Aldi's Friendly Farms Yogurt Is A Total Two Good Copycat
Aldi is so much more than a mere grocery store to a lot of shoppers. Fervent fans of the discount grocery chain are downright obsessed with Aldi-branded products, including the store's Friendly Farms nonfat vanilla yogurt. In fact, some shoppers on Reddit are convinced that this brand gives Two Good vanilla yogurt a run for its money in terms of quality.
The comparison was kicked off by a shopper on the social media platform who'd grown accustomed to seeing the Two Good brand on Aldi shelves. When their local store no longer carried the Two Good version, the Redditor replaced it with Friendly Farms and the rest is history. "Really could not tell much of a difference between the two," the customer claimed, while also noting that Aldi's version was a lot more affordable than its name-brand counterpart.
In addition to flavor, both brands are pretty comparable when it comes to calories and nutrition. As for ingredients, both also contain the same sweetening agent. Like Two Good yogurt, the Friendly Farms version features steviol glycosides, otherwise known as the popular sugar alternative stevia.
What is stevia and is it good for you?
According to Healthline, stevia is a plant-based sweetener that's substantially more potent than sugar when it comes to sweetness. Because it has no calories, stevia is a common addition to lots of foods that aim to be a bit healthier than those containing sugar. Some research also shows that the sweetener can have a positive impact on cholesterol and help manage blood glucose levels, which is especially beneficial for people with diabetes.
While the sweetener is approved by the Food and Drug Administration, there are some concerns about its potential health effects. Consider that the FDA only considers stevia glycosides as safe, as the health effects of the whole leaves from the stevia plant are not fully understood and may even carry risks related to the kidneys and heart. A lesser yet still relevant concern is the possibility of digestive issues, which is due to stevia's potential impact on the gut microbiome. While consumers should be aware of these possible effects, moderate consumption of products containing stevia is not likely to cause health effects among most people.
Who makes Friendly Farms for Aldi?
Devoted Aldi shoppers spend lots of time trying to figure out if there are big brands behind their favorite private label goods. Unfortunately, Aldi is pretty secretive when it comes to its beloved products, which means it's not always possible to determine specific manufacturers. Despite Aldi's ongoing secrecy, shoppers offer lots of good guesses regarding who makes the store's Friendly Farms yogurt products. For example, some shoppers believe that the big name behind the brand's Greek yogurt is Chobani. This is based on similarities between the product containers, specifically when it comes to the transparent lid.
Over on Reddit, a commenter claimed that Stonyfield is the true manufacturer of Friendly Farms yogurt. The Stonyfield brand is actually owned by Lactalis, which is a French company that manufactures a wide variety of dairy products. It should be said that there's no way to verify this claim, and there's no evidence linking the two brands to one another. Regardless of who actually makes Friendly Farms yogurt, it's plain to see that Aldi shoppers are huge fans of the product.