I tried store-brand Greek yogurt from Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Costco, and Wegmans. The winner has a permanent spot in my fridge.

By: Andrea McHugh

13 December 2024 at 13:54

Four containers of yogurt, stacked in two rows, on a gray countertop. They include a white container of Kirkland Signature organic plain Greek yogurt, a white, blue, and green container of Wegmans organic plain nonfat Greek yogurt, a yellow container of 365 organic plain Greek yogurt, and a blue and white container of Trader Joe's plain nonfat Greek yogurt — I compared plain Greek yogurt from Wegmans, Costco, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's.
Andrea McHugh

My family tried and ranked plain Greek yogurt from four grocery stores.
My daughter and I thought Trader Joe's Greek nonfat yogurt had an odd flavor.
The organic plain nonfat Greek yogurt from Wegmans was our winner.

My family consumes a lot of Greek yogurt — most brands are low in carbs, high in protein, and contain probiotics. Plus, it serves as a filling breakfast or snack for my daughter.

Though many brands offer Greek-style varieties, I find they're often twice the price of standard plain yogurt. So, to see which Greek yogurt is the best value, I tried store-brand versions from Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Costco, and Wegmans.

I bought the most basic plain Greek yogurt I could find at each store and sampled them without any toppings. All were nonfat except the 365 brand from Whole Foods, which contained 3.5% milk fat.

Here's how the Greek yogurt stacked up, from worst to best.

Trader Joe's nonfat plain Greek yogurt had a medium-thick consistency.

A white and light-blue tub of Trader Joe's Greek nonfat yogurt, with illustrations of spoons on the packaging. The container sits on a gray marble countertop with blue-and-white bowls in the background — I wanted to like Trader Joe's nonfat plain Greek yogurt.
Andrea McHugh

I liked that Trader Joe's option didn't have the ubiquitous pool of milky whey that sometimes settles on top of yogurt when I open it. The yogurt seemed to have a nice, medium-thick consistency.

At $5.50, the 32-ounce tub of Greek yogurt was the least expensive of the four brands I tried.

The yogurt was creamy but a bit too tangy for my taste.

A white and light-blue container of Trader Joe's Greek nonfat yogurt with illustrations of spoons of yogurt on the container. A blue-and-white bowl filled with white yogurt sits next to the container — In my opinion, Trader Joe's nonfat plain Greek yogurt was very tangy.
Andrea McHugh

Sadly, I thought this yogurt had an intensely tangy, almost sour flavor. Because of its standout creaminess, I'd be more inclined to buy Trader Joe's flavored Greek yogurt with honey the next time I'm at the store.

The 365 organic 3.5% milk fat plain Greek yogurt from Whole Foods was the most expensive option.

A light-yellow container of 365 organic plain Greek yogurt with a red, orange, and yellow design on the packaging. The container sits on a gray marble countertop with blue-and-white bowls in the backgrounds — The 365 organic 3.5% milk fat plain Greek yogurt was the most expensive yogurt I tried.
Andrea McHugh

At $6.70, this 32-ounce tub was the highest-priced yogurt I tried. When I opened the container, the yogurt looked creamy and smooth.

The 365 Greek yogurt tasted mildly sweet, with no tanginess.

A light-yellow container of 365 organic plain Greek yogurt with a red, orange, and yellow design and green lid. The container sits next to a blue-and-white bowl filled with white yogurt — The 365 organic 3.5% milk fat plain Greek yogurt was pretty tasty.
Andrea McHugh

The 365 Greek yogurt tasted fresh and was well-balanced — mildly sweet and not too tangy or tart.

I'd likely use this yogurt in one of my smoothies, as I don't feel it would alter the taste but would add a nice boost of protein.

The Kirkland Signature organic nonfat plain Greek yogurt from Costco was the best bang for my buck.

A large white container with Kirkland Signature and black and green text spelling out "organic Greek yogurt plain" on a gray countertop with blue-and-white bowls in the background — The Kirkland Signature organic nonfat plain Greek yogurt came in a large tub.
Andrea McHugh

Costco sells many items in bulk, including the $6 Kirkland Signature organic nonfat Greek yogurt, which comes in a 48-ounce tub.

At cost-per-ounce, it was the best-value item in this taste test. The entire tub was cheaper than the 365 organic yogurt from Whole Foods and contained 16 more ounces.

The Kirkland Signature yogurt would make a great base for fruit or granola.

A large white container of Kirkland Signature organic plain Greek yogurt with a green lid. The container sits on a gray counter next to a blue-and-white bowl filled with white Greek yogurt — I really liked the flavor of the Kirkland Signature organic nonfat plain Greek yogurt.
Andrea McHugh

The Kirkland Signature yogurt was rich and full-bodied, with just enough tartness to give it some depth.

I appreciated that this yogurt, though less dense than the others, didn't have a puddle of whey at the top. It seemed like an ideal base for fruit, granola, or other add-ins.

Finally, I tried Wegmans' organic nonfat plain Greek yogurt.

Wegmans' organic nonfat plain Greek yogurt had a creamy consistency.

Andrea McHugh

The 32-ounce tub of organic Greek yogurt from Wegmans cost $6 — a pleasant surprise, as I thought it would be more expensive.

Some whey floated at the top of the yogurt, but only creamy goodness remained once I dumped it out.

The yogurt from Wegmans was my favorite.

I immediately thought Wegmans' organic nonfat plain Greek yogurt was delicious.

Andrea McHugh

This Greek yogurt was creamy and smooth with the slightest tang, making it a solid base for add-ins. I think its light consistency would also be ideal for recipes that call for Greek yogurt.

Notably, this yogurt had the most sugar (7 grams) of all four options. My daughter also liked it the most, so I plan on packing it in a container with some toppings for her lunch.

I liked this yogurt so much that I'm permanently keeping it in my refrigerator. The next time we need Greek yogurt, I'll reach for this one from Wegmans.

This story was originally published on June 9, 2024, and most recently updated on December 13, 2024.

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