Taste-Off: The best strawberry lunchbox yogurt — and the gooey rejects

We tasted our way through nine strawberry yogurt brands -- Stonyfield, Trader Joe's, Chobani and more -- to find the tastiest tubes... and the horrible ones.

Parents looking to sweeten their kid’s lunch box with a “legal” treat that’s easy to pack, simple to eat and a little bit nutritious need look no further than the drinkable yogurt section at their local market.

Poured into tubes and snack-sized bottles, these creamy mouthfuls of ice cream-like yogurt goodness are available in an array of flavors. Curious about what’s inside, we gathered a selection of kid-friendly lunchbox yogurts.

Although we stuck with just one flavor — strawberry — we found that the taste of these yogurt drinks are all over the place. The ingredient lists explain why. Bad strawberry yogurt drinks have no real strawberry flavor. The worst are wickedly sweet, or spiked with far too many chemical-flavored additives.

Good drinkable yogurt delivers the tang of fresh yogurt along with lots of fresh strawberry goodness. The best are like a spoonful Greek yogurt topped with strawberry jam.

Here are details on the best mouthfuls of lunchbox-friendly strawberry yogurt to pack— and the ones to dump down the drain. Because the sizes vary between brands, nutrition info refers to a 2-ounce serving.

Stonyfield Organic Strawberry Yogurt

This rich, jammy drink offers an impressive mouthful of creaminess. It’s pleasantly tart, and it has lots of authentic strawberry flavor. 50 calories, 1 g fat, 40 mg sodium, 6 g sugar, 2 g protein. $5.49 for eight 2-ounce tubes at Raley’s. (4 stars)

Chobani Strawberry Greek Yogurt

A handful of fresh crushed berries stirred into fresh yogurt make this a yummy option for those who want a larger serving option. The consistency is a bit thin, but it’s tasty. A 2-ounce serving has 43 calories, 1 g fat, 24 mg sodium, 5 g sugar, 3 g protein. $7.99 for six 7-ounce bottles at Safeway. (3½ stars)

Trader Joe’s Organic Reduced Fat Strawberry Yogurt Squishers

Those who don’t like the sour kick of yogurt may enjoy this tube of extra-sweet, ice cream-like yogurt. 60 calories, 1 g fat, 35 mg sodium, 9 g sugar, 2 g protein. $3.49 for eight 2-ounce tubes. (3 stars)

Danimals Strawberry Explosion Smoothie

Minimal sugar and pleasant yogurt flavor make these cute bottles a good choice for little ones. The flavor is clean, but less rich than full fat yogurt drinks. 32 calories, no fat, 23 mg sodium, 6 g sugar, 1 g protein. $3.99 for six 3.1-ounce bottles at Raley’s. (2½ stars)

El Mexicano Saborico Yogurt Drink

Cut the sugar in this tasty drink and eliminate the food dye, and this would rate much higher. As is, it’s flavorful but problematic. 55 calories, 2 g fat, 20 mg sodium, 8 g sugar, 2 g protein. $1.79 for 7 ounces at Safeway. (2 stars)

Activia Strawberry Probiotic Dailies

Even though this is marketed to adults, it’s sweet enough for kids and delivers a good hit of probiotics. More strawberry would be a big improvement. 45 calories, 1 g fat, 32 mg sodium, 6 g sugar, 2 g protein. $6.49 for eight 3.1 ounce bottles at Safeway. (2 stars)

Too Good Strawberry Banana Smoothies

At first gulp, this thick yogurt tastes great — it has a great balance of sweet fruit and tart yogurt — but the powerful aftertaste of stevia ruins it. 20 calories, .5 g fat, 30 mg sodium, 1 g sugar, 3 g protein. $6.99 for four 7-ounce bottles at Target. (1 star)

GoGurt Strawberry Yoplait

Yuck. This high-profile brand needs to do better for kids. These have a touch of strawberry concentrate — and taste like they are loaded with chemicals. 50 calories, no fat, 25 mg sodium, 7 g sugar, 2 g protein. $3.79 for eight 2-ounce tubes at Smart & Final. (No stars)

Simply GoGurt Strawberry Yoplait

Leave it on the shelf. This lower-sugar version of the original GoGurt is the worst mouthful of drinkable yogurt imaginable. 45 calories, .5 g fat, 30 mg sodium, 5 g sugar, 2 g protein. $6.99 for 20 2-ounce tubes at Target. (No stars)

Reviews are based on product samples purchased by this newspaper or provided by manufacturers. Contact Jolene Thym at timespickyeater@gmail.com. Read more Taste-off columns at www.mercurynews.com/tag/taste-off.