Plain vs. Vanilla Greek Yogurt for Smoothies

ChangingAmanda
ChangingAmanda Posts: 486 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi,

So I've been using protein powder or a meal replacement shake powder for breakfast nearly every morning since the end of October. (before anyone goes eat vs. drink, I'm not a morning person so I find this to be the easiest/best way for me to "eat" breakfast in the AM).

Today I opted to use plain greek yogurt instead of the protein powder. Similar protein and calorie amount so it was a fairly even switch. I also added a bit more fruit than I normally do.

I found the texture to be ok but thought it was a tad on the sour side. If I used vanilla greek yogurt instead of plain, would it have the same slightly sour note?

Replies

  • annakathen
    annakathen Posts: 2 Member
    Vanilla yogurt is sweetened, so you might want to check the sugar content before you make that switch.
    I have found if I add a half a packet of stevia sweetener to my protein shake when I use plain Greek yogurt it helps a lot.

    That said, my whey powder has a lot more protein than my Greek yogurt.
  • jagh09
    jagh09 Posts: 555 Member
    I had the same opinion of Chobani plain. I switched to the vanilla flavor, and find it very enjoyable. I mix it with my fresh fruit all the time. I've used it in smoothies and in baking and it works well.
  • Daisy_Bumbleroot
    Daisy_Bumbleroot Posts: 9 Member
    I put a spoon of honey into my breakfast smoothies.

    I make mine with unsweetened almond milk, handful of oats, 2 handfuls of frozen red berries, a banana and a spoon of honey
  • askeates
    askeates Posts: 1,490 Member
    I usually add 2 splenda to mine and it helps with the sour taste.
  • mem50
    mem50 Posts: 1,384 Member
    I say it would help. I use plain but add in a little honey.
  • lavieboheme1229
    lavieboheme1229 Posts: 448 Member
    If you aren't used to greek yogurt in general, you might want to start with vanilla and work your way down.

    if you are used to greek yogurt, I would go for some honey. Or, a different flavor protein powder. I find Designer Whey Vanilla Almond can hide a lot more evil than just the Vanilla. And chocolate takes the cake every time :)
  • JisatsuHoshi
    JisatsuHoshi Posts: 421 Member
    I can never find a big tub of plain Greek yogurt... Only the plain yogurts...
  • mdhummel
    mdhummel Posts: 201 Member
    I find all flavors of Greek Yogurt a bit sour. I'm currently trying to choke down a Voskos Strawberry Greek Yogurt with Granola.
  • vadarvs
    vadarvs Posts: 19 Member
    I use the plain greek yogurt but only because I use it to sub for sour cream as well. So instead of buying vanilla flavored, which I'm sure would be great for your breakfast smoothie, I buy the plain because I use it for a variety of things. I usually sweeten my smoothie with a little bit of splenda or other sweetner when using the plain yogurt.
  • southpaw211
    southpaw211 Posts: 385 Member
    When I'm using plain greek in a smoothie (or just eating it for my snack), I put in about 1/4 tsp of vanilla bean paste. (I'm a baker, so I usually have a bottle on hand, but plain old vanilla extract will do the trick as well). That way you've got a little vanilla flavor without the extra sugar. I've also been known to throw in a scoop of protein powder along with my yogurt into a smoothie. Gives me more protein and gives the smoothie a creamier texture.
  • EmilyMcD84
    EmilyMcD84 Posts: 46 Member
    Hi! Are you absolutely set on using yogurt? I use unsweetened almond milk with mine. It is a recipe from my Insanity Elite Nutrition guide. I really like it and use it with vanilla whey protein powder.
    I can give you the recipe if you want!
  • leroyizzy
    leroyizzy Posts: 55
    I wont use the sweetened yogurt and the plain makes it too tart/bitter for my liking as well... Coconut milk is the way to go! It is subtle and adds a really nice creamy texture! Over the span of a week I use about 1 can of unsweetened full fat coconut milk in my daily smoothies along with kale or spinach & a bit of cilantro, frozen mango, pineapple, banana and a half of a cucumber +/or celery. Some Chia seeds if I am feeling celebratory :smile: A protein powder would also be a nice addition!
    My husband was not too thrilled the first time he tried them and now he asks for a smoothie everyday!
  • Leeann1979
    Leeann1979 Posts: 1,090 Member
    I accidently put plain greek in my smoothie last week,and it was gross. I had a hard time finishing it. I use vanilla greek yogurt. Or I use a low-fat regular vanilla yogurt. There is only a few grams of protein in the regular yogurt, but the powder I use has so much anyway.
    So from personal experience, I would say yes, the vanilla is better!!
  • ChangingAmanda
    ChangingAmanda Posts: 486 Member
    I can never find a big tub of plain Greek yogurt... Only the plain yogurts...

    I found plain and vanilla Oikos and plain 0% Choiboni at Wal-Mart. Not sure if they're available a regular grocery store.
    Hi! Are you absolutely set on using yogurt? I use unsweetened almond milk with mine. It is a recipe from my Insanity Elite Nutrition guide. I really like it and use it with vanilla whey protein powder.
    I can give you the recipe if you want!

    I do use unsweetened vanilla almond milk already and was debating between the vanilla and plain yogurts at the store yesterday. I'm trying something new with the yogurt. My weight loss has tapered off the past few weeks and one of my workout buds suggested it may be that because I tend to eat the same thing every day my body's gotten used to those levels of nutrition and thought that switching things up my help. I've read similar suggestions on here when folks asked about plateaus. I figured what the heck. I also wanted to start incorporating more greens in my smoothies since I don't get enough veggies in my diet (texture issue that I'm working on) and didn't think the greens would go well with the chocolate and mint flavored protein powders I have right now.
  • Brad805
    Brad805 Posts: 289 Member
    I like the plain since I can control the carb content better. I use a few drops of stevia to improve the taste.

    If you are a chocolate fan I discovered adding a TBSP of cocoa, cinnamon, choc stevia drops and some vanilla PP makes an awesome pudding.
  • ChangingAmanda
    ChangingAmanda Posts: 486 Member
    I like the plain since I can control the carb content better. I use a few drops of stevia to improve the taste.

    If you are a chocolate fan I discovered adding a TBSP of cocoa, cinnamon, choc stevia drops and some vanilla PP makes an awesome pudding.

    I compared the nutritional values on Dannon's site and would much rather stay with the plain if possible. I really don't want to sacrifice 5g of protein and gain 70 cals if I can find a work around. I'll look for stevia drops and look into adding vanilla extract as well. Thinking about it, I have some orange extract that should go well with the berries and banana I use.

    Thanks for the pudding suggestion. I do have a wicked sweet/chocolate tooth and usually end up eating ice cream or oreos on my workout days to make up the calories.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Honestly, vanilla yogurt is too sweet for me. I have no problem adding a teaspoon of sugar in my yogurt though. It's 4g of sugar per, so still half the sugar you get by switching to vanilla.
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    I use plain (Chobani) with protein powder, milk, and whatever fruit happens to be in arms reach (usually strawberries, since I'm rocking cookies and cream powder.) Can't taste the yogurt at all this way, just fruity cookie goodness.

    But in your case you might try the vanilla. It isn't as sour, but I personally found it a little on the cloying side.
  • froyojr
    froyojr Posts: 60
    I can never find a big tub of plain Greek yogurt... Only the plain yogurts...

    All you have to do is strain the plain yogurt through meuslin (sp?)/cheesecloth in your strainer to get rid of the whey. Do with the whey what you will. Enjoy your greek yogurt. :)

    http://www.salad-in-a-jar.com/family-recipes/how-to-strain-yogurt-the-easy-way

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