Healthy Diet Tips And Greek Yogurt: Why Greek Style Yogurt Is Good For You

One of the best ingredients on the market these days in terms of learning the culinary basics is cooking with and using Greek yogurt.

It is one of the 7 best foods to add to your diet according to Cooking Light Magazine.

It has become very popular because of its many versatile properties as well as its healthy properties.

WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT GREEK YOGURT?

• Greek yogurt is higher in protein than regular yogurt. It is also lower in carbohydrates.
• Greek yogurt is thicker than regular yogurt. It is also creamier.
• No thickeners are added to Greek yogurt. Standard yogurt is strained twice – Greek yogurt is strained 3 times!
• Greek yogurt is low in sodium.
• There are different brands of Greek yogurt on the market today and some are organic while others are flavored. Many different percentages of milk fat are available in different brands - you can find just about any variation to suit you.
• Take a browse at the ingredients before purchasing to make sure that you get the yogurt that is the right one for you. While some brands are very low in calories, others are much higher because of the different milks used such as whole, 2% or 1%.
• It would seem logical that every brand of Greek yogurt would be created equal but they are not. By examining the nutritional information, I have found that Dannon Greek Yogurt has by far the least calories per serving.
• Some people think that Greek yogurt is too bitter for their tastes – especially the plain variety. However, adding just a few berries or any kind of fruit and maybe a sprinkling of walnuts and flax seed makes it totally palatable! I have added raspberries, strawberries, pineapple, banana and canaloupe.
• Standard yogurt has 2-3 times the calcium that Greek yogurt does. Calcium is lost by the third straining of the yogurt.
• Greek yogurt unlike regular yogurt can be used in stovetop cooking because it will not curdle or separate.
• You can bake with Greek yogurt but you can also bake with regular yogurt. I add it to meatloaf and it gives the meatloaf an additional moistness.
• Greek yogurt can be used to make a delicious cheesecake - but you can use regular plain yogurt too and get the same 'cheese'.
• The liquid that rises to the top of Greek or regular yogurt is the whey part of yogurt and you can stir that back into the yogurt – or save and add to soups and sauces for added nutrition.
• You can use Greek yogurt in place of sour cream.
• You can substitute Greek yogurt for half mayo in recipes.
• Greek yogurt substitutes for buttermilk or cream - or both. It works well in muffin recipes or any recipe that calls for the bite of buttermilk and the smoothness of cream.
• Use Greek yogurt instead of whole cream in sauces.
• Use Greek yogurt in sauces and dips such as a creamy cucumber sauce for grilled fish.
• Eating Greek yogurt as a midday snack is an excellent way to satisfy your hunger without eating yourself into trouble. It's a healthy choice for a snack and does not bring with it a crash hours later from a sugar high.