Photo courtesy of seriouseats.com
I had never really been a fan of regular yogurt. The slimy texture had always bothered me. When Greek yogurt came out a couple years ago, I was hesitant to try it. However, it tasted totally different to me! It’s thicker and creamier than regular yogurt. I think the flavor stands out more. If you’ve never tried Greek yogurt, now is the time! There’s so many brands out there with so many flavors and additions. My favorite is Fage, specifically the Honey flavor (which I talk about below). Chobani is also great, they have the most variety in regards to flavors. I recently tried Activia’s brand as well, and it’s not bad!
Benefits of going Greek are endless—it’s higher in protein (over twice as much), lower in added sugars and fats (most of the time, be sure to read the labels), and it’s very versatile. Below are my 5 favorite uses for Greek yogurt.
1. It’s a fantastic dessert option! The thicker consistency reminds me more of ice cream or frozen yogurt. I like to eat Fage 2% with honey. It’s creamy and only has 190 calories, 2.5g of fat, 12g of protein, 10% of your daily value of calcium. Try this yogurt instead of ice cream—1/2 cup of plain vanilla ice cream has 160 calories, but 8g of fat and only 4g of protein.
2. Substitute plain yogurt for sour cream on tacos and quesadillas. Plain, fat free Greek is loaded with protein and low in sugar. One tablespoon of sour cream has 3g of fat, while one tablespoon of yogurt has 0g of fat. I was hesitant on this substitution at first, thinking it would be something sweet added to my tacos. But the plain flavor is tart, almost like sour cream.
3. Mix one packet of ranch dressing powder to 16oz of plain Greek yogurt. Creates an awesome ranch substitute without all of the fat of regular dressing.
4. This is my favorite. You can use yogurt instead of egg or milk to hold the breadcrumbs onto chicken when breading it. It creates a thicker crust that makes the chicken moister after cooking.
5. Instead of milk or sweetened yogurts, add Greek to smoothies to create a thicker consistency with more protein. Yum!
There are so many more things that you can do with yogurt. Experiment and find out what you like!
Hi! I’m Emily, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and self-taught intuitive chef. I firmly believe that cooking is the simplest and most important step we can take to improve our minds and bodies and build healthier communities. Join me and let’s bring food back to the kitchen!