market. But how much of this is added sugar? Astro’s Fibre & Protein line does not have an unflavoured option for comparison, but their BioBest plain yogurt (with no added sugar) contains 7g of naturally occurring sugar per serving.

If we assume that Astro Protein & Fibre yogurt contains the same amount of naturally occurring sugar per serving as BioBest yogurt (~7g), we can estimate that Astro Protein & Fibre contains ~7g of added sugar. This is the equivalent to ~1.5 tsp of added honey per 3/4 cup serving of yogurt.

Bottomline:

Including a source of protein and fibre with each meal and snack can help increase satiety and keep you full longer. Astro Protein & Fibre yogurt is an excellent source of protein, though this is not unique to this product. There are many other high-protein yogurt options on the market, such as Skyr or Greek yogurt. Unlike these varieties, Astro Protein & Fibre does not have a plain option for those looking to reduce their added sugar intake.

The addition of inulin fibre is what distinguishes this product from others. If you typically consume flavoured yogurt alone, this product may be a better option for you than others on the market as it also contains fibre. However, a fibre supplemented yogurt is not necessary to boost the fibre content of yogurt. You can also add fibre to yogurt by pairing it with high-fibre foods like fruit, seeds, or oats. These foods will also increase the energy density of your meal or snack, contributing to even better satiety.

Frequently asked questions: 

Is Astro Protein & Fibre yogurt gluten free?

Yes it is labelled gluten free.

Is Astro Protein & Fibre yogurt lactose free?

No, this yogurt is not lactose free.

Is Astro Protein & Fibre yogurt Greek yogurt?

No, this yogurt is a stirred yogurt. Stirred yogurt is the traditional form of yogurt made by fermenting milk in a large batch, then cooling and stirring it to create a creamy texture.

What kind of fibre is in Astro Protein & Fibre yogurt?

This yogurt contains 4g of fibre per 3/4 cup serving from inulin and oat flour.

How many calories are in Astro Protein & Fibre yogurt?

There are 150 calories per 3/4 cup serving.

How much protein is in Astro Protein & Fibre yogurt?

There is 14g of protein per 3/4 cup serving.

How much fibre is in Astro Protein & Fibre yogurt?

There are 4g of fibre per 3/4 cup serving.

Related Posts

Overwhelmed by the variety of yogurt to choose from at the grocery store? Check out our post: How to choose the best yogurt: a dietitian’s guide to the yogurt aisle

Join the Conversation

  1. michael fitzgerald says:

    MIKE FROM CHICAGO, IL. I NEED TO PURCHASE ASTRO YOGURT WITH FIBRE?

    1. As far as we know it’s only available in Canada!

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