The Newest Superfood for Men

Source: Dannon.  Quarterback Cam Newton

We are barely into the New Year, and there is a food that is about to make a touchdown with men.  Yogurt.  Yup, yogurt for men.  While the majority of yogurt has been traditionally marketed to and consumed by women, you are going to be seeing more manly advertisements designed to get men to spoon it into their diet.

To appeal to a wider audience, Dannon yogurt has just become the Official Yogurt of the NFL and introduced a new product, Oikos Triple Zero.  (The triple refers to zero sugar, zero artificial sweeteners, and zero fat.  It is sweetened with stevia, which is a sugar substitute derived from a plant.)  According to a Dannon spokesperson, the association with the NFL is ideal as the product is being marketed equally to both men and women.  Dannon may be on to something as research suggests that over half of adult women watch professional football so a gender neutral yogurt bearing the NFL logo can have wide appeal.

"Just like women, men need about 1,000 mg of calcium each day for the majority of their lifetime, and yogurt is a great source of calcium. You can get about 30 percent of your calcium needs in one serving of low-fat regular yogurt or Greek yogurt. Calcium is also essential for building muscle. So if you are a man seeking a strong physique, a great way to increase protein and carbohydrates, while nourishing your body with calcium, is to include a non-fat yogurt into your daily routine," claims Jim White, RDN, an Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics media spokesperson and the owner of Jim White Fitness and Nutrition Studios.  Most Americans are falling short of their daily calcium needs.

This isn't the first yogurt trying to appeal to both genders.  Powerful Yogurt is marketed to active men and women touting yogurt?s health benefits as a high protein, post-workout recovery food that helps promote muscle synthesis.  "Yogurt contains a great protein-to-carbohydrate ratio for a post workout meal. These simple sugars found in yogurt are great for immediate consumption after working out to replenish glycogen stores in muscles. [Glycogen is the storage form of glucose in the body]. Although the protein in yogurt varies from 8 to 25 grams per serving, it will still ultimately assist in muscle synthesis," states White.

Both my husband and sons have been eating yogurt for decades.  Who knew they were trend setters?  Do you eat yogurt?

Thanks for reading.

Be well, Joan

Twitter: @JoanSalgeBlake