Stonyfield Greek Yogurt: What You Need to Know
Stonyfield Greek yogurt at a glance
Stonyfield Greek yogurt is an organic, strained yogurt sold in plain whole milk and plain nonfat tubs, plus some flavored versions. On its own product pages, both plain tubs list a single ingredient, cultured pasteurized organic milk, along with 16 grams of protein and 0 grams of added sugar per 3/4 cup (Stonyfield whole milk plain; Stonyfield nonfat plain).
If you want a plain Greek yogurt with live cultures, no added sugar and organic milk, the plain tubs fit that description. The flavored cups and tubs are a different food, mostly because of the added sugar. The rest of this guide covers what is in the plain versions, how they compare with average Greek yogurt, and how to use them.
Ultimate Gut is published by Ultimate Health Solutions, which sells a yogurt maker, probiotic capsules and an inulin fiber supplement. None of the products reviewed here are ours, and these brands don’t pay us. All label details below come from Stonyfield’s own product pages, checked in October 2026.
What Stonyfield Greek yogurt is
Stonyfield began in 1983 as a small organic farming school in New Hampshire, and the company says it introduced the first organic Greek yogurt made in the US in 2007 (Stonyfield history). In 2017, Danone agreed to sell Stonyfield to the French dairy group Lactalis for $875 million (CNBC). The Greek line was first sold under the name Oikos. Trade press reported in January 2013 that the company was dropping the Oikos name and relaunching the line as Stonyfield Greek (Dairy Foods).
Greek yogurt is regular yogurt with much of the liquid whey drained off. A 2022 review in the Journal of Dairy Research describes it as strained yogurt with higher total solids and lower lactose than regular yogurt (Gyawali et al.). That is why it is thicker and higher in protein per spoonful. For the full process, see how Greek yogurt is made.
“Organic” on a dairy label has a specific meaning. Under the USDA organic pasture rule, cows must graze for at least 120 days a year and get at least 30% of their dry matter intake from pasture during that season (USDA National Organic Program pasture guide). Stonyfield’s pages also say the milk is pasture raised and that the products are Non-GMO Project Verified.
What the labels show
Here is what Stonyfield publishes for its two plain Greek tubs, set beside USDA averages for Greek yogurt and for regular whole milk yogurt. The USDA figures are per 100 grams in FoodData Central, so we scaled them to the same 170-gram serving. They are typical values, not measurements of any one brand.
| Per 3/4 cup (170 g) | Calories | Protein | Fat | Total sugars | Added sugars | Calcium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stonyfield Greek whole milk, plain | 150 | 16 g | 6 g | 5 g | 0 g | 170 mg |
| Stonyfield Greek nonfat, plain | 90 | 16 g | 0 g | 4 g | 0 g | 170 mg |
| USDA Greek yogurt, plain, whole milk | 165 | 15.3 g | 8.5 g | 6.8 g | n/a | 170 mg |
| USDA Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat | 100 | 17.3 g | 0.7 g | 5.5 g | n/a | 187 mg |
| USDA regular yogurt, plain, whole milk | 104 | 5.9 g | 5.5 g | 7.9 g | n/a | 206 mg |
A few things stand out. Stonyfield’s whole milk Greek lists less fat (6 grams) than the USDA whole milk Greek average (about 8.5 grams), so it sits a little lighter than many full-fat Greek yogurts. Both plain tubs land close to the USDA averages for protein. And either Greek version has roughly two and a half times the protein of regular whole milk yogurt, while regular yogurt lists a bit more calcium.
The flavored versions change the picture. The page for Stonyfield’s 100% grassfed Greek whole milk vanilla, for example, lists 14 grams of total sugar per 3/4 cup, 9 grams of it added (Stonyfield grassfed Greek vanilla). The FDA’s Daily Value for added sugar is 50 grams a day on a 2,000-calorie diet (FDA), so one serving uses close to a fifth of it. Which flavors you can find varies by store.
Why it matters for gut health
Live cultures, named by genus and species
The whole milk plain tub lists six live cultures: S. thermophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. acidophilus, Bifidus, L. paracasei and L. rhamnosus (Stonyfield). The nonfat plain tub lists the first five, without L. rhamnosus (Stonyfield). The first two are the cultures every yogurt sold in the US must contain under the FDA standard (21 CFR 131.200).
There are limits to what these labels tell you. They name species, not specific strains, and “Bifidus” refers to the Bifidobacterium genus without naming a species. Neither page gives a count of live bacteria (CFU). So you cannot match these cultures to strain-level clinical trials, and nothing on the label suggests the yogurt treats any condition.
The NIH’s complementary health center notes that probiotics are found in yogurt and other fermented foods, that effects differ by strain, and that researchers still do not know which probiotics help for which uses (NCCIH). Plain yogurt with live cultures is a reasonable everyday food, not a treatment. Our guide to Greek yogurt with probiotics goes deeper.
Lower lactose
Straining removes some lactose along with the whey (Gyawali et al.), and the NIDDK suggests yogurt as a lower-lactose dairy choice for people with lactose intolerance (NIDDK). A review in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition explains that the bacteria in yogurt carry their own lactase enzyme, which helps digest lactose in the gut (Savaiano, 2014). The plain tubs list 4 to 5 grams of total sugar per serving, most of it naturally present lactose.
How to choose and use it
- Pick plain if sugar matters to you. Both plain tubs list 0 grams of added sugar. Sweeten it yourself with fruit, which lets you control the amount.
- Whole milk or nonfat: the protein is the same per serving. Whole milk adds 60 calories and 6 grams of fat per serving. Choose based on taste and how much fat you want in your day.
- Check the cultures line. Look for the live active cultures list on the tub. Under the FDA standard, yogurt that is heat-treated after culturing must say it does not contain live and active cultures (21 CFR 131.200).
- Read flavored labels closely. Added sugar is listed separately on the Nutrition Facts panel, so the number is easy to compare.
- Cook with it gently. High heat kills the live cultures and can make Greek yogurt grainy. See can you cook Greek yogurt for tips.
Plain Greek yogurt works in dips, dressings, overnight oats, smoothies and baking. Our Greek yogurt recipes and high-protein Greek yogurt recipes are a good place to start. Once a tub is open, keep it cold. Our guide to yogurt storage temperature covers the details.
Making a similar Greek yogurt at home
If you like the plain tubs but want to choose your own milk and cultures, you can make Greek yogurt at home. Make regular yogurt, then strain it in the fridge until it is as thick as you like. The longer it drains, the thicker it gets and the more whey you collect. Our step-by-step guide to making Greek yogurt covers times and temperatures, and the leftover liquid has uses of its own, covered in whey from yogurt.
Starting from an organic plain yogurt with a good culture list, such as one of these tubs, is one easy way to seed your first batch. A fine-mesh strainer makes the draining step much simpler than cheesecloth.
Related topics
- What is Greek Yogurt? A Clear Answer: the basics of strained yogurt.
- Chobani Greek Yogurt: What You Need to Know: another widely sold brand, from its labels.
- Best Yogurt for Gut Health: how to compare yogurts by cultures and sugar.
- Greek Yogurt Protein: how much protein different styles provide.
- Homemade Greek Yogurt: making and straining your own.
Sources
- Stonyfield Organic Greek Whole Milk Yogurt, Plain, 30 oz (Stonyfield, product page, checked October 2026)
- Stonyfield Organic Greek Nonfat Yogurt, Plain, 32 oz (Stonyfield, product page, checked October 2026)
- Stonyfield Organic 100% Grassfed Greek Whole Milk Yogurt, Vanilla, 24 oz (Stonyfield, product page, checked October 2026)
- Yogurt, Greek, plain, whole milk (USDA FoodData Central)
- Yogurt, Greek, plain, nonfat (USDA FoodData Central)
- Yogurt, plain, whole milk (USDA FoodData Central)
- 21 CFR 131.200 Yogurt (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations)
- Pasture for Organic Ruminant Livestock: Understanding and Implementing the National Organic Program Pasture Rule (USDA Agricultural Marketing Service / NCAT, 2011)
- Probiotics: What You Need To Know (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- Eating, Diet, & Nutrition for Lactose Intolerance (NIDDK)
- Gyawali R, et al. A review of factors influencing the quality and sensory evaluation techniques applied to Greek yogurt (Journal of Dairy Research, 2022)
- Savaiano DA. Lactose digestion from yogurt: mechanism and relevance (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2014)
- Added Sugars on the Nutrition Facts Label (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
- Stonyfield’s Oikos brand to become Stonyfield Greek next month (Dairy Foods, 2013)
- Our History (Stonyfield)
- France’s Danone to sell Stonyfield to Lactalis for $875 million (CNBC, 2017)
