Is Skyr, the popular Icelandic yogurt, a healthy superfood or a complete scam?

In the dairy products aisle, it has become a must-have in just a few years. Skyr is an Icelandic specialty, imported from Norway by the Vikings, and made with pasteurized skimmed milk to which lactic acid has been added. It is halfway between curd and cottage cheese.

Low in fat and rich in protein – its protein content is three times that of yogurt, and twice that of cottage cheese – this yogurt is increasingly present in French refrigerators. According to the IRI Institute, the consumption of this product increased by 66% in 2022, which will continue in 2023.

Three to six times more expensive than low-fat cottage cheese

On social networks, many influencers, especially in the field of sports, praise its nutritional qualities. The only problem is its relatively high price: an average of 8 euros per kilo, or three to six times more expensive than low-fat cottage cheese, according to UFC-Que Choisir. But is this product really worth its price?

Product brands surveyed by RMC Skyr’s higher price is justified by the product’s longer drying time than cottage cheese and yogurt, and by the larger volume of milk required than these two other dairy products.

If skiers are “very good food”According to a nutrition researcher interviewed by huffpost, “Not everyone needs to eat it”. They may be preferred for people who need more protein than usual, such as the elderly or athletes. For others, there are options that have almost the same properties and above all, that are much cheaper.

Especially since the frequent appetite-suppressing effect of protein products has not yet been “clearly demonstrated” and the difference in protein content between skir and low-fat cottage cheese is “insufficient to affect satiety.