Why Straining Yogurt Doubles the Protein Content
Sneak Preview: Straining yogurt nearly doubles the protein, reduces sugar, and makes creamy Greek yogurt. Learn why this happens and what to do with the leftover whey.
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Are you trying to boost your protein intake? If you make yogurt at home, you can nearly double the protein simply by straining it. This process transforms regular yogurt into thick, creamy Greek yogurt.
But how does it work? Let’s break it down.
Note: To be clear, we are talking about dairy yogurt, specifically homemade yogurt. You can use full-fat, low-fat, or fat-free milk to make yogurt.
Does Straining Yogurt Increase Protein?
- Yes — because protein stays in the yogurt solids, not the whey.
- Removing whey = less volume, more protein per cup.
Protein Comparison
- Regular full-fat yogurt (1 cup): ~8.5g protein
- Strained Greek yogurt (1 cup, strained from 2 cups of regular yogurt): ~15g protein
- Numbers vary depending on how much whey is removed.
Whey from Yogurt: Nutrition Facts
Not all whey is the same:
- Cheese whey (sweet whey): Byproduct of cheese-making, higher in protein.
- Whey protein powder: A processed, dried supplement form. Read more about different types of dried whey.
- Yogurt whey (acid whey): The liquid left after straining yogurt. It has very little protein (~2 g per cup).
Unlike cheese whey, yogurt whey can’t make cheese on its own—but you can use it in place of buttermilk, lemon juice, or vinegar to make ricotta cheese from fresh milk.
Benefits of Straining Yogurt
- Higher protein, lower sugar
- Thick, creamy texture
- More filling and satisfying
Best Ways to Strain Yogurt
- Fine-mesh sieve: Less hassle, easier cleanup
- Yogurt bag: Reusable and efficient
- Paper coffee filters: Budget-friendly alternative (My favorite)
(Cheesecloth is traditional but messy.)
What to Do With Yogurt Whey?
Yogurt whey is safe to drink, but it’s sour. If you don’t like the taste, try these ideas:
- Add to smoothies or soups
- Use in bread dough
- Water plants (diluted)
High-Protein Alternatives Without Straining
If straining feels like more effort than you’re up for, try these protein-boosting tricks:
- Use ultra-filtered milk (like Fairlife) to start with more protein. (Commonly known as the “Cold Start Method.”)
- Add powdered milk before incubating. It may affect the taste and texture.
- Stir in protein powder, peanut butter powder, or chia seeds.
Note: Some of these ideas may add calories.
Final Thoughts
Straining yogurt is a simple, natural way to increase protein without additives. Whether you make it yourself or buy it, Greek yogurt is a tasty, satisfying way to fuel your day.
Do you strain your yogurt? Let me know in the comments!
— Paula, Home Economist
Homemade Food Worth Sharing
Need help troubleshooting?
Email me: Paula at saladinajar.com — photos help!
Note: As part of my Home Economics degree, I’ve completed formal training in nutrition, but I am not a registered dietitian.
Thank you for this – I’d been looking for these numbers today. When I strain my yogurt (it’s raw, not store bought, if that matters), I get 1/4 solids and 3/4 whey liquid. But it sounds like you are straining and getting a 50% yield on yours in terms of solids. Could you walk me through what I might be missing in my math logic? Thank you <3
Hi June,
My numbers are just based on eyeballing the measurements on the side of my pitcher. Most of the protein stays in the yogurt when you strain it. So whether you strain it a lot or a little, the protein should be about the same. There will just be more yogurt to eat to get the same amount of protein if you don’t strain it much.
I have started making L. Reuteri yoghurt, 2-3 weeks ago. As I want to prioritise protein I decided to strain it but was unsure what that would do to the protein content. I’m very happy to know it can double the value. I am getting very thick yogurt after a 2-3 hour strain & refrigeration. I have just tried a b. Infantis strain, finished this morning & having some for lunch. It is a most delicious yogurt. Well worth the effort of a 40hr wait (evidently slow to multiply).
Hi Bryn,
I have not tried this kind of yogurt. Where did you get your starter? I don’t know about the 40-hour wait though–that’s a lot of patience. I’m used to yogurt in 3-4 hours.
Thanks so much for writing.
Thanks for this and the link to the site that estimates a cup of whey so we can as you allude to refigure the nutritional amounts post straining. You were the only relevant link on a search on “how to calculate homemade greek yogurt nutrition post straining”
Will now check out the rest of your site!
So glad you found the info helpful! Hope you enjoy exploring the rest of my site. I have plenty of articles about making yogurt. ?
I love your website and have made many recipes from it.
A note on yogurt whey. Straining removes about half the calcium and potasium in the remaining Greek yogurt. I’ve adjusted to drinking the whey with a couple of meals after I strain it out. I kinda like it now. Of course, your ideas about using it up are great. Don’t throw away those nutrients!
Hi Marcia,
Thank you so much for your kind words about my website and recipes—it means a lot! I appreciate your note on yogurt whey. It’s great that you’ve found a way to enjoy it while keeping the nutrients. Drinking the whey is a wonderful idea, especially if you can train yourself to like the taste.
Very informative! Exactly what I was looking for – I had the same question about the whey as your other reader did 🙂
Thank you for the nice comment. Fab that you got your question answered.
Great article. Your whey figures showed the whey amount if sugar is 12.8 grams. That’s a lot of sugar you can get out of your yogurt. I’m starting onto make L.Ruteri yogurt from Dr Davis. You use half and half instead of milk, add prebiotic inulin and ferment it for 36 hours. I’m trying to lower my carbs to prevent prednisone weight gain. Hard to find that end carb about though, but your great article gave me a bit more comfort with eating that yogurt on a low carb diet. Thanks!
Hi Mary Lee,
I can’t imagine fermenting for 36 hours (although you’re not the first to tell about this), but if it works for you, I’m happy. That’s why I advocate so much for making your own yogurt. You can do it how you want. Thank you for writing.
I would like to know if using nonfat milk to make yoghurt. Greek yogurt is 100% protein, fat-free, and may contain a small amount of sugar from milk. Whey protein has a lot of sugar. Small amounts of protein and vitamins. Am I right?
*sorry my English is not good.
Hello,
Greek yogurt is not 100% protein. Remember that less than 50% of the whey has been drained off. It is fat-free only if you use fat-free milk. Yes, there is lactose (milk sugar) in all milk unless it is lactose-free milk, which means it has been removed.
Are you thinking of whey protein powder? That is different than the whey strained from yogurt. I talk about the difference in this post. You are not the first person to get them confused. Hope this helps.
I make my own Greek yogurt using grass fed whole milk (vitamin K2 only found in grass fed and full fat more satiating and lower carb) in my Instant Pot. Works beautifully. Then I strain it in a Greek yogurt strainer which couldn’t be easier! Just dump it in, put on the lid, and place in refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. Result is thick, creamy, delicious yogurt. Couldn’t be easier. I do this at least once a week. Whey can be used for other things or discarded.
Hi Margaret,
Sounds like you have landed on the perfect method for your tastes, your kitchen, and your food supply. That is my goal for everybody. Great job! Wish I could taste some of it right now.
this was great…I was also unclear that the yogurt whey is different from say the whey protein powders. thanks!
I’m glad to hear this post was helpful.
Paula,
Thank you for your research on yogurt protein and the different types of whey.
I’ve been enjoying making and tasting homemade yogurt this past month but was concerned I was throwing out good protein.
In your comments, you mentioned the amount of yogurt starter. I’ve been using about 5 oz. per half gallon of milk and have gotten good results with the oven method. How would too much starter affect the yogurt?
Thanks for your expertise,
Laura
Hi Laura,
I wrote this post specifically to answer questions like yours. It’s surprising how little it takes.
I am having a hard time finding out approximately how much sugar is cultured out of yogurt when draining it for Greek yogurt. I am assuming it’s a fair amount because I once used some liquid whey in a soup broth and it sent my glucose up pretty fast. (Greek yogurt doesn’t have that effect, which is one reason I eat it.) I know just like with the protein I can’t know how much has been removed from my homemade yogurt, but you seem to know a lot about this, so I thought I’d ask. It must be a fair amount because I don’t get much of glucose rise from eating plain Greek yogurt, whether I buy it made or make it myself. However, I like a sour yogurt so I incubate the yogurt in an InstantPot for 24 hours before straining it. Can you give me a ballpark figure for how much carb might be extracted?
Hi Oola,
To get accurate numbers, you must talk to a food scientist or chemist who has analyzed your yogurt. Short of that, go to this link where it claims there are 12.6 grams of carbohydrates (all sugars) in 1 cup of acid whey. I’ll let you do the math.
I’m wondering if straining skim milk yogurt produces more whey than straining yogurt made with 2% milk. I believe I’m using the same technique when making each type but the skim milk produces so much whey when strained and the low-fat milk produces very little.
Hi Rhonda,
I suspect you may be right to some extent. My experience tells me they all produce a lot of whey. The difference? It takes longer for the 2% and whole milk to release the same amount of whey than it does skim or nonfat milk.
Your initial question says “What’s the difference between cheese whey, yogurt whey, and dried whey protein powders?”
I kept waiting for when you would get to do the dried whey protein powders and that did not happen. It was my sole purpose on clicking this article, so I found myself disappointed. It felt like clickbait, although I do not think that was your intention. It seemed more like an honest mistake.
Hi Angie,
I am so sorry you were disappointed. I went back and took another look and made a correction that I hope will make my point clearer. Where I referred to “dried whey”, I should have said dried whey protein powder. You might notice there is a link to a post devoted to the subject that would probably be more helpful to you. Since my focus in this post is the protein in yogurt, I did not go into detail about the whey protein powder since it is not found in yogurt–but many people get confused about that so I had to mention it briefly. Here is the link to the article about whey protein powder for your convenience. Thank you for writing.
Why do the macro ratios change? I understand why protein increases but why does fat as a percentage of total calories decrease when you compare Greek yogurt to reg yogurt and to milk. For ex, Nancy’s Greek has 6/7/20 fat/carb/protein and Sahu yogurt from Costco has 8/18/11 and whole milk has 8/12/8. Variations in macros for brands of yogurts don’t explain this. And whey isn’t high fat. So what’s happening?
Hi Ari,
Sorry, I can’t help you with this one. I’m not a mathematician or a food scientist.
Thank you for this informative content. I wonder if you know how to make yoghurt with the least amount of lactose possible. Is it best to use lactose-free milk? Or should I incubate regular milk for a longer period of time like 18 hours? I’ve read other suggestions like adding lactase, or perhaps a longer staining process will reduce the lactose?
Thank you!
Hi Jennifer,
I am not an expert on lactose-free milk or yogurt. I’ve heard that if you incubate for an extra long time (even up to 24 hours) your yogurt will be lactose-free but I can’t verify that. Using lactose-free, ultrafiltered milk is another option. You can do that with my cold yogurt method. Unfortunately, that milk can be expensive. One of the most common brands is Fairlife. Good luck.
I make cold-start lactose-free yogurt all the time with ultra-pasteurized lactose-free milk. Most cartons of milk are ultra-pasteurized.) No need for ultra-filtered milk, n difference in the process, and my lactose intolerant gut is much happier.
Hi Marcia,
It’s great to hear from you. I’m so glad you have found the system and the milk that works best for you. That’s my goal for everybody. We all have different milk available to us. Sometimes, the ultra-pasteurized does not work for the cold-start method, but sometimes it does. I’ve seen it both ways in my experience.
Thank you so much for contributing to the conversation.
Wondering how to calculate the carb content in Greek yogurt homemade. Totally willing to measure the whey by volume or grams each time i make a batch. Also willing to let it sit longer if that will remove more sugar (I’m aware this will also make it more sour). But need to keep carbs as low as possible and need to figure out how to actually calculate the carbs in each batch. I know how to calculate nutrients but just need some guidance on how much of the lactose is eaten by bacteria and also how much sugar per either volume or weight amount is in the whey. I don’t actually need help as to how to do the calculations, just the information so that i can make the calculations… Anything you can share will be greatly appreciated.
Hi Jessica,
When it comes to homemade yogurt and Nutritionals, there are so many variables that I can’t tell you how to calculate precise numbers. I suspect you would need a chemist to answer your question–especially about the amount of lactose. I use the Calorie Counter to estimate the numbers. Those are linked in the post. Here is the link again for whey Another variable is the milk you use. You can use the Nutritionals listed on the carton of the milk you use.
If lactose is something you are required to be very careful about consuming, it might be safer to buy yogurt that has been made under strict and consistent conditions.
I hope this helps.
“Place a fresh, sweet plum in the sun. You will lose some water but little sugar in the transformation to a raisin.”
A dried plum is called a prune not a raisin. Raisins are dried grapes.
Hi Andy,
Of course, you’re right. You probably noticed I talked about raisins and grapes in the very next paragraph. Thank you for letting me know so I could correct that first sentence.
This looks yummy! I can’t wait to try these.
Thank you very much, guess Greek is the best way to getting lots of Protein ?
Adding Fruits to sweeten the taste makes it easier than Sugar?
Hi Joan,
Yes, Greek yogurt is a good source of protein. I’m not sure adding fruit is easier than sugar. They are both pretty tasty. ?
Hi Paula,
Great post! It answers a lot of the questions I had about home made yogurt. I just made my first batch yesterday and I loved the results. I made greek yogurt with whole milk and I’m thinking about using some of it to make greek yogurt with 2% milk next time. Do you have any uses for the whey? I would say out of 1L of milk there was about 3 cups of whey drained. I do have to mention the recipe I followed used 250gr of yogurt which, after reading your post, I’ve learned it’s too much and will reduce next time.
Hi Natalie,
So glad to have you as a reader. I’m happy that post was helpful. Making yogurt seems to be a lifetime learning process. Just when I think I know how to make a perfect batch every time, I get tripped up. That’s the way it goes with live organisms.
I have lots of ideas for whey.
Thank you so much for all the research required for this great post! Just what I was looking for. I have been contemplating how protein and fat content make up both my strained Greek yogurt and the resulting whey. I had no clue! You have very clearly described this. I watch my LDL intake, and now I have a much better understanding of the resulting fat, creaminess, and flavor as I move across the milk source spectrum. i can’t wait to read more of your writing. Thanks again!
Thanks for the encouraging note. What a day-brightener!!
Hi!! First I would like to tank you for this great post!! I was looking for information like these for weeks!!! hahaha Thanks God I found your website.
Just a question, if I want to increase a bit more the amount of protein in my greek yogurt with casein or whey protein with no flavor. Should I do this in witch part of the process? In the milk at the beggining or in the end when the yogurt is ready?
What do you recommend?
Many thanks, best regards from Brazil. <3
Hi Gabriella,
I would do it at the end, when the yogurt is ready. If you plan to make more yogurt, be sure to hold back a small amount of yogurt that has nothing added to it to use as a starter.
Thanks for your kind words. I’m also glad you found this website.
I have been buying and eating Liberte Greek Lactose Free yogurt and want to start making my own lactose free yogurt. What I am planning to do is use Natrel Lactose Free Skim Milk and a cup of Liberte Greek Lactose Free yogurt in my homemade batch. Does this make sense? I’ve not done it before. Do you know how I would calculate the protein content in this recipe for homemade yogurt?
Hi Nicole,
I’m not sure where to start. But let me first say that a cup of yogurt is way too much starter for even a gallon of skim milk. For half a gallon, you only need 2-3 tablespoons. Maybe you weren’t asking that, but it jumped out at me.
It is impossible to figure the protein content in homemade yogurt, especially Greek yogurt. The amount of whey you drain out is usually different every time. This will affect the protein content. I find the best way is to look at a commercial yogurt that seems to be the closest in consistency and ingredients to your homemade yogurt and take their word for it.
Thanks for writing.
@Nicole,
Hi! I have been searching for a good lactose free yogurt( for the days when I’m too lazy to make my own..lol)
Where do you find the liberte lactose free yogurt?
I’m in NY.
Thanks,
Deb
Hi thank you for all the info. one question please. I have noticed with some greek strained yogurts in the supermarket that the 0% fat one is higher in protein . Do you know why this is ?
Margarete, Pretend you have a cup of full-fat yogurt with x amount of protein. Now take all the fat out of that yogurt. You now have the same amount of protein in a lesser amount of yogurt (which is now non-fat) so it is slightly concentrated. There’s not a big difference between the amount of protein in whole fat yogurt and non-fat yogurt. The difference is greater in Greek yogurt because the amount of protein is more concentrated in the full-fat yogurt. Does this make sense?
Thank you for all the info I found on your site. I bought a simple yogurt maker for my mother-in-law. She thought that she would like to go back to making her own yogurt but she decided that at her age (93) it was a little more than she could handle. I have thought about making yogurt for a long time so now is the time.
I did notice one little glitch. You mentioned making raisins from plums. Plums actually make prunes. Grapes make raisins. Other than that your site is a treasure trove. Tim
Timothy,
You are so right about the raisins. I will correct that immediately. I think you will enjoy making yogurt. Let me know what you think after you try it.