Healthier yogurt

brooookeexo

Hey everyone. Just wondering what kind of yogurt people eat. I've never been a yogurt eater, but have found recently that I don't mind it as much as I used to, especially with some fruit and a tbsp of granola. The only worry I have is that the light yogurt I've been having seems ltoo sugary to really be good for me. Are there any healthier options out there?

Thanks! PS, not particularly a fan of Greek yogurt- not sure if it's the texture, or the sourness.

lynn_glenmont

plain yogurt -- no sweeteners. It comes in "regular" (unstrained) as well as Greek (strained) style. Add fresh or frozen fruit if you want, or however much or little of whatever sweetener you consider to be best. It's much more versatile than the presweetened stuff, as you can use it as substitute for sour cream and mayo in all kinds of savory dishes.

feelin_gr_8

I've started making my own Super easy! Blogged about it here: http://rekamirecreations.blogspot.com/2014/01/tasty-tuesdayhomemade-yogurt-success.html

benefiting

I eat Jalna Greek Style Natural Yogurt which is full fat and unsweetened. I use it for smoothies mainly.

NianMaya

I love Dannon's Oikos Greek yogurt! It's smooth and less chalky than other Greek yogurts.

1two3four

I grew up eating Dannon Fruit on the bottom. I also used to drain off all the liquid in the cup before I stirred it.

Then Dannon FOTB became hard to find, so I started eating Yoplait (original, in the red cup).

When I moved out on my own I started buying quarts of plain yogurt and adding my own fruit but I switched back to Yoplait because I just don't dig fat free yogurt and that's all I could find at the time.

Fast forward to wide availability of Greek yogurt and I started buying that and adding fruit. Then I added cereal and I learned of peanut butter and honey (both together and separate). I get the fat free stuff when Chobani or Fage is not on sale but when I can get higher fat Greek I go for that and it is so, so, so good. My dad buys the Carbmaster cultured dairy products and while some flavors aren't my favorite I do like the Key Lime and Banana Cream and will eat them when visiting.

My point in all of this? All yogurts are different and you might have to try them all before you find a real winner.

I like Dannon all-natural plain yogurt. I hate Dannon OKIOS Greek yogurt (this also goes for Stonyfield OIKOS Greek, yuck!)
I like Yoplait original. I hate the Yoplait light. I haven't tried the new Greek.
I dislike Kroger Greek yogurt almost to the extreme of hate but, will buy it as a last resort and put honey, peanut butter or cereal in it). I like Meijer and Wal-Mart Greek yogurt.
I like Chobani Greek yogurt. I like Fage Greek yogurt and I love it with higher the fat content.

I've tried a few other brands in there as well...
Wallaby (Love! Wish I could still buy it in my area.)
Müller (only had one cup but didn't like it enough to even try another kind)

And some others I can't think of in the middle of the night and there are so many others I can't wait to try.

Finally, I have no comment on the healthiness of foods other than to say only you can decide what's healthy for you.

raaachelmarie

The Fage Total 0% is my favorite I like to mix it with a little honey and some almonds.

gigglesinthesun

if you don't like yoghurt why eat it? I personally eat the sweet and creamy full fat greek yoghurt, but I suspect that might not pass your criteria for 'healthy'.

brooookeexo

By healthy I just mean not so loaded with unnecessary sugar. But I have started to like it again, which is why I figured I'd get some suggestions before trying new ones. Thanks for all the replies!

Athena53

I buy plain and add honey. If I can get blueberries at a decent price I add those, too.

I told DH there are only two allowable ingredients in the yogurt I buy: milk and active yogurt cultures!

Abscominsoon

I'm a big fan of Krogers CarbMaster Yogurt. They have a bunch of different flavors, all have 60 calories, only 4 carbs and 8 - 9 grams of protein.

anzi888

it's different for everyone. I didn't think I liked greek at first but after eating it for over a year, I prefer greek over regular.

OIKOS cherry (fruit on the bottom) greek yogurt 0% is MY favorite. I find it's not as chalky/dry as other greek yogurts. The PC (superstore) greek yogurt is pretty good too. Liberte vanilla greek isn't too bad (costco for cheap)
For regular yogurt, I like the texture and taste of Activia.
I don't like anything with sweeteners, I find it too runny and I don't like the taste at all.

Cathalain

I'm a big fan of Krogers CarbMaster Yogurt. They have a bunch of different flavors, all have 60 calories, only 4 carbs and 8 - 9 grams of protein.

I LOVE CarbMaster yogurt! I can only get it when one of my coworkers goes shopping for us all and brings it in (she's the only one that lives nearby a Kroger, unfortunately - they need to open some in Maryland!), though.

When I can't get that, I usually settle for Yoplait Greek 100 (not the blended, that's higher in calories). I haven't been able to tolerate plain with mix-ins, at least not yet (I'm trying to "train" my tastebuds to like it).

I use plain Greek yogurt for all of my recipes that require mayonnaise or sour cream, though (especially potato salad). It's delicious and you can't tell the difference.

Grumpsandwich

I get Fage 0 greek (1 cup) 130 cal, ( (they also do single serving 100 cal cups, Walmart and a few other chains carry it) 23g protein, 9g carb, 0 fat 9g of sugar. I use it in everything ( in place of anything calling for sour cream ect ) and when i just want a sweet yogurt i will do cinnamon splenda n a half a sliced apple, or some berries with a touch of vanilla extract ect.

sunnyside1213

Chobani is all natural.

punkypenny

I like plain Fage 2% Greek yogurt.

Wilhellmina

Eco Greek yogurt or Skyr (Icelandic yogurt), both plain.

neanderthin

High fat greek. Would never consider anything else.

mel4bee

0% Plain greek yogurt.
I add flavour with vanilla extract, fresh or frozen fruits, organic jam (no sugar, no artificial sweetener), a teaspoon honey, dark chocolate chips (i put them in the microwaves for one minute before adding the yogurt), granola, nuts, dried fruits (be careful for them not to have added sugar), cereals, chia or flax seeds, almond butter...

cerumens

I make my own by the gallon ~ heat one gallon of milk in a crockpot on high for 3 hours or so. Add stevia to taste. Vanilla to taste. Add a half cup of powdered milk if you want it even thicker. For custard style I add 2 TBSP of Knox gelatin (I buy in bulk from the Amish). Stir everything together until well mix. Cool to 120 degree and mix in about a 1/4 cup of yogurt from a previous batch or something you bought (plain or vanilla). Put into containers and stick in my dehydrator (Excalibur) for 5-6 hours on 105 degrees. If you don't have a dehydrator put the containers or the crock in an oven with the pilot light on overnight OR you can wrap the crock in towels and leave it sit on the counter for several hours...There are tons of ways to do this. Makes 4 quarts of yogurt for about a dollar or less depending on milk prices in your area. I use whole milk, but you could use 2%...

Edited to add: my stevia to taste is about one cup or a cup and a quarter.

Also for those who don't like the price of greek yogurt buy plain yogurt and put it in a strainer with a coffee filter or cheese cloth and let it sit overnight or a few hours. All Greek yogurt is strained yogurt to drain off the extra whey/liquids.

TavistockToad

if you don't like yoghurt why eat it? I personally eat the sweet and creamy full fat greek yoghurt, but I suspect that might not pass your criteria for 'healthy'.

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FrauMama

We only "let" regular fat (*not non-fat), unsweetened Greek yogurt into the house. My daughter eats it with a little honey.

MyIrishSpirit

I was eating the Dannon Oikos Greek but then realized it was also VERY high in sugar (26g I think...) I got plain yogurt and added honey and frozen fruit to it....I don't like it. My boyfriend finished that off for me. I recently got Chobani 100cal cups with only 6g of sugar. I do the greek thing for the extra protein. For regular I LOVE the Yoplait whips....strawberry cheesecake.... But I'm not sure on the sugar content for those. Probably high.

Your best bet, what I did, Look through the yogurt isle and read the labels. I looked until I found something I thought I might like with an amount of sugar that I deemed OK. Buy 1 or 2 of a couple different brands and see what you like. As I'm dsicovering new foods to replace the stuff I just plain shouldn't eat it's been interesting, some things are good and some are gross.

Additional: After eating a high sugar diet for a long time (and by high, I mean what most people eat and don't even know) low sugar foods will not taste as good. But, after a bit they'll get better. My sugar free oatmeal, tea, etc took a little adjusting. I know it's a lot better for me though and I'm working on changing my sugar content.

CupcakeGangsta

I eat coconut milk yogurt. SoDelicious is my favorite brand and they contain all the same active cultures as dairy yogurts. The saturated fat is a bit higher but it's the good saturated fat your body needs. I love the vanilla, raspberry, blueberry, and strawberry flavors. They also have a thicker 'Greek' style one that tastes great too!

kozclash

Plain Chobani non-fat with a little stevia and some fresh berries works for me.

DamianaKitten

I also make my own.

1/4 cup starter yogurt per 1/2 gallon of milk (I use whole).

Measure out yogurt starter (I started with Dannon plain) and set it on the counter. Heat milk to 180 degrees (I use a low heat and stir every few minutes). While milk is heating, put glass jars (I used wide mouth canning jars) in oven @ 200 degrees. Heating the jars will sterilize them. Once milk is heated, turn the stove off but leave the pot on the burner. Put about a cup into the yogurt and mix until smooth. Pour yogurt milk mixture back into the pot and allow the milk to cool to 110 degrees, turn the oven off. Once milk is cooled to 110, pour into jars. Wrap jars in a towel, and place back into the oven, leaving the oven light on. Allow to sit at least over night, but anywhere from 12-24 hours is fine. Pull the jars out, put lids on, and place in the fridge. I always get really thick yogurt with this method, and you can always add sweeteners/fruit/whatever when you go to eat it. Will keep for a few weeks in the fridge, and yogurt can also be frozen. Just be sure that if you're going to freeze it, that you leave enough space in the jars to account for expansion.

just_Jennie1

Chobani plain non fat Greek yogurt. I'll add my own fruit, home made granola, jam etc. to it. So good.

just_Jennie1

I also make my own.

1/4 cup starter yogurt per 1/2 gallon of milk (I use whole).

Measure out yogurt starter (I started with Dannon plain) and set it on the counter. Heat milk to 180 degrees (I use a low heat and stir every few minutes). While milk is heating, put glass jars (I used wide mouth canning jars) in oven @ 200 degrees. Heating the jars will sterilize them. Once milk is heated, turn the stove off but leave the pot on the burner. Put about a cup into the yogurt and mix until smooth. Pour yogurt milk mixture back into the pot and allow the milk to cool to 110 degrees, turn the oven off. Once milk is cooled to 110, pour into jars. Wrap jars in a towel, and place back into the oven, leaving the oven light on. Allow to sit at least over night, but anywhere from 12-24 hours is fine. Pull the jars out, put lids on, and place in the fridge. I always get really thick yogurt with this method, and you can always add sweeteners/fruit/whatever when you go to eat it. Will keep for a few weeks in the fridge, and yogurt can also be frozen. Just be sure that if you're going to freeze it, that you leave enough space in the jars to account for expansion.

Taking this!

My SIL gave me a recipe to make yogurt which I unfortunately lost.

ETA: How much yogurt does it make?

castadiva

High fat greek. Would never consider anything else.

Agreed. My personal preference is for Fage. If the normal-fat one is out of stock (deliciously creamy and thick, and incredibly filling - no sugars added or anything like that), I'll take the 2% or fat-free over any of the other brands, which tend to be thinner and taste watery and a bit sour (to me). Absolutely plain, or with passionfruit, or berries, or a sprinkling of nuts & seeds on top, or a little honey and some nutmeg or cinnamon - lots of options and very adaptable for cooking etc.

elyelyse

Siggi's!!! It's got less sugar and more protein per ounce than pretty much any yogurt I've seen. It's very thick, and not especially sweet, so it may be an acquired taste, but I do love it. A bit hard to find, and expensive too, but worth it for me based on the macro breakdown. I am ALWAYS satisfied after having it, especially if i mix in some sunflower seeds, chopped nuts, or granola.
http://siggisdairy.com/v2/products/

DamianaKitten

I also make my own.

1/4 cup starter yogurt per 1/2 gallon of milk (I use whole).

Measure out yogurt starter (I started with Dannon plain) and set it on the counter. Heat milk to 180 degrees (I use a low heat and stir every few minutes). While milk is heating, put glass jars (I used wide mouth canning jars) in oven @ 200 degrees. Heating the jars will sterilize them. Once milk is heated, turn the stove off but leave the pot on the burner. Put about a cup into the yogurt and mix until smooth. Pour yogurt milk mixture back into the pot and allow the milk to cool to 110 degrees, turn the oven off. Once milk is cooled to 110, pour into jars. Wrap jars in a towel, and place back into the oven, leaving the oven light on. Allow to sit at least over night, but anywhere from 12-24 hours is fine. Pull the jars out, put lids on, and place in the fridge. I always get really thick yogurt with this method, and you can always add sweeteners/fruit/whatever when you go to eat it. Will keep for a few weeks in the fridge, and yogurt can also be frozen. Just be sure that if you're going to freeze it, that you leave enough space in the jars to account for expansion.

Taking this!

My SIL gave me a recipe to make yogurt which I unfortunately lost.

ETA: How much yogurt does it make?

Depends on how much you make. :P When I made this with a 1/2 gallon I got two large mason jars + one smaller jars worth. :laugh: I'm not actually sure how much that comes to.