The Straight Skinny: Greek Yogurt

Chances are you’ve seen one of Oikos Greek Yogurt ads featuring  John Stamos. But do you really know why there is a craze about greek yogurt? US News says, greek yogurt “is strained extensively to remove much of the liquid whey, lactose, and sugar, giving it its thick consistency…[and] a typical 6-ounce serving contains 15 to 20 grams [of protein], the amount in 2 to 3 ounces of lean meat.” Greek yogurt is low in carbohydrates, and contains about half of the sodium of regular yogurt. But greek yogurt can be very high in fat.

In just 7 ounces, Fage’s full-fat Greek yogurt packs 16 grams of saturated fat—or 80 percent of your total daily allowance if you’re on a 2,000-calorie diet. (That’s more than in three Snickers bars.) Dannon’s regular full-fat yogurt has 5 grams of saturated fat in an 8-ounce serving.

YIKES! Eighty percent of your total daily fat allowance in one greek yogurt? I thought this was supposed to be healthy… As with everything, there are benefits and drawbacks to greek yogurt. Fox News Magazine compares yogurt to its greek counterpart and determined:

With double the satiating protein than regular yogurt and fewer grams of sugar and carbohydrates, going “Greek” is waist-friendly, to be sure.

Greek yogurt is also naturally creamier since it’s strained.

As with many food items these days, greek yogurt has a “non-fat” counterpart that is made with 0 percent milk fat, otherwise known as skim milk.   

It’s a great addition to meals — it’s a great alternative to that heavy, fat-induced sour cream — and baked goods. You can switch out canola oil for greek yogurt. Picklee says how properly to do it:

Using Greek yogurt in a recipe in place of oil is one of the best ways to cut the fat right out!  The Greek yogurt replacement is barely detectable and makes recipes super moist.  To make the substitution, cut the recipe’s amount of oil by half. Add ¾ cup of yogurt for every cup of oil that you remove from the recipe.

Family Fresh Meals has a great greek yogurt pancake recipe. Corey describes the pancakes a “protein packed breakfast.” And it’s a nice take on the traditional “empty” pancake.

Or try these chocolate chip cookies. Cooking on the Side cut the butter in half in these cookies and claims they come out just as delicious. Halving the butter from a cup to half a cup sounds good to me!

No more mayo! Replace plain greek yogurt in a chicken salad recipe (or tuna) for a savory, healthy alternative.

Chobani has a helpful substitute chart to eliminate some fats by using greek yogurt. 

Try Chobani for yourself, with some coupons to help you get started. Oikos Greek Yogurt has promotions from time-to-time on its Facebook page, so head over there, “like” them and stay up-to-date. “Stonyfield Organic Oikos is made with certified organic milk from family farms whose cows are pasture raised.” Trader Joe’s also has its own branded greek yogurt in a variety of flavors. 

Nutrition Facts of the blueberry flavored greek yogurts:

Chobani: 140 calories, 20.1g sugar, 65mg sodium, 0g fat, 13.9g protein

Trader Joe’s: 120 calories, 14g sugar, 55mg sodium, 0g fat, 13g protein

Oikos: 90 calories, 11g sugar, 40 mg sodium, 0g fat, 10g protein

Everyone will like a different kind, and have different dietary needs; choose the right one for you, and know that greek yogurt can be a great addition to a healthier lifestyle.

Straight Skinny is a feature on Indulge Everyday diving into the myths and facts of a food or diet. Photo credits can be found on the About page.