Greek is Good

I've been a Yoplait fan for a long time. I really loved their custard style yogurt - thick texture instead of thin & runny. I stopped eating it because I just couldn't justify the extra fat & calories. I'd buy it and promise myself that I would eat it for dessert but it was too easy to cave on that if I had a lack of time or options in the morning (or any other part of the day for that matter).

The less fat variety isn't much better for you - super high in sugar derived from the dreaded High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). I kept eating it because the flavors are pretty good. When I started working at the high end grocery store, I found two new flavors - Guava and Passionfruit. They nailed them both, which is so often not the case with tropic inspired products. I started to realize that I was getting that sugar-sick feeling not long after I ate it and so I stopped buying it altogether. Sadly, it is definitely not a feel better food.

I decided to check out Greek Yogurt after I read that it is high in protein. My first try was the Fage brand - I tried hard to like it but it was just too runny. This could have been partially my fault as I saw the 'Do not stir' note after I stirred in the honey that was included in seperate compartment. Gave it another try, not stirring this time, but instead dipping the spoon in honey and then in the yogurt. I found it either too tart or too sweet with no happy medium and it was still on the runny side.



Last week I found Voskos Greek Style Yogurt and it was perfection. Only slightly sweet with a hint of honey aftertaste and most importantly a whoohoo-worthy thick texture. How is it possible that it could be good for me too? The label tells the tale...it's got 13 grams of protein to 16 grams of carbs and no fat. I have it with almond granola and a few fresh raspberries if I'm lucky enough to have them on hand. I recently read that Raspberries are good for staving off diabetes because of their low glycemic index and natural fiber.



Today, I read a entry on the Food Network's Blog about an Icelandic yogurt called Skyr. Some guy named Siggi started producing it using skim milk and Agave (my favorite natural sweetner). Thick yogurt with no fat grams or refined sugar...where do I sign up? I got excited when I saw that it is carried by Whole Foods. Flavor combinations like Orange & Ginger and Pomegranite & Passionfruit almost had me blazing a trail to the nearest Whole Foods until I saw that it is only available East of the Mississippi. So sad....Until Siggi's distribution reaches the Pacific...Greek it is.