Types of Yogurt in Malaysia Market
But yoghurt is something that I have been included in my diet since I started being health conscious 4 years ago but it wasn't something required in my staple diet as I was also lactose intolerant at that time but over the year my tolerance gradually grew and now I am eating yogurt or drinking milk almost everyday!
As a consistent yoghurt buyer I have noticed the price INCREASE over the years and I was shocked every time I go to the supermarket to restock my weekly yoghurt supply, there is sure an outrageous increase or “so called promotion” price that doesn't make a difference at all =.=
And now there is "GST", can foresee them increasing from RM16.10 to RM17 for local manufactured dairy products, not even imported nor organic lel.
At one point (in 2012-2013), I was spending more than RM80 for my weekly grocery supply when previously it was RM60+. And I was still a student freelancing to pay my rent, college fees and food, it was really tough surviving especially with this kind of healthy diet consisting of more fruits and vegetables, less processed food. Maggi mee is filling and cheap but not an ideal meal if you ask me (eww) :-/
But that didn’t stop me from providing the best for my nutritional needs as I believe we are what we eat and on the long run, my efforts will pay off. When people see my eating and lifestyle, they always assumed I just want to lose weight, but you are not looking at the bigger picture. There are so many benefits from eating clean and exercising, aside from weight loss, I have better immune system (rarely fall sick).
With the insane price increase on the local dairy produce in our market, I have decided to source for something better and more value worth since we are already paying that much, might as well get imported dairy goods right? Lol. That’s my logic la.
If a local 1.4kg (Nestle) yoghurt is already RM16.25 might as well I pay RM2 more for REAL authentic pot set yogurt from Australia that has a richer yoghurt taste unlike our local ones which doesn't have much flavour at all.
I wasn't sponsored to conduct this experiment but it’s something I have been really curious to try out especially when I get asked often by my readers & followers on what’s the difference between each brand of yoghurt aside from their pricing lol. And why is the price difference so vast? Bought 3 common yoghurt brands that are easily available in supermarkets (Jusco, Aeon Big & Tesco) for this experiment: - Nestle (local) and Farmer’s Union (imported)
Farmer’s Union Natural Yoghurt is one of my favourite among all the yoghurt I have tried over the years and you can’t imagine how much I have spent on testing out the huge variety of yoghurts in the market, that practically burnt a hole in my wallet just for the sake of healthy foods. Farmer’s Union brand is a very common imported yoghurt brand in Malaysia that costs less than RM20 which is considered quite reasonable as I have seen imported yoghurt priced at RM40 in publika.
This baby here costs RM40+ in Ben's Grocer @Publika and heck i must admit that this is the best darn yoghurt i ever had plus it's low fat, organic and doesn't even have stabilizers or any other food conditioners. Now i see the reason why they charge such a throat slitting price lol but i obviously didn't pay RM40 for this la. Bought is when it was 50% off as it was near expiry date, anyway that's how i usually get to try all those expensive and exotic products. Because it's on CLEARANCE SALE 8D Like the proverb saying " One man's trash, is another man's treasure".
Yea, there are “Organic” imported yogurts that actually costs that much which also makes me question, who is insane enough to buy it?
Me. Lol.
But I bought it at 50% off la as it was near expiry date and it’s a once thingy, still I wouldn’t pay full price just for 1kg of imported organic yogurt -_-
It’s just not worth it, in my opinion
Farmer’s Union Natural Pot set
Farmer’s Union Greek Yogurt
As for Farmer’s Union Greek Yogurt, it doesn’t taste as sour as the pot set yogurt. In fact its way smoother, lighter and creamier in taste which makes a great substitute for those planning to make fruit/ vegetable salads that require mayonnaise or sour cream, both are very common dressings that most people would like to avoid especially if they are on a strict diet.
Examples of salads: http://www.yummly.com/recipes/fruit-salad-dressing-mayonnaise
I actually accidentally found out how to make sour cream (without onions) dip for my carrot & cucumber sticks.
· 3-4 Tbspoon Greek Yogurt
· Half lemon
· Dried Thyme
I used to like nestle because it used to be one of the more affordable range of yogurts in the market costing from RM13-14 (2011-2012) but now prices has increased to RM16.25- RM17.99 (2014-2015) wtf! To me as a student this was around my budget and yet it is more value for money as it comes in a 1.4kg tub rather than Farmer’s Union which at most is only 1kg, also I restock my yogurt every week! That is like 4-5 tubs a month.
Back in 2011 I wasn’t really aware nor did much research on the so called “healthy” foods I was consuming, pretty much an ignorant consumer (we all gotta start somewhere) but the main point was I wanted to start eat healthy but at the same time not spend so much but as I grew older I slowly understood the concept of “get what you paid for” and some things are just not worth your money.
Fast forward till today, I do occasionally buy Nestle yogurt especially if it is on promotion (RM14.99) other than that I would rather spend abit more for REAL yogurt.
The only reason why I do not consider Nestle brand to be ‘yogurt’ because their yogurt formula is really REALLY bland (tasteless) doesn’t have the milk taste, but the only thing I like about it is that it has a firm-like texture. But if you are new to this healthy lifestyle of consuming yogurts and not used to the strong fermented milk taste, I would recommend for you to start with Nestle or Farm Fresh (Malaysian brand).
Back in 2014, it was only RM14 a tub! D:
Question is, would you buy any of these brands above? Especially with their current pricing after GST.
As for me, i tried making my own yogurt both natural way (without yogurt maker) & with yogurt maker. Shall be saving that for a new blogpost ;-)
So stay tuned for more of my "experiments".
One of my favourite serving suggestions, everything involves a little drizzle of honey :P
P/S: This lil sourcing experiment is not sponsored, actually more like something i was curios to try ever since, especially since there are so many out there with different pricing. Wonder what makes them so "special" in the sense they charge a bomb for a tub. Lol. Also i am aware there are other types of brands both local & imported that i did not state in this experiment because i haven't tried any of them. Only giving my 2 cents on the familiar brands i've been consuming for years.
Conclusion: Eating Healthy comes with a PRICE. But trying to find ways on how i can cut costs without sacrificing the healthy factor : )
STAY TUNED -
For my next blogpost! I shall teach you guys on how to make full proof yoghurts that taste a 100% better than the ones with food conditioners and other stuff.
XOXO,
I love yogurts but I rarely tried different ones... Other than Nestle and there is another brand that I cannot recall now.. hmm... Thanks for sharing! I am looking forward to your next post!
ReplyDeleteallisoncbl.blogspot.com
true, takes courage to try different brands in fear of wasting the new one if we don't like the taste/texture since they are so expensive >.<
Deletemost welcome! Thanks for reading too ^^
Thanks for your sharing. May I know where can buy Farmer's Union natural yogurt in Penang?
ReplyDeleteHi Lai Ling
ReplyDeleteYou should select your easily find them in jusco or your nearest grocery store that sells imported goods :)
Hi there, what brand of yogurt which is safe without added "chemicals" would you recommend? Its for my pets (sugar gliders) and they need "safe" food. My Whatsapp no is 0189197199. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi Bob, i can't exactly vouch for any of them being chemical free but to be safe i can advise you to make your own homemade yogurt by getting probiotic starters and some fresh milk. Or other alternative like organic shops do carry chemical free yogurt/ milk. Have you tried consulting with the person you bought the sugar glider from, if not do visit a veterinarian
ReplyDeleteArisa sorry for posting this question, are you a Malaysian? Wonder if I can find shops which sells organic yogurt. Anyway can you teach me how to prepare my own homemade yogurt please? My email bobsolomon11@gmail.com
DeleteNothing is more healthy and tastier than Fage Total 2% plain. Just simply the healthiest yogurt you can find in the market. Problem is not many outlets sell this amd is very expensive (about 40% more expensive than other brand per weight wise). However it gains popularity this lately as I find the availability is getting dwindling. Hope the increasing demand drives the distributor to make more listing at more outlets
ReplyDeleteNothing is more healthy and tastier than Fage Total 2% plain. Just simply the healthiest yogurt you can find in the market. Problem is not many outlets sell this amd is very expensive (about 40% more expensive than other brand per weight wise). However it gains popularity this lately as I find the availability is getting dwindling. Hope the increasing demand drives the distributor to make more listing at more outlets
ReplyDeleteHi Arrisa. May you describe the Greek Style yogurt as in your post above.
ReplyDeletehow they taste, price, & etc compare with the trio above. Thank You.
Hi.Its that okay if i just take nestle brand?
ReplyDelete