Dairy & Eggs
Non-Fat Yogurt in gelato
Non-fat (skim-milk) plain yogurt is fermented skimmed milk with essentially no fat (about 0.2%), roughly 14% total solids and 5.7% protein. In gelato it is the defining ingredient of frozen-yogurt bases, supplying tang, milk solids and lactose while keeping fat close to zero.
Balancing parameters
Per 100 g of product, verified against independent food-science sources (listed below).
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Solids | 14.4% |
| Water | 85.6% |
| Sugars | 0% |
| Fat | 0.2% |
| MSNF | 14.2% |
| Protein | 5.7% |
| POD (sweetening power) | 1.2 |
| PAC (anti-freezing power) | 7.7 |
Typical use: 20-45% of the mix in frozen-yogurt bases, commonly around 25-35%.
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Open the balancerHow to use it in gelato
Use non-fat yogurt as the flavor and acidity backbone of frozen-yogurt style gelato, typically replacing part of the milk in the base. It contributes MSNF and about 7 g of lactose per 100 g: lactose has low sweetening power (POD near 16 versus sucrose 100) but full anti-freezing power (PAC near 100), so yogurt lowers the freezing point modestly without adding perceived sweetness. Because it is fat-free and roughly 85% water, leaning on it too heavily makes the mix thin and icy, so raise total solids with skim-milk powder or a little cream and add monosaccharides such as dextrose or invert sugar to keep it scoopable. Add the yogurt cold, ideally after pasteurizing the rest of the base, to preserve live cultures and fresh acidity.
Origin & background
Yogurt is one of the oldest fermented dairy foods, with origins traced to Central Asia and Mesopotamia thousands of years ago, and the modern commercial industry is commonly credited to Isaac Carasso, who founded Danone in Barcelona in 1919. Non-fat yogurt is produced by culturing skimmed milk with Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. As a citable reference point, the USDA entry 'Yogurt, plain, skim milk' lists 0.18 g fat and 5.73 g protein per 100 g.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central / SR Legacy - 'Yogurt, plain, skim milk' (per 100g: protein 5.73g, fat 0.18g, carbohydrate 7.68g, 56 kcal): https://foods.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/usda/plain-yogurt-(skim-milk)?portionid=56518&portionamount=100.000
- USDA 'Non Fat Yogurt' (FDC #170887, myfooddata mirror; ~85-86% water, 5.7-5.8g protein, 0.2g fat, ~7.7g carb per 100g): https://tools.myfooddata.com/nutrition-facts/170887/wt3
- FatSecret USDA plain yogurt (skim milk) summary page: https://foods.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/usda/plain-yogurt-(skim-milk)
- Ice Cream Calculator - Balancing knowledge base (PAC/POD, MSNF and lactose in dairy for gelato), supporting reference: https://icecreamcalc.com/knowledge-base/balancing/