View Full Version : What's with all the Greek Yogurt and tons of protein??
I had thought of putting this in the food forum, but I think it really belongs here too.
Its so silly when some company puts out something new and every other company follows suit. Its just silly.
Anyhow.......what's with all this Greek yogurt? 14 g of protein? Really? Like we really need more protein. I suppose if that's all you're eating in a day, that might be good, but 14 g of protein when we just want some good gut bacteria? Marketing is just so silly.
it's for the low-carbers and diabetics out there............
True Greek yogurt is really good... it's high fat, very thick and creamy. Awesome in small, small doses.
I tried some of the Ciobani.......or something like that and loved the texture. But they added all sorts of crap to obtain that texture. Plus, I don't need that much protein (since I eat alot of other stuff). I keep thinking I'll order some real kefir nuggets and grow my own product, but haven't done it yet.
I always buy Greek Yogurt. Have for a long time. Yummy... Plain whole-fat Greek Yogurt. Or eat it with a bit of honey or jam.... Delish!
ApatheticNoMore
3-25-11, 2:47pm
Yea true Greek yogurt is probably more fat than protein, and that's what is tasty about it!
But speaking of advertising and yogurt. I saw several ads on t.v. one day that all basically had the same theme: "this yogurt is so healthy, good bacteria, blah blah, and I can't believe it can be healthy and also taste good" (yea well it also happened to be loaded with sugar). Then another commercial "this cereal is so healthy, so much fiber, blah blah, I can't believe it can be healthy and taste this good" (yea well it also happened to be loaded with sugar).
But never mind the loaded with sugar part because that really isn't the interesting part. The interesting part is the whole belief system being reflected/reinforced/imparted by these commercials. That something healthy can't taste good (unless it's highly altered junk like being sold in the commercials I guess). It is a LIE. Healthy natural well-prepared food can taste wonderfully good. And yet the people watching these commercials are being brainwashed with the idea, that healthy food doesn't taste good (the concept of brainwashing is a subtle one, those who actually know about healthy food - won't be so easily swayed as those who don't, but even those with a lot of background, when they are fed a lie again and again it will do some damage).
Now what does the FALSE BELIEF SYSTEM do to people's efforts to actually live a healthy lifestyle? It damages it tremendously! Ugh let the media poison your mind and you will poison your body.
I was thinking about this today.....and all the false advertising out there. Its disgusting. Its like they're all scam artists.
I love that there are products like Greek yogurt. I put it atop a Morroccan dish last night and it was spectacular. I don't see a thing wrong with the product itself, because I'm not sedentary and scarfing down a tub a day. And it's not just for low-carbers -- during the running season I need an awful lot of protein AND carbs to keep me going, and I appreciate the availability of a wide variety of foods with healthy fat/protein/carbohydrates.
I DON'T love the way most products are advertised but then again I never have...and I spent 20 years in the advertising industry. It is all heavy on branded prepared foods, which as a nation (if we listen to the messages) keep us sick, lazy, and broke. But that's what the marketing machine is all about.
Yogurt. Yum.
Food advertising. Just say no.
What's your favorite Greek yogurt product?
The one I have in the fridge now is my favorite -- Fage 2% plain. Minimal extra ingredients, 4g fat per serving (and I can't eat a whole serving at a sitting.....too much for me!) I don't like yogurt that has a lot of sweetener in it. One cup of this lasts me quite a while. I just put a dollop on a bowl of strawberries and drizzled a little honey over all, for example.
Just to be clear, I agree with you, CathyA -- it's definitely not for everybody, not something you'd want to include a lot of in your diet, regardless of what the commercials want you to think!! But as frugal as we are, these small treats like this and tiny amounts of really good chocolate, coffee, etc. make my day :)
I eat it the same way as pug, usually a dollop on my morning oatmeal. I like the texture and the way it "stays with me."
What I noticed after the "discovery" of Fage and other more authentic Greek yogurts was the immediate bandwagonning of the other mainstay yogurt brands with their own "Greek" yogurt. Unfortunately they still have all the additives and sweeteners.
Miss Cellane
3-25-11, 6:55pm
Trader Joe's makes a non-fat Greek yogurt that has nothing but milk and active cultures in it. It's slightly tarter than the full-fat and low-fat versions, which is why I like it better.
Most mornings, I have half a cup for breakfast. It's also good in place of sour cream on baked potatoes.
I think I'm addicted to it.
What's your favorite Greek yogurt product?
The kind my wife makes for us. It doesn't seem to be much fuss unless we forget to clean up the strainer asap.
ApatheticNoMore
3-25-11, 7:44pm
I like the full fat Fage, I like TJ's honey greek yogurt (loaded with honey), I used to like Brown Cow (non-greek) yogurt when it was made from Jersey cow milk ..... but nowdays I think about it and then remember: that much dairy ALWAYS gives me a sore throat. And I usually decide against it.
I like the Trader Joe's Greek Yogurt too.
I don't know about all the different brands, but traditionally isn't the high protein, thick style Greek yogurt made by straining out whey instead of adding anything? I like plain strained yogurt with a little honey and sometimes some fruit. It's a nice treat, like ice cream.
Mmmm. Maybe I should use some of my lovely high fat milk from the farm to make some strained yogurt. I bet that would be good.
I made yogurt when I was younger, but all the strains were just too tart/sour for me. Anyone have a recipe/strain that isn't so sour? I would either use Yogourmet or starter from something like Dannon.
Mrs. Hermit
3-25-11, 9:19pm
CathyA: try incubating your yougurt for less time, or at a lower temp. It may be more watery, but will be less acidic.
The one I have in the fridge now is my favorite -- Fage 2% plain. Minimal extra ingredients, 4g fat per serving (and I can't eat a whole serving at a sitting.....too much for me!) I don't like yogurt that has a lot of sweetener in it. One cup of this lasts me quite a while. I just put a dollop on a bowl of strawberries and drizzled a little honey over all, for example.
I agree. Or even their 0-Fat. VERY good plain yogurt. Love it.
Hi..My first post on the new board. and it's all about FOOD. LOL
I buy Fage 0 and if you've ever eaten boursin cheese (small cheese. kinda pricy). .well. I make my own version with Fage.
I mix in some Mrs Dash Onion Seasoning. some No Salt. some onion powder. and it tastes just like boursin cheese.. and it's so thick you can even roll it.. into a log
Also. I made no salt onion dip. I use a pkg of herbox no salt beef boullon.. add some dried roasted onions. and some onion powder.. add my fage yogurt. and I have a lite /low sodium onion dip thats actually very healthy for you.. cause I"m using greek yogurt.
Enjoy
Helene
HBLMSL
Stella, yes, it is just drained yogurt. You can use the whey in baking if desired.
When I make yogurt, I generally drain out the whey before I put it in the refrigerator by simply pouring it out. If you culture yogurt for a fairly long time (8 hours or longer), it will be sitting on top of the yogurt at that time.
I suspect companies love Greek yogurt because they sell it at a premium price and then probably sell the whey to use in processed foods or milk protein powders.
In my experience, real Greek yogurt--if you bought it in a Greek restaurant for instance--is different from the packaged stuff. It's like the difference between Cambell's Soup and mom's homemade.
To CathyA's point--a lot of it is just marketing to make us feel like the yogurt we're eating is "superior" or "the real stuff" vs. plain old Dannon. Just MHO.
It's like the difference between Cambell's Soup and mom's homemade.
That's true for homemade yogurt, too. Nothing like the packaged stuff.
I like good, whole-milk yogurt, strained or not. It's certainly stood the test of time; that it's getting more attention lately is not a bad thing, IMO.
Protein, with fat, is one of the macronutrients absolutely necessary for good health. While carbhohydrate intake has spiked over the last few decades, protein and fat intake has decreased. Too bad.
Here's a calculator, if you want to get all nutri-geeky about it: http://www.naturalphysiques.com/tools.php?itemid=19
For most of us, 14 grams of protein is adequate for a snack, IMO.
simplelife2
3-26-11, 6:53pm
I'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian, so I appreciate the extra protein. As it's become more popular, the price has gone down and there's lots of sales and coupons for new lines. You really have to read the labels though.
I agree with the Fage. It was $0.70 more expensive than the yoplait brand, but the latter had junk in it whereas Fage had only milk and cultures. I use it to make my own from milk, usually 1 or 2% milk.
frugalista
3-27-11, 3:19pm
Fage 0%. I can only eat 1/2 cup with some berries and a tsp of honey at a time. Anything more is overkill. I love it.
dado potato
3-27-11, 11:59pm
The Greek yogurt I was able to buy was too fat for my taste, so I went back to plain. It contains nonfat milk and milk solids and bacteria. If I want to have a bite of something fat, I'll go for nibble of Parmesan cheese... salty and granular! I think yogurt advertising and packaging make claims that are comical: like "boost" the immune system.
CathyA: try incubating your yougurt for less time, or at a lower temp. It may be more watery, but will be less acidic.
You don't need to apply any external heat at all to incubate yogurt. Just use a wide mouth stainless thermos. Plop everything in there, and seal. Place in a fairly warm part of your home (as opposed to next to a drafty window). A few hours later, yogurt is ready...
domestic goddess
3-28-11, 11:39am
Just the newest food fad. There will be another along soon. Probably just as summer is starting. They have to keep us convinced that there is something "new" out on the market, and we are ruining our lives if we don't try it. Happens regularly, not just with Greek yogurt.
There are lots of food fads, I guess. Like oat bran, or veganism, or eating "locavore." Some may prove themselves. More yogurt choices are fine with me, even though I really should just make my own.
I had thought of putting this in the food forum, but I think it really belongs here too.
Its so silly when some company puts out something new and every other company follows suit. Its just silly.
Anyhow.......what's with all this Greek yogurt? 14 g of protein? Really? Like we really need more protein. I suppose if that's all you're eating in a day, that might be good, but 14 g of protein when we just want some good gut bacteria? Marketing is just so silly.
Here's what Greek yogurt is for me. I remember years and years ago, hearing about Greek yogurt and how yummy it was. Because it was made with whole milk. I heard that until you've had whole milk, Greek yogurt, you haven't really had yogurt. Back then(I'm talking 30 years ago) all yogurt in the markets were low or non fat. Nobody WANTED whole milk. When I saw Greek Yogurt hit the market I was excited. I wanted to try this elusive product. I have no idea if "Greek" yogurt that we buy here and now is anything like what I was hearing then, but I bought some and tried it and I gotta say it converted me back to yogurt. Now I buy it regularly where I had stopped eating Yogurt years and years ago. YUM. That's it. YUM. Now as for the protein, mine has 8 grams per oz. Not 14. But I eat with my Kashi Go Lean cereal, which I specifically eat for it's protein content. So, I'm getting a double wammy of protein. I never cared that much about protein, but I have noticed in the last 10 years that having a high protein breakfast with a complex carb really gives me a marked sense of energy and lasts for a while. I don't get hungry. So, there. That's my reason for loving Greek Yogurt and I'm sticking to it! :)
wallydraigle
4-1-11, 1:40am
I eat a lot of protein because I am hungry all.the.time. I can eat a little bit of yogurt with 130 calories, or I can eat 14 bowls of cereal with... a lot more calories. Obviously I'm exaggerating, but protein is what keeps me from eating nonstop. I'm very active now (I work out twice a day and lift weights three times a week), but even when I was sedentary, I still had this raging appetite. Not everyone has an insatiable stomach like I do, but protein is more satisfying and sustaining than other sources of calories. I stay faaar away from sugar and empty carbs. They just make me hungrier. It's protein, small amounts of fat, and rich fiber here. I only have to eat about 8 times a day now. :)
It's so expensive and I don't even like the taste. I don't get the popularity. It's bad enough paying 45 cents for a lousy 6oz cup of yogurt that used to be 8oz, but to pay a dollar for "greek" yogurt? No way.
wallydraigle
4-1-11, 11:11am
We get it at WinCo. It's barely more expensive for a 32 oz. tub. And if you strain out a 32 oz tub of regular yogurt, you end up with far less product, so it may technically be cheaper, once you factor that it. It's by far the cheapest I've ever found it, though.
I usually buy Mountain High whole milk yogurt (preferably on sale). Strained, it would be similar to what is marketed as "Greek." I avoid the artificially flavored skim milk brands heavily marketed to women.
Not having bought yogurt in small cups, I wouldn't know....but I do buy in the large quart sizes. One of those lasts me a week. I eat it with cereal,. It's the only time I eat it. I like the sweetened honey flavored one, but happily pick up the plain ones when they are sold out. Probably healthier. I sweeten it with brown sugar and vanilla but probably less than the store brand.
domestic goddess
4-2-11, 5:03pm
What brands are you all eating that you like so much? I bought some Greek yogurt, and this is one fad I can pass on, believe me. Half the container is still sitting by my bed; I'm going to throw it out when I can get my head around throwing out something so expensive. It was so thick I could barely swallow it. It felt nasty in my mouth, maybe from the higher fat content. I have tried it a few times, with different brands, but with the same result. Guess this just is not destined to be my "food thing". I only like vanilla, key lime and lemon, so maybe I am missing out on the flavors others like.
wallydraigle
4-2-11, 11:22pm
I buy Zoi.
domestic goddess, if you don't like the yogurt, you could bake with it. Put it in breads, quick breads, pancakes, etc. Or use it in a curry.
Zoi is great and much cheaper than the Greek Gods, but I like both. I really don't like regular yogurt at all. If it wasn't for the Greek I'd happily do without and not feel deprived.
I've gotten hooked on greek yogurt since there have been so many promotions...a couple months ago the Athenos brand was free after coupon at Publix. I really don't like regular yogurt, but I figured for free I would try it. YUMMM...I looooove the one with a side of honey. I ended up buying a bunch of them. I just use a little of the honey, but it adds a great flavor combo. I tried a different brand on sale and yuck, it was completely different and just tasted like regular yogurt with a little twang, but not enough for me.
For me its a good breakfast on the go, or a good combo with a salad for lunch.
I find Greek yogurt to be a delicious little indulgence. I buy the plain or the vanilla, and split it with my DH. Add a t. of honey and top with some walnuts or berries or sliced strawberries, and it's like a yummy little sundae that's not so terrible for you--very rich and creamy...and filling.
I've become a big fan of Fage. Thanks for pointing me in that direction.
I have started getting a type of yogurt made locally that I think is probably similar to greek yogurt -- very, very thick. It has no added sugar, which is why I like it. I often mix in a bit of roasted millet -- a Mongolian habit that I have come to enjoy as a high protein snack -- and a tiny bit of honey to sweeten it up a bit. I had some fruit that I needed to use up -- quite a bit of melon and a mango -- so yesterday I decided to experiment and threw some yogurt in a bowl with the chopped up fruit and zapped it with the immersion blender, then threw in the freezer for my own take on frozen yogurt. DELICIOUS! I have a new healthy summer treat....
lhamo
I don't eat meat so I seek products with a little extra protein to make sure I get enough.
I like Pavel's yogurt. It is the only full fat yogurt I could consistently buy around here. I really wanted my daughter to have full fat dairy when she was under two (she still has it 80% of the time, although I will buy single serving low fat yogurt cups at Trader Joe's for when we are on the go).
I love it, the protien keeps me full longer and it has less sugar. I always get the plain and you can use it in place of sour cream. Great in dips and in cooking. Not sure why it bothers you so.
ApatheticNoMore
5-11-11, 3:00am
I've started eating greek yogurt thanks to this thread too (with nuts and berries, now that berries are actually in season). It's not even frugal. All you people on this forum get me to do is spend, spend, spend :)
Needless to say I still have to moderate my consumption of dairy due to sensitivities, it depends on what else I've eaten recently. For instance if I've eaten cheese recently, adding yogurt in addition and pretty soon my throat is getting sorer and sorer, not with a real cold or anything but just with irritation. The cheese is much worse than the yogurt, but a double whammy and wow. But if I've avoided other dairy recently some yogurt and I'm ok.
Lately, I've been eating the full fat Dannon yogurt for breakfast. It hits the spot.
Yes the yogurt advertising is unbelievable to me, the selection in the yogurt shelf at the store is overwhelming. Much of the stuff does not resemble yogurt when you the label. Most kinda reads like pudding.
Yogurt and me go back a long ways, kicked the sugared brands years ago, kicked the fat filled type a 2 years ago, switched to Fage 0% last spring and have not looked backed. Being a vegetarian it is a staple of my diet.
Today I had already decided was the day to make my own again and I ran across this posting. So off on the bike to get the milk and cheese cloth :)
Yes the yogurt advertising is unbelievable to me, the selection in the yogurt shelf at the store is overwhelming. Much of the stuff does not resemble yogurt when you the label. Most kinda reads like pudding.
Yogurt and me go back a long ways, kicked the sugared brands years ago, kicked the fat filled type a 2 years ago, switched to Fage 0% last spring and have not looked backed. Being a vegetarian it is a staple of my diet.
Today I had already decided was the day to make my own again and I ran across this posting. So off on the bike to get the milk and cheese cloth :)
I'm amazed you 'kicked' the full fat yogurt. Getting full fat or even low fat yogurt is a challenge here. Most are highly sugared and non fat and I want the full fat.
I like Mountain High original version, which is sold in much of the West and Midwest. It lists pasteurized milk, skim milk, and cream plus a number of lactobacillus strains on its label. A cup has 8 grams of fat, 5 of them saturated, and I don't hesitate to add a splash of cream to it...)
www.mountainhighyoghurt.com
I have been making my own since reading this post. I make a batch about every three days and am very happy with the results. I hope to not have to buy store bought again. I use coffee filters instead of cheese cloth to strain it.
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