Post by Katie C., blog contributor
A food I’ve come to love over the past year is Greek yogurt. I had heard about all of its great health benefits (good source of calcium, high in protein, essential bacteria), but I was still eating the sugar-filled American version. At first I didn’t quite know how to use Greek yogurt, but I soon found it to be extremely versatile. I now eat it almost every day, whether I have it with fruit for breakfast or use at as a substitute for sour cream. My favorite brands are Fage and Trader Joe’s. Both are rBGH free; the Trader Joe’s brand contains a bit more protein and is cheaper. There are plenty of flavored versions available, but these contain a lot of sugar. I started eating these versions, but now I buy the plain version and mix in a little all natural fruit spread if I want a sweeter yogurt.
If you haven’t tried Greek yogurt yet, here are some easy and delicious ways to incorporate it into your diet. Once you go Greek, you won’t go back!
- With fresh blueberries or blackberries
- In a fruit and yogurt parfait – layers of Greek yogurt, fruit, and unsweetened granola
- In a morning fruit smoothie
- As a sour cream substitute (on top of a baked sweet potato, a dollop on tacos or taco salad, etc.)
- In tuna or egg salad as a mayo substitute (I sometimes do a mix of Greek yogurt and Dijon mustard)
- As a Greek tzatziki sauce. Mix Greek yogurt with dill, garlic, diced cucumber, and mint and serve on lamb burgers. This is one of my favorites!
- As a super-easy homemade vegetable dip. Blend one cup cottage cheese in a food processor for one minute. Blend in one cup Greek yogurt and desired seasonings (dill, garlic, onion powder, etc.). If you’re going to a Super Bowl party this weekend, this is a delicious, healthy dip to bring that only takes a few minutes to make.
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