My New Obsession with Greek Yogurt
There’s been a lot of hype about Greek yogurt recently. What felt like overnight, new brands of fancy yogurts - both Greek and other types - started appearing in the refrigerator sections of grocery stores everywhere. First Fage, then Siggi’s Skyr, even Stonyfield got on the bandwagon with their tasty Oikos brand, and then about a dozen other varieties I don’t remember. I was a little overwhelmed and admittedly apathetic to the whole trend. My feelings for yogurt are pretty hot and cold. I tend to go through phases when the standard “fruit on the bottom” cups are my mid-morning snack, but then I get sick of them and the texture makes me gag.
I was never huge on yogurt at all until I spent a semester in London and found the Biopot: the smoothest, creamiest, most delicious yogurt with real chunks of fruit in flavors like Mango, Papaya and Passionfruit, and Summer Berries. I ate it every morning with shredded wheat and sometimes by itself for dessert. I cannot describe how much I miss it. (Has anyone ever seen this in the US??? I’ve searched to no avail!)
It was through the glorious Biopot that I realized my fondness for the creamier European style of yogurt over the gelatinous globs of yogurt found in the States. And when I first tried Greek yogurt, I expected it to be a similar consistency. Imagine my surprise when my small cup of yogurt was thick, velvety and full!
I was hooked immediately.
I really enjoy Trader Joe’s Non-Fat Greek Yogurt with Honey. It’s not very sweet, but it’s totally satisfying and especially great with some granola in the morning. And since I discovered this new (and affordable!) yogurt, I’ve been trying to add it into some recipes as well. The other night, we had barbecued some chicken wings and grilled asparagus, so by the end of the meal we wanted something sweet, but light. I had splurged at the grocery store earlier and bought a container of plain Fage yogurt and I knew just how to use it!
A few scoops of yogurt, a healthy drizzle of honey and some chopped strawberries on top and we were licking our bowls within minutes. So satisfying and such a healthy alternative to ice cream! Most Greek yogurts come in various fat/non-fat/some fat portions, so you can choose based on your own diet. All I can tell you is I plan to repeat this with every summer fruit available: blueberries, peaches, nectarines, blackberries… the possibilities are endless!
I guess some trends are worth all the hype. How do you feel about Greek yogurt? Are you as obsessed as I am?
Greek Yogurt Dessert with Honey and Strawberries
Ingredients
1 small container plain non-fat Greek yogurt
Honey
12 strawberries, washed and roughly chopped
Directions
Put a few large spoonfuls of yogurt into 4 small glasses or ice cream bowls. Drizzle each with about 1 Tbs. honey. Add strawberries on top.
Variations:
- Add toasted chopped nuts
- Layer ingredients like a parfait for a pretty presentation
- Use any fresh fruit
Popularity: 9% [?]
Tags: fage yogurt, greek yogurt, recipes, siggi's yogurt, trader joe's greek yogurt
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I found some Greek yogurt once and really liked it! It is too bad that I have not found it since. Straining regular yogurt is the best I can do most of the time. I enjoyed having it with walnuts and honey.
Posted by Kevin at June 17th, 2008, 6:29 pmhave you tried the Oikos Greek? It’s MY new obsession. So thick and creamy yet it doesn’t have any fat… and it’s loaded with protein too and it’s organic to boot!
I get it at my local Whole Paycheck (I mean… Whole Foods…) but a friend of mine can find it at their local Wal-Mart….
Posted by Pete at June 18th, 2008, 8:08 amGreek yogurt is great. I too am an overall yogurt enthusiast. Thick, tangy yogurt is my preference.
My husband bought a book all about yogurt for me recently. It’s titled The Book of Yogurt. It’s got a ton of recipes; you should check it out.
You may also want to check out my yogurt blog: http://yogurtnation.blogspot.com.
Posted by Scarlett Swerdlow at June 18th, 2008, 9:23 amI confess I was skeptical . . . but I just had Fage yogurt with honey and it was fantastic!
Posted by Skythe at June 18th, 2008, 6:38 pmYum. Great looking snack. I too love Greek yogurt. It’s so versatile.
Posted by Syrie at June 18th, 2008, 10:36 pmOoooh… The fage yogurt is a staple around this house (even though we feed 7 mouths a meal.) We use it for tsatsiki, frozen mint chocolate chip yogurt and the kid pleasing favorites- dill dip and taco dip.
It actually goes quite a long way and is worth the price tag. …And yes. I am as obsessed as you are!
Posted by Rebecca Lindamood at June 20th, 2008, 6:25 pmGreek-style yogurt truly is different. I’m especially impressed by how good even the reduced-fat versions of Fage are. OTOH, like Kevin, I’ve often strained my own, and as long as you start out with a good quality yogurt (e.g., Brown Cow) you can make a pretty darned good DIY version.
Posted by Lulu Barbarian at June 21st, 2008, 8:19 pmI read about Greek yogurt in Men’s Fitness magazine, and tried it. I haven’t went back to regular yogurt since.
Posted by True Diet Reviews at June 24th, 2008, 9:57 pmI was going to do mine with strawberries and then decided to go with peaches. Hopefully the thing I decide to do with my strawberries will be half as yummy!
Posted by Esi at July 11th, 2008, 11:56 am