What’s a parent to do when an obese child begs for yogurt? A national brand is spending mega advertising dollars to convince you of the health benefits of its yogurt. Problem is that most commercial yogurts contain substantial amounts of sugar. Even worse are those sweetened with synthetic sugar substitutes. The food giant is attempting to increase its market share by claiming to deliver transcultural dietary health benefits. If the commercially prepared yogurts do contain beneficial bacteria like lactobacillus acidophilus, the benefits are negated by the sugar content.

A better alternative is to use plain, unflavored, unsweetened yogurt. One variation my clients enjoy is this 15 second recipe: To an 8 ounce serving of the yogurt add 4 ounces of natural unsweetened applesauce and cinnamon to taste. This is a diet coaching treat I can recommend for an obese child.