How Many Calories in Greek Yogurt? Official USDA Numbers

A 170g container of plain nonfat Greek yogurt is about 100 calories with 17.3 grams of protein, by USDA FoodData Central data. That is 59 calories per 100 grams, with roughly two-thirds of the calories coming from protein. Low-fat runs 73 per 100 grams and whole milk 97, and flavored cups add sugar, not protein.

Official USDA numbers

Plain Greek yogurt, per 100 grams:

Type	Calories	Protein	Fat	Carbs	Sugar
Nonfat	59	10.2g	0.4g	3.6g	3.2g
Low-fat	73	10.0g	1.9g	3.9g	3.6g
Whole milk	97	9.0g	5.0g	4.0g	4.0g

Per container, using USDA's own container weights where it lists them:

Type	Portion	Calories	Protein	Fat	Sugar
Plain nonfat	1 container, 170g	100	17.3g	0.7g	5.5g
Plain low-fat	1 container (7 oz), 200g	146	19.9g	3.8g	7.1g
Plain low-fat	170g, for comparison	124	16.9g	3.3g	6.1g
Plain whole milk	170g, for comparison	165	15.3g	8.5g	6.8g

USDA lists no container weight for its whole-milk Greek entry, so the 170g rows apply the nonfat container weight to make the three comparable. Protein barely moves across the three: 15.3 to 17.3 grams at the same 170g. Fat is what you are choosing, and it costs 65 calories per container to go from nonfat to whole milk.

Flavored Greek yogurt

USDA's flavored Greek entries, at USDA's 5.3 oz (150g) container where it lists one:

Flavor	Portion	Calories	Protein	Sugar
Vanilla, nonfat	1 container, 150g	117	13.0g	14.3g
Strawberry, nonfat	1 container, 150g	123	12.1g	17.0g
Vanilla, low-fat	per 100g	95	8.6g	9.5g
Fruit, whole milk	per 100g	106	7.3g	12.0g

Compare per 100 grams: plain nonfat is 59 calories with 10.2g of protein and 3.2g of sugar, vanilla nonfat is 78 with 8.6g of protein and 9.5g of sugar. Flavoring adds about a third more calories and roughly triples the sugar, while protein goes slightly down because some of the cup is now fruit or syrup instead of yogurt. Brands vary a lot, so for a specific flavored cup the label is the better source than a generic entry.

Greek versus regular yogurt

Greek yogurt is strained, which removes liquid whey and concentrates the protein. At the same 6 oz (170g) container, USDA's numbers look like this:

Plain yogurt, 170g	Calories	Protein	Sugar	Calcium
Greek, nonfat	100	17.3g	5.5g	187mg
Regular, skim milk	95	9.7g	13.1g	338mg
Regular, low-fat	107	8.9g	12.0g	311mg
Regular, whole milk	104	5.9g	7.9g	206mg

Calories are nearly identical. The difference is the macro split: nonfat Greek has close to twice the protein of skim regular yogurt and well under half the sugar. Regular yogurt keeps more of the calcium, so if calcium is the reason you eat yogurt, regular is the stronger pick.

For protein per calorie, plain nonfat Greek yogurt sits with the leanest foods we have covered: about 17 grams of protein per 100 calories. That is the same range as cooked chicken breast, which works out to about 19 per 100 calories. A container has more protein than two large eggs (12.6g for 144 calories, from our egg guide) at fewer calories.

Yogurt math in real bowls

• Yogurt and banana: plain nonfat container (100) + medium banana (105, from our banana guide) = 205 calories, 18.6g protein
• Same bowl, whole milk: whole-milk Greek at 170g (165) + medium banana (105) = 270 calories, 16.6g protein
• Yogurt with oats: plain nonfat container (100) + half a cup of dry oats (153, from our oatmeal guide) = 253 calories, 22.6g protein
• Yogurt and apple: plain nonfat container (100) + a cup of apple slices (57, from our apple guide) = 157 calories, 17.6g protein

Granola, honey, and nut butter are the usual additions, and two level tablespoons of peanut butter alone add 191 calories (peanut butter numbers). The yogurt is rarely the problem.

Why a photo of yogurt cannot tell you the fat

I switched from MyFitnessPal to AI photo trackers because logging took too long, and then noticed the photo numbers ran low against what my ingredients added up to. Yogurt shows why a camera has a hard ceiling. A bowl of nonfat Greek yogurt and a bowl of whole-milk Greek yogurt look identical: same white, same thickness. At 170 grams, one is 100 calories and the other is 165, and nothing in the picture tells them apart. Neither does it see the drizzle of honey that sank in.

So the fat level has to be said, once. In Nouri, "170g nonfat Greek yogurt with a banana" typed like a note is a complete log, itemized with the reasoning for each line. If I take a photo of the bowl instead, Nouri turns it into a sentence first, something like "bowl of Greek yogurt with sliced banana," and that sentence is where I add "nonfat" or "whole milk" before it counts anything. If the estimate is off, I add context like "big scoop of granola" and it recalculates. Nouri is iPhone (iOS only), and you can try it free.

Breakfast at the counter is also when Siri is fastest: "Hey Siri, track food in Nouri," then "nonfat Greek yogurt with blueberries," with the phone still locked, and the calories, macros, and what is left for the day show up right away. Because yogurt is mostly a protein decision, it pays off in the weekly Nouri Report, which sets your average protein against your target and translates it into protein equivalents.

FAQ

How many calories in Greek yogurt?

Plain nonfat Greek yogurt is 59 calories per 100 grams, about 100 in a 170g container, by USDA data. Low-fat is 73 per 100 grams and whole milk is 97.

How much protein is in Greek yogurt?

About 10 grams per 100 grams for plain nonfat and low-fat, and 9 grams for whole milk. A 170g container of plain nonfat has about 17.3g.

How many calories in a cup of Greek yogurt?

USDA does not list a cup measure for its plain Greek entries, so the honest way is by weight: a container is 170g at about 100 calories for nonfat. If your cup is heavier, scale the 59 per 100 grams to match.

How many calories in whole milk Greek yogurt?

97 per 100 grams with 9g of protein and 5g of fat. At 170g that is about 165 calories, 65 more than the same amount of nonfat.

Is Greek yogurt good for weight loss?

Plain nonfat Greek yogurt is a strong fit for a calorie deficit: about 17 grams of protein per 100 calories, with little sugar. Flavored versions and heavy toppings are where the calories climb, so log those honestly.

Is Greek yogurt better than regular yogurt?

For protein, yes: nonfat Greek has 17.3g per 170g against 9.7g for skim regular, at nearly the same calories. Regular yogurt has more calcium, 338mg against 187mg in USDA's figures, so it depends on what you want from it.

How much sugar is in Greek yogurt?

Plain nonfat Greek has about 5.5g per 170g container, with nothing added. A USDA vanilla nonfat cup (150g) has 14.3g, and strawberry nonfat has 17.0g.

How many calories in vanilla Greek yogurt?

About 117 for a 150g container of nonfat vanilla, by USDA data, with 13g of protein. Low-fat vanilla is 95 calories per 100 grams.

Does nonfat Greek yogurt have less protein than full fat?

No, it has slightly more: 10.2g per 100 grams for nonfat against 9.0g for whole milk. Removing fat leaves more room for protein in each gram.

How much Greek yogurt should I eat a day?

There is no single right amount; it depends on your calorie and protein targets. One container covers about 17 grams of protein for 100 calories, and our macro tracking guide shows how to set a daily protein number.

Is Greek yogurt high in calories?

Not plain nonfat, at 59 per 100 grams. Plain whole milk is 97 per 100 grams and USDA's flavored entries run 78 to 106, still moderate, and toppings decide the rest.

What is the easiest way to track calories in Greek yogurt?

Say the fat level and the toppings in one line, like "whole milk Greek yogurt with honey and granola," typed, spoken, or told to Siri. Nouri itemizes the bowl right away with per-item reasoning, so you can see whether the yogurt or the granola carried the calories.

The yogurt decides the protein and the toppings decide the calories, so name both. Log the whole bowl in one sentence with Nouri, compare it with cottage cheese and other cheeses, and use How to Track Calories Without Weighing Food for the spoonfuls on top.

Sources

• USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: Yogurt, Greek, plain, nonfat (FDC 170894), including USDA's 170g container weight, fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/170894/nutrients (checked October 3, 2026)
• USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: Yogurt, Greek, plain, lowfat (FDC 170903), including USDA's 7 oz (200g) container weight, fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/170903/nutrients (checked October 3, 2026)
• USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: Yogurt, Greek, plain, whole milk (FDC 171304), fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/171304/nutrients (checked October 3, 2026)
• USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: Yogurt, Greek, vanilla, nonfat (FDC 170902), fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/170902/nutrients; Yogurt, Greek, strawberry, nonfat (FDC 170901), fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/170901/nutrients; Yogurt, Greek, vanilla, lowfat (FDC 170907), fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/170907/nutrients; Yogurt, Greek, fruit, whole milk (FDC 170905), fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/170905/nutrients (checked October 3, 2026)
• USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: Yogurt, plain, skim milk (FDC 170887), fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/170887/nutrients; Yogurt, plain, low fat (FDC 170886), fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/170886/nutrients; Yogurt, plain, whole milk (FDC 171284), fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/171284/nutrients, each including USDA's 6 oz (170g) container weight (checked October 3, 2026)
• Per-portion values calculated from USDA per-100g figures times USDA portion weights, rounded to the nearest calorie and tenth of a gram; the 170g low-fat and whole-milk Greek rows apply the nonfat container weight for comparison
• Banana, egg, oatmeal, apple, and chicken breast figures from our own USDA-sourced guides linked above