Greek yogurt has long been considered to be powerful health food. Not only does Greek yogurt taste delicious, but it does so much for our bodies. Loaded with essential nutrients, eating Greek yogurt regularly can positively affect everything from heart health to bone strength.
While Greek yogurt has only recently risen to popularity, it's been around for many years. Knowing the many ways you can use Greek yogurt can help you incorporate it into some of your favorite recipes. Whether you have fitness goals to hit or are merely looking for a healthy ingredient to eat more of, enjoying more Greek yogurt will be great for your health. Keep reading to discover how to use Greek yogurt and where it comes from.
How Is Greek Yogurt Made?
Greek yogurt is made similarly to traditional yogurt. First, milk is heated and then allowed to cool to a specific temperature. Next, a well-defined and healthy bacteria is added to the milk to produce more lactic acid. The acid produced combines with the milk, thickening the texture and creating the traditional yogurt consistency and taste. To get the thick texture of Greek yogurt, the yogurt mixture is strained to remove liquid whey and lactose.
How Is Greek Yogurt Different from Traditional Yogurt?
While Greek yogurt has a noticeably thicker texture, that's not the only thing separating it from traditional yogurt. Here are a few of the main differences between regular yogurt and Greek yogurt.
Greek Yogurt Has Fewer Carbs
When discussing which yogurt is lighter, Greek yogurt takes the cake. Greek yogurt contains nearly half of the calories and carbs traditional yogurt does, making it healthy food to enjoy if you're following a low-carb diet.
Greek Yogurt Has More Protein
Looking for ways to add more protein to your diet? You've found it. Greek yogurt contains twice as much protein as regular yogurt—which is a lot! It's a high-protein treat that you don't have to feel guilty about diving into.
Greek Yogurt Has Less Saturated Fats
When discussing fats, there's good fat and bad fat. Bad fats, a.k.a saturated fats, are found in a variety of foods, including yogurt. However, Greek yogurt has about a one-to-three ratio of saturated fats when compared to regular yogurt.
Greek Yogurt Is Low in Sodium
Traditional yogurt has nearly twice as much sodium as Greek Yogurt does. This means Greek yogurt is a great food to enjoy if you're trying to consume less sodium in your diet.
Ways to Use Greek Yogurt
Now that you've learned more about what makes Greek yogurt so great for you, it's time to begin using it in recipes. Keep scrolling to discover the many flavorful ways that you can use Greek yogurt in your kitchen.
Enjoy Greek Yogurt as Breakfast
Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. Not only does it help break the fast that your body went into while sleeping, but it also provides it with the nutrients needed to face the day ahead. Ensuring that your breakfast is healthy can significantly affect your mental and physical health, and there are easy ways to do so. One of the best breakfast ingredients around, working Greek yogurt into the first meal of the day, doesn't have to be a challenge.
For the perfect, protein-packed breakfast, skip the traditional cereal and make this Strawberry Yogurt Muesli Cereal Bowl instead. A flavor combination that can't be beaten, this cereal bowl mixes healthy ingredients like Greek Yogurt and Old Country Style Muesli to create a mouthwatering breakfast loaded with nutrition. Flavored with fresh strawberries and sweetened with maple syrup, both children and adults will love this wholesome breakfast.
Use Greek Yogurt as a Healthy Frosting Substitute
Have you found that sometimes the frosting used to top your favorite cake is just a bit too sweet? Or maybe you can't get past the spoonful of sugar you're about to shovel into your mouth. If you're not the biggest fan of frosting, you're not alone. While frosting is quite literally the "icing on the cake," it's often the difference between a semi-healthy baked treat and an unhealthy one. If you're searching for ways to top your cake with a lighter icing, look no further. Using Greek yogurt to create a creamy cake frosting is the perfect way to lighten the entire dessert up a bit.
This Semolina Citrus Cake with Creamy Yogurt Frosting, is the perfect example of a balanced dessert. It is made with both sweet and wholesome ingredients and is a dessert recipe that won't send your diet over the edge. While Greek yogurt is a significant ingredient in the actual cake batter, where it truly shines is in the frosting. Greek yogurt, citrus juice, vanilla extract, cream cheese and powdered sugar combine to create a frosting that is just the right amount of sweetness. Delicious and less-guilty than other frostings, it's the perfect way to use Greek yogurt. Try it out and see for yourself!
Enjoy Greek Yogurt as a Snack
Healthy snacks can be hard to find. Many snacks claim to be full of natural and healthy ingredients, from fruit chews to trail mix, only to be doused with sugar later on. To make an easy and healthy snack at home, use Greek yogurt. An excellent ingredient in many recipes, Greek yogurt can be turned into a healthy, refreshing snack in just one step—freezing it! If you've never tried frozen yogurt before then, you're in for a treat. While this frozen yogurt recipe doesn't taste like ice cream, it's pretty close!
These Frozen Protein Yogurt Bites are a great alternative to traditional ice cream and can be made in just minutes. Perfect for when you're in the mood for a refreshing treat, they're made with minimal ingredients and entirely customizable. A melt-in-your-mouth kind of delicious, at Bob's Red Mill, we make this snack weekly!
Made with plain Greek yogurt and our Chocolate Protein Powder Nutritional Booster, these frozen yogurt bites are overflowing with health benefits. Plus, they're flavored and sweetened naturally with strawberries, which makes this recipe added sugar-free. A great snack when entertaining kids or to enjoy throughout the day, it's the perfect bite-sized snack to munch in between meals.
Turn Greek Yogurt into an Ice Pop
Want to take your dessert recipe to the next level in both nutrition and flavor? Then we have just the tip for you! Instead of enjoying your Greek yogurt as yogurt, take things up a notch and turn it into a popsicle instead. Greek yogurt can easily be flavored with healthy fruits like strawberries, blueberries and mangos, making it the perfect base for a healthy ice pop recipe. A staple dessert year-round, making ice pops at home gives you complete control of the flavors that go into them. This is especially helpful if you have a picky eater in the household who only likes certain ingredients.
To make these Patriotic Protein Pops, canned coconut milk, Greek yogurt and our Whey Protein Powder is used. When adding protein powder to already nutritious Greek yogurt, a nutrient-dense combination of ingredients creates a guilt-free dessert that's quite great for you. Sweetened with honey and flavored with lemons, blueberries and raspberries after trying this recipe, it's sure to be your new favorite popsicle.
Use Greek Yogurt to Lighten up Baked Goods
When creating delicious baked goods, there are many ingredient swaps you make to lighten up the recipes. Whether you're allergic to a particular ingredient on the list or simply want to make your treat a bit healthier, the best thing about homemade desserts is that they're entirely customizable. While Greek yogurt may not be on your ingredient list yet, it will be after making this Lighter Carrot Cake Recipe.
Just one slice of this moist cinnamon-y carrot cake is sure to satisfy all of your dessert cravings. Made with Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour and Greek yogurt, it's a lighter take on most cake recipes. Warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg bring this cake's flavors to life and create a warming, melt-in-your-mouth experience with every bite. Make this cake as a dessert to bring to your next gathering, or as a one to keep at home when you're craving something sweet. After cooking with Greek yogurt in this cake recipe, you'll want to add it to them all!
While these five delicious ways to use Greek yogurt are some of our favorites, they are not the only ones out there! Greek yogurt can be used in countless ways, and this is just the start! If you're searching for more ways to incorporate this superfood ingredient into your diet, try out one of these recipes and let us know what you think! From yogurt-based popsicles to healthy frosting substitutes, Greek yogurt is a versatile ingredient that can be added to just about anything!
At Bob's Red Mill, we look forward to your feedback. Share your favorite ways to use Greek yogurt with us in the comments below! Until then, happy baking!
