Greek Vs. Regular Yogurt

I have the joy of meeting new, interesting, and fun people every day. I have also been blessed with the ability to build relationships based on my articles in this paper. Recently, I had a woman, who reads this article weekly, ask me the other day if I had tried Greek yogurt. I had not tried it, but she began to tell me about the benefits it has, how much she enjoyed eating it, and all the different ways to change the flavor. Well, she got me interested, not only in Greek yogurt, but in the comparison of Greek yogurt vs. regular yogurt.
Yogurt has numerous health benefits and is a good source of calcium. There are many varieties of yogurt available in the market from full fat, low fat, to probiotic ones. There are the commercials on TV that talk about being lucky enough to have Boston Cream Pie guilt free, and even Heidi Klum is in a commercial sucking what’s left of her yogurt out of the bottom of the container. Having all the sinful flavors of yogurt helps people feel like they are getting the treats they want while still watching their waste line. Not only is yogurt a great treat to have with many flavors available, it can also be used for making other dishes and condiments like sauces, desserts, smoothies and salad dressings. Yogurt is not just healthy, but is very versatile in helping you to achieve healthy eating behaviors.
Greek yogurt is becoming very popular these days. It is a yogurt that is creamier and a lot thicker than regular yogurt. So, before I get into the debate of whether you should have Greek vs. regular yogurt, I’d like to shed some light on how yogurt is made. All yogurt is made from milk; It can be cow’s milk, goat’s milk or sheep’s milk. The difference in the making of Greek yogurt is that when the bacteria strain has been added to the milk, the mixture is allowed to rest in cheesecloth that drains away the liquid whey. This results in making the yogurt very rich, creamy and thick, and makes it an excellent topping for desserts.
The main difference between Greek yogurt and regular yogurt is that Greek yogurt has a higher nutritional value. Because of the way that Greek yogurt is strained, so much liquid whey is removed causing the yogurt to be very rich in protein. Greek yogurt has twice the protein content of regular yogurt, which is good news for people who don’t get enough protein in their diets. It also has a lower amount of carbohydrates than regular yogurt. The most important advantage of Greek is that it contains fifty percent less in sodium than regular yogurt. Having high sodium foods increases your risk for developing high blood pressure, heart disease, fluid retention or edema and kidney stones. So ingesting lower sodium foods is very beneficial.
Greek yogurt has many benefits, however one thing it lacks in compared to regular is the calcium content. Regular yogurt has three times the amount of calcium due to the draining process. After reading this article about Greek vs. regular yogurt, you can choose the yogurt that is the best for you. If you can’t decide, why not keep both in your refrigerator. Either way, both yogurts are way better than indulging in ice creams and other high calorie snacks.