(Greek) Yogurt Taste Test … And The Winners Are …

First Things First.

Before I go and get all Greek-like on ya, for many of you, eating plain yogurt in the first place is a great place to start, so keep it up! More times than not, when someone comes to us for weight  loss, this is often one of the first dietary changes we make, usually shifting from a cold cereal or starch-dominated breakfast (toast, bagel, English muffin, etc.) So as always, listen to your body, mind your post-meal energy levels, and if you tolerate dairy well (not all of us do, and that is OK), then yogurt is a great choice for:

• digestive health – providing “good bacteria” (or probiotics) that assist in healthy digestion in your stomach and intestines
• muscle building (a very metabolic process, meaning more calories burned) and recovery – from the 8-20+ grams of protein you get from the milk
• a variety of nutrients – calcium, potassium, and a couple of Vitamin B’s to boot.

So (Greek) yogurt with berries is a much better breakfast for example than most cold cereals considering 3 of our primary critieria for “grading” a meal, if you will:

1. does it satisfy my hunger (not make me full and bloated, but simply satisfy my physical hunger)?
2. is it nutrient-dense, as opposed to being more calorie-dense than full of nutrients (as many cold cereals are (sorry Total marketing department)?
3. does it supply me clean energy while keeping my blood sugar in check (meaning, does it NOT spike my insulin levels)?

If you haven’t been eating it, maybe try putting your cereal in yogurt instead of a bowl of milk for the added benefits listed above, particularly the probiotics.

Go Greek

So for those of you who want to “upgrade” your yogurt options, are considering ways to eat a bit more natural or limit your corn sugars, go for the options listed as such below.

I have two winners, all things considered, that is: palatability, price, considering what the kiddo’s will eat, and convenience; along with the amount of protein versus sugar. So here are my scientifically valid results:

Dannon Fruit on the Bottom Greek Yogurt – when mixed well, we all enjoyed this one for the most part. It tastes a little bitter at times, but all in all, it’s not too shabby.

• Protein – the 12 grams of protein is better than the 5 grams you get in your regular Yoplait 99% Fat Free Original Yogurt. With the Yoplait 2X Protein Greek Yogurt, you get 14 grams of protein, but the bitterness and chalkiness were a bit too much for us. The Yoplait would probably make our honorable mention list.
• Sugar – The regular Yoplait has 33 grams of carbs (26 grams of sugar! Wowzers! Talk about spiking your blood sugar and resulting insulin) versus the Dannon’s 16 grams of carbs/sugar. Both contain corn syrup or corn starch, though the Dannon seemed to be less, based on order of ingredients on the container.
• Price – 60 cents for Yoplait Original (sugar is cheap), $1.10 for Dannon Fruit on the Bottom. (See below for my comments about prices.)

FAGE’ Total 2% Greek Strained Yogurt – Now this stuff is next to impossible to eat on its own, BUT, do not despair, with a 1/2 a scoop of vanilla whey protein and a few berries, it was pretty creamy and tasty, and very filling! (OK, Tara didn’t like it much, but I dug it, and it is Coach Becky’s favorite (she adds Stevia, and sometimes cinnamon to it for a low calorie flavor).)

• Protein –  the yogurt alone boasts 20 grams of protein! Nice, so with the extra protein, you are looking at a 30-35 gram protein meal with anti-oxidant rich (and low glycemic) berries that serves as an awesome breakfast, snack, or post-workout meal.
• Sugar – Only 8 grams of total carbs/sugars. Maybe with some extra berries, or some stevia, most of you could sweeten it to your likening.
• Price – $2.00 or more for this puppy, though compared to the other 5-6 oz servings, this is 7 oz, and with a few berries and added protein, could be counted as a meal. Two bucks ain’t bad for a healthy, protein/anti-oxidant packed meal!

A few more things to keep in mind:

• Yoplait Original costs around 60 cents for 6 oz, much less than the $1.10 Dannon Greek and the $2.00+ FAGE Greek.
• The Yoplait Greek was (quite surprisingly) not as good as the Dannon; my 2-year-old wouldn’t eat it without added fruit, and it was extra bitter to me.
• I mentioned the Whey protein powder throughout only because it has come up often in our weight management group discussions. You can try all of these without the added powder, which is essentially just a convenient way to add more quality protein to your daily intake.
• I’m not encouraging spending all of your money in the name of health, but honestly, you are investing in quality nutrition now, to reduce health care bills down the road. You are in control of your health (care), not your doctor, not your insurance, and certainly not the government. You are the number one person on your personal medical team!
• Take some time to read some labels and research these things, journal what agrees with your body, and do the best you can. Improving your body awareness leads to improving your health and fitness behaviors.
• A client once told me:
•  “I spent my health to gain my wealth. Now I’m paying you my wealth to attempt to regain my health.”
• If only it worked like that, right? If only we all lived life with a little more balance along the way, I truly believe we could not only enjoy great health along with all of life’s other blessings, but actually increase the amount of satisfaction and fulfillment the rest of life has in store for us. 

  So, no matter your choice in yogurt, read your food labels, minimize corn syrup (listed as corn starch sometimes), remember that increasing your protein intake by little bits like this makes a bit difference with your metabolism and recovery and continue to take care of your body, it’s the only place you have to live.

• Use Stevia sweetener or regular sugar … minimize or quit all together the use of artificial sweeteners.

I genuinely hope this helps … please tell me what you think below. I sampled a few other brands, and some of them were OK; but just wanted to high light a few we liked here. (And while I’d love a little endorsement deal with one of these companies, I receive no official love in any way from these companies … I’m just a guy in his kitchen doing some of the work for you so you don’t have to.)

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Successful people ask better questions.

Whether setting goals, trying to remain motivated or improve your habits, asking yourself positive questions yields positive solutions. Here are the questions (inspired by this post) to ask yourself:

• How will I increase the amount of protein I have for breakfast each day?
• Why do I make such healthy nutrition choices?
• Why will I plan to take a few extra minutes at the store to read a few select labels each time I go?
• What two small tasks can I do right now to improve how I take care of my health (body)?