Katie’s Healthy Bites: Loving Greek Yogurt
When it comes to healthy foods, yogurt makes most folks’ favorite lists. It’s a great source of calcium, good for a healthy snack or a star ingredient in many dishes all around the world. I was disappointed to see my market was stocking its cold case with yogurts filled with artificial sweeteners or sugar. Then, in the sea of fake ingredients and sugar overload, Greek yogurt appeared!
Before I even get into the nutrition benefits, can we talk about how creamy and thick it is? The texture tastes like a decadent dessert — it makes it hard not to feel guilty of overindulging when you eat it. But no need to stress, this dairy favorite is actually good for you.
Greek yogurts have double the protein of traditional American yogurts and less sugar. The extra protein also makes them very filling. But don’t be fooled — all Greek yogurts are not created equal. The full-fat varieties can be loaded with calories, so look for a low-fat or fat-free versions (brands I like: Oikos, Trader Joe’s and Fage).
Better yet, lighten up on your calories and your wallet by making your own. To do this, start with some organic, plain, low-fat yogurt and a cheese cloth (or two). Put the yogurt in the cheese cloth and start squeezing to get the extra water and moisture out — this will give you the thick, creamy texture of Greek yogurt. Once strained of the water, the remaining yogurt is ready to eat. It’s just that simple!
I enjoy Greek yogurt for breakfast along with a cup of organic berries, a teaspoon of agave nectar and a tablespoon of sliced organic almonds. It’s the perfect start to any morning.
Yogurt is also good for adding texture to smoothies. Below are two of my tried-and-true recipes.
Berry B Smoothie
2 servings
1 cup frozen mixed berries
1/2 cup organic orange juice with pulp
1 tablespoon agave nectar (or honey)
1 firm ripe banana, peeled and sliced
1 cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
Ice
Place all ingredients in blender, blend and serve.
Nutrition Info: Calories: 220, Total Fat: 4 grams, Saturated Fat: 2.5 grams, Total Carbohydrate: 42 grams, Protein: 6 grams, Cholesterol: 16 milligrams, Sodium: 60 milligrams, Fiber 3.5 grams
* analyzed with full-fat yogurt
Peachy Keen
2 servings
2 cups frozen, organic sliced peaches
1/4 cup low-fat milk or soy milk
1 cup blackberries
3/4 cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon agave nectar (or honey)
ice
Place all ingredients in blender, blend and serve.
Nutrition Info: Calories: 191, Total Fat: 3.5 grams, Saturated Fat: 2 grams, Total Carbohydrate: 35 grams, Protein: 6 grams, Cholesterol: 14 milligrams, Sodium: 60 milligrams, Fiber: 4.5 grams
* analyzed with full-fat yogurt
Katie Cavuto Boyle, MS, RD, owns HealthyBites, LLC and is a finalist on The Next Food Network Star, which airs Sundays on Food Network.
Your recipes are just great. I love to do food myself such as yogurt and canned fruits.
I agree that this style of yogurt is delicious! But it’s sad that no one acknowledges that it’s Turkish and not Greek…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogurt
Any suggestions on how to make frozen yogurt (short of taking flavored yogurt & freezing it)? I have an ice cream maker, and have been searching for frozen yogurt recipes for a few years.
Just had some yummy greek yogurt for breakfast — went for plain, 2% and then dropped in a spoonful of jam for sweetness.
No joke, all you do is sweeten your yogurt with whatever flavor you want, and put it in your ice cream maker. Check out this recipe, it just so happens I made it last night! Soooo creamy and delicious, and fat free!
Lisa, thanks for the link & recipe. I read all the comments and had most of my questions answered. Will definitely give this recipe a try with Fage 2%. Yum
You can line a sieve with cheesecloth, put your plain nonfat yogurt in it, and put it over a deep bowl. I leave it in the fridge over night, and voila, Greek (Turkish) yogurt with no fuss.
That's easy… and Yummy
By the way, I always try to re-use the strained liquid, full of good stuff, I believe. I use it instead of water when I do my homemade bread (in the bread machine or by hand), for instance.
Why does greek yogurt have so much more protein compared to regular yogurt if greek is derived from regular?
It condenses to a smaller amount as the liquid drains. There is less volume, but the same amount of protein in the thicker yogurt solids. If you don't have cheesecloth you can ue a coffee filter & drain overnight.
I do this sometimes with my homemade yogurt. I make mine from whole milk, so my drained yogurt is probably not exactly low fat, but I'm of the opinion that fat isn't nearly as bad for us as we usually think it is.
Where is the recipe for Greek yogurt?
Thank goodness for the comments which tell how to make greek yogurt from convential yogurt, but there remains the higher sugar content.
Your heading reads like a newspaper or tabloid – very misleading; this is an article about smoothies.
There's a paragraph in the post where Katie explains how simple it is to make the yogurt yourself (start with plain, organic yogurt; use a cheese cloth, press the yogurt through the cheese cloth and push out the water, etc.) Then she's sharing what she likes to do with the yogurt she makes beyond just eating it plain or fruit — that is, the yummy fruit smoothies.
I have an ice cream maker and I do this: 1-2/3 cup 1 percent milk, 3/4 cup sugar or 1/2 cup Agave nectar, 4 cups fat free vanilla yogurt, 1/4 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract ( 1 scrape seeds from a vanilla bean). Heat all ingredients on medium low heat until mixture coats back of spoon but don't allow to overheat. Pour into a bowl and allow to come to room temperature. Cover top with plastic wrap. Chill in refrigerator for 4 hours. Pour mixture into freezer bowl of ice cream maker and freeze . You can also add fresh fruit of your choice when heating the mixture.
How do you make yogurt from scratch? Need recipe.
could not find the yogurt recipe
Here is a yogurt recipe a good friend gave me…try it out, let me know what you think!
Yogurt is super easy…heat a quart of low fat milk to 120 degrees, add a few T of plain yogurt and a few T of dried milk (optional but the extra protein does help thicken). Stir them put in a jar and keep between 90 and 120 degrees for 6-12 hours. Then put in fridge for 5 hours. Serve
*Use reduced fat instead milk over skim milk it works better
*Buy a thermometer so you know the temp is just right
FYI… I have asked around and these are the things my clients have done to make their yogurt. A hot garage is a perfect place to let the yogurt ferment. Try to keep it still while fermenting. Or put a jar of hot water on in insulated cooler and then your yogurt jar in the cooler and close…that's about the right temp too. Another suggestion is to preheat your oven for 2 of 3 minutes and then turn it off and put your jar in there. Even the heat from the pilot light will keep it around the right temperature. It is kind of like a science project…fun, huh! One last tip…Wrap your jar in a kitchen towel or I have even heard of using a pillow…helps to insulate it and keep the heat in!
To make Greek yogurt…strain your yogurt through a cheese cloth several times until it is rich and creamy!
Do you have an instant read thermometer for heating the milk?
1. Heat Milk in a microwavable container for 25 mins. Make sure there is atleast 1 1/2 inch – 2 inches gap between the milk level and the container top.
2. Cool the milk until its lukewarm. (This will take approx 50 mins)
3. Add 1 Tbsp of store bought yogurt to the lukewarm milk.
4. Close the container and place it in the oven with the light ON. (Do not set the oven to any temp)
5. It will take about 5 – 6 hrs for the yogurt to SET. You will know that the yogurt is SET when you jiggle the container slightly, the yogurt will move like jelly.
6. Place this now in the refrigerator and let it cool overnight.
Now you have the best home made yogurt.
do you know if i could make "yogurt" with a milk substitute??? ex: rice or almond milk???
greek yogurt does not taste to pleasant in my mouth is there anywhere i can enjoy it………..i used granola berry mix just the combination wasnt to good………
Go to You tube and type in making homemade yogurt watch several of the videos. Lots of great videos and techniques. Very simple to make at home and cheap! No special equipment needed. They will all tell you though, not like the poster above that says to heat milk to 120 degrees, but that you MUST heat it to 180-185 degrees first, then cool to 110-120 . Or check out the website,
makeyourownyogurt.com also a great tutorial there.
If you prefer Greek Style strain it through a couple layers of cheescloth set in a colander over a bowl or pot and put in fridge for a few hours, and voila, greek style yogurt that does not cost $1.79 for one teeny tiny container.