Yogurt - of the Greek variety that is.

So I like yogurt, as I am sure most people do. Really, given my predilection for sweet things, how could I not? Now usually when I eat yogurt, it's the strawberry kind that tastes delicious - the Yoplait variety that you get at the store is typical. But the problem with yogurt is that it is usually high in calories, contains a lot of sugar, and doesn't have a lot of protein. Thus, I would eat it, but it would never fill me up. I would be hungry immediately thereafter and end up chowing down on something that would fill me up but wasn't exactly healthy (think muffin, bagel, or pastry). When I started my little journey, I pretty much took yogurt out of my arsenal because it was just too many calories with no punch.

So a few weeks back I was reading in a magazine about how yogurts can be good for you. Of course, the magazine was mostly advocating the plain variety, which is not all that enticing to me. But I ended up trying to work it into one of my meals because if you get the plain variety, it really does have a decent amount of protein for the amount of calories you're taking in. So I tried the yogurt with some berries and granola, and it was really good. I ended up eating that over the course of the week. At the end of the week it was time to go grocery shopping. I was at Costco and was ambling down the dairy aisle, when this tub of what looked like yogurt caught my eye. I looked a little closer and saw that it was Greek Yogurt. I remembered reading about Greek Yogurt in that same magazine article and vaguely remembered the article saying it was one of the best yogurts you could eat. Intrigued, I opened the freezer case and picked one of the tubs up to review the nutrition label. Instantly, I became really intrigued by this yogurt. 1 cup = 120 calories but 20 grams of protein. That's right folks, 20 grams of protein. That's about the same amount of protein you get from a piece of meat. And the kicker? Not very much sugar. NOTE: Sugar can give you an energy boost, but if you have too much of it, you can crash very hard. This is one of the problems with the type of yogurt I used to eat. Next time I challenge you to look at the sugars in a cup of yogurt. You will be astonished.

Anyway, back to my realization that I have come upon the holy grail of yogurt. Now, you may be thinking - If I read about the awesomeness of Greek Yogurt in the magazine article, why didn't I buy that instead of the plain yogurt? This is where the old me stepped in. The article described the yogurt as "thick" and like "sour cream." YUCK. I hate sour cream (well, at least I think I do - more on that in a later blog entry I'm sure). And thick yogurt doesn't really sound like something good. Yogurt should be CREAMY damn it!

Standing in the freezer aisle at Costco, I was at a crossroads. Thank God it was a weeknight because people probably would have stared at me and given me nasty looks had I been there on the weekend - you Costco shoppers know what I'm talking about. Anyway, I looked at my husband Bo, then back at the yogurt, and asked him - "Should I get it?" He was like, "I don't care, just get it if you want it!" Clearly he just wanted to get home and did not understand my dilemma, which was this: should I put it back in the freezer case because it was "scary" or get it because it was healthy. That's when I stopped - I reminded myself that I have now turned over a new leaf and am supposed to be "getting out of my comfort zone." I pointed out to myself that this was precisely the reason why I have been the way I am for so long - FEAR.

I buy the little tub of Fage 0% Greek Yogurt.

So I get home, I pop off the lid, peel back the aluminum foil top, and drive my spoon into the white abyss. Wait . . . What the heck is that?!?! After closely inspecting the top of the yogurt, I realize that there is a piece of parchment on top. Note to everyone . . . DON'T EAT THE PARCHMENT. Once I realize it's essentially a piece of paper, I am relieved. I was thinking, "I know the magazine said thick, but holy cow!" (NOTE: Greek Yogurt gets its thickness because paper is used to strain the whey out of the yogurt.) So I throw the paper away, swirl the yogurt around, and take a tiny taste. It is very thick and does have this sort of sour cream taste. I'm torn. I'm not in love with the taste as it is, but it is not that bad, and man, you just can't beat the protein. So I go online and google Greek Yogurt. Apparently, most people don't eat the stuff plain (you don't say!). Many people eat it with fresh berries and granola, honey and nuts, make it into a dip, or use it as a baking substitute. So I put some in a bowl with some fresh strawberries and this delicious pumpkin flax granola I bought at Costco, and OMG. This stuff is amazing. It tastes so sweet and is SO amazingly filling. This little concoction which took very little time to make kept me full for almost 4 hours. For those of you who care, this total meal is 309 calories, 20 grams of protein, 42 grams of carbs, and 13 grams of fat. (NOTE: I eat 3/4 cup of the yogurt, 1/2 cup granola, and 1 cup fresh strawberries.)

I now eat this dish fairly often and when it gets close to lunch time, I start craving it. I get sad when it is all gone because I want to eat more - it tastes that good. So the next time you're out at the grocery store, I encourage you to try this amazing treat. Even if you don't want granola and berries with it, there are so many things you can do to make an appetizing meal with Greek Yogurt. And if you don't like Fage (the one I've tried), there are other varieties available that you can try. See the Serious Eats link below for a list of various types available.

Score: ME: 2, FOOD: 0

Some fun facts about Greek Yogurt:

1. As I already mentioned, Greek Yogurt is very versatile. You can make it as a sweet dish (like I do), or use it in place of particular ingredients when you are cooking or baking. Many people use Greek Yogurt in place of milk, sour cream, and creme fraiche. It can also be used to make the traditional Greek dip Tzatziki by adding chopped garlic, diced cucumber, olive oil, and lemon juice.
   
2. PROTEIN - I have already mentioned how much protein is in one little cup of this delicious treat. Greek Yogurt has 20 grams of protein compared to the 13 grams of protein found in regular old American yogurt. More protein makes you fuller, which in turn makes it less likely that you will overeat or unnecessarily snack between meals.
   
3. Lactose intolerant? Not to worry. Because there are fewer carbs and less sugar in Greek Yogurt than regular yogurt, there is less lactose. I've even read that eating Greek Yogurt can help increase your tolerance for lactose over time. See #4.
   
4. Probiotics - These are a form of live bacteria, but the healthy kind. There has been research to indicate that probiotics can strengthen the immune system to combat allergies, excessive alcohol intake, stress, exposure to toxic substances, and other diseases. There is also research that indicates that probiotics can help reduce adult lactose intolerance over time.
   

Sources:

1. http://www.nu-train.com/repository/going-greek-yogurt/
2. http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/08/taste-test-greek-yogurts-fage-trader-joes-oikos-chobani-greek-gods-brown-cow.html
3. http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Exactly-is-Greek-Yoghurt?&id=1719258
4. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0689/is_7_54/ai_n14796557/