Anderson Erickson Lowfat Vanilla Yogurt - Product Review

While shopping at Hy-Vee, I noticed that Anderson Erickson yogurts were on sale for 50 cents each. I really like yogurt, although my husband doesn't. And at that price I felt I could afford to be a little self-indulgent. I read the ingredients first. I have found that many yogurts contain high fructose corn syrup, a surprising ingredient for a food that touts itself as being healthy and natural. This particular ingredient actually seems to be more prevalent among the brand name yogurts than the store brands. Other yogurts contain artificial sweeteners that I feel detract somewhat from the product. I was therefore pleasantly surprised to find that Anderson Erickson Lowfat Vanilla Yogurt contained plain old sugar. I usually buy the fruity varieties of yogurt, but was in the mood for something a bit dessert-like and thought vanilla would fit the bill.

Anderson Erickson Lowfat Vanilla Yogurt comes in a 6-ounce plastic cup-shaped container with a blue lid. The graphics on the cup are red, white, and bright blue, with black and white lettering. Towards the top of the container is the white and red AE symbol. The cartoony graphics are a bit odd. On the left and right towards the bottom of the container, are mirror images of blue bowls with blue spoons. What's odd is that the bowls appear to be filled with either a mash of watermelon, or giant strawberries. This mysterious red substance, seeded with black, is then topped with a dollop of what I assume represents the vanilla yogurt inside.

I am guessing that the graphics are meant to suggest that Anderson Erickson Lowfat Vanilla Yogurt would be good combined with fruit. While I didn't eat my serving that way, I think the "suggestion" is a good one. I have combined plain yogurt with fruit before and I do think that this would taste even better, though it might not be as good for you. Anderson Erickson Lowfat Vanilla Yogurt has the custard like texture I prefer in a yogurt, with a density you can slice into with your spoon. It was creamy and sweet with a nice mellow vanilla flavor. All in all, a nice way to start the day.

Anderson Erickson Lowfat Vanilla Yogurt fares pretty well in the "healthy" department too. The ingredient list is fairly straightforward: milk, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla favor, natural flavors, gelatin, and vitamin D3. I like that there are not a bunch of preservatives, like you find in many pre-packaged foods. While there is a lot of sugar (32 grams!), there are only 190 calories per container. And the total saturated fat is only 5 percent. Anderson Erickson Lowfat Vanilla Yogurt also gives a good dose of calcium (25 percent), Vitamin D (20 percent), protein (16 percent), potassium (11 percent), and a smidgen of vitamin C (2 percent). Like many yogurts it also contains acidophilus and bifibum, good bacteria to keep the body in balance.

When I was a kid my family had a yogurt maker. I remember that it took days to get our yogurt to "yog". The result of all the work and patience was some very good yogurt and fond memories. But if you don't have a yogurt maker, and don't want to spend days waiting, I think Anderson Erickson Lowfat Vanilla Yogurt is a pretty good alternative!