The Skinny on Luscious Greek Yogurt

Liberte's 0% plain Greek yogurt, served with a drizzle of honey and fresh raspberries Photo by Ellie Shortt

It began with a recommendation from your health-conscious friend for better digestion and overall well-being. Then you started seeing it in your small local organic grocery stores, eventually spreading to the larger ones and now, it’s even a Starbucks snacking staple. Greek yogurt has become one the most talked about and celebrated new foodsof the past few years. So is it just a fad, or is it really that much better for you than regular yogurt?

Firstly, many feel that it definitely tastes better. Thick, rich and decadent, Greek yogurt feels like more of an indulgent dessert than the thinner, sometimes watery standard counterpart. This unique texture is the result of straining off the whey, leaving a creamier yogurt with nearly twice the amount of protein as traditional varieties (a typical 6-ounce serving contains 15-20 grams, equivalent to the amount in 2-3 ounces of lean meat) with the same amount of calories. And if that’s not enough to get you leaping to your feet and running to the nearest grocery store, it also has fewer carbohydrates and less sodium as well as a higher calcium content than traditional yogurt.

The decreased carbohydrate content is due the straining process, removing some of the milk sugar and resulting in roughly half the carbs as the regular kind (5-8 grams per serving compared with 13-17). Milk sugar, or lactose, is also what often triggers sensitivities to dairy products, making Greek yogurt more lactose-intolerant friendly. Remember though that both Greek and traditional yogurts can contain high amounts of carbohydrates if they’re sweetened with sugar or similar agents, so your best bet is to read the label carefully, or go with plain Greek yogurt and add your own sweetening, so you can control the amount of sweet stuff going in.

In terms of Sodium, a serving of Greek yogurt averages 50 milligrams, roughly half the amount of traditional yogurt. In addition, a 6-ounce cup of Greek yogurt typically supplies about 20 percent of the daily recommendation of Calcium, and while it’s a bit less than traditional yogurt, a handful of almonds sprinkled on top will offer the remaining 10 percent of the daily recommended dose.

So, Greek yogurt has fewer carbohydrates, less sodium, and a good dose of calcium, not to mention it is wonderfully delicious and satisfying. But are there any downsides to this exotic dairy product? Unfortunately yes. Most Greek yogurt ranges from 5-12% fat content, which adds to the luxurious flavour and texture. However, almost all brands are now coming out with almost equally delicious fat-free versions that truly offer the best of all worlds. One large bonus is that Greek yogurt is more concentrated than traditional yogurts and contains a higher percentage of probiotics, demonstrated to have remarkable heath benefits aiding digestive issues and alleviating ulcers, allergies and lactose intolerance. Probiotics also enhance immune function and protect against colon and bladder cancer. So if you really must opt for the high fat version of Greek yogurt, you’ll be comforted in knowing that there are so many other things working in your favour, a few extra calories are fine as long as your general diet is healthy and balanced.

Like regular yogurt, Greek yogurt is fantastic solo, or missed with fruit, nuts or granola. You can also use it as a sour cream substitute for dips, or even to replace the eggs and oil in baked goods. And because of its thick texture, it’s an excellent replacement for fatty ingredients like cream cheese, mayonnaise, and butter in dishes like potato salad, egg salad, pasta salad, and coleslaw.

So now that you’re ready to make Greek yogurt a staple in your fridge, here are some local grocers that offer this wonder food.

Planet Organic. 3995 Quadra Street, Victoria. (250) 727-9888 www.planetorganic.ca

Greek Gods: honey, original

Liberté: organic raspberry, organic blueberry, 0% plain, 0% vanilla, regular plain

Olympic “Krema”: vanilla, plain

Lifestyle Markets. 2950 Douglas Street, Victoria. (250) 384-3388 www.lifestylemarkets.com

Liberté: 0% date and fig, organic blueberry, organic raspberry

Greek Gods: honey, plain

Olympic “Krema”: plain, vanilla

Aubergine Specialty Foods. 1308 Gladstone Avenue, Victoria. (250) 590-1031 www.auberginefoods.ca

Greek Gods: plain, honey

Market on Yates. 903 Yates Street, Victoria. (250) 381-6000 themarketstores.com 

Liberté: organic 0% vanilla, organic 0% plain, regular plain, regular vanilla

Danon “Oykos”: strawberry, honey, vanilla

Olympic “Krema”: vanilla, plain, lemon-passion fruit, café-mocha, strawberry, honey

Astro; plain, strawberry, vanilla

Peppers. 3829 Cadboro Bay Road, Victoria. (250) 477-6513 peppers-foods.com

Greek Gods: plain, honey, strawberry, honey-vanilla

Liberté: wild blueberry, mango orange, honey, date and fig, organic plain, organic blueberry, organic raspberry, organic vanilla

Danon, “Oykos”: vanilla, plain

Country Grocer. 4420 West Saanich Road, Victoria. (250) 708-3919 www.countrygrocer.com

Greek Gods: plain, vanilla, strawberry

Liberté: 0% raspberry, blueberry, vanilla

Olympic “Krema”: plain, vanilla, café latte

Thrifty Foods

*Most locations offer Liberté, Olympic “Krema,” Greek Gods, and Danon “Oykos” brands, with specific varieties differing between each location. For a list of Thrifty Foods locations, please visit their website at www.thriftyfoods.ca. 

Additional Links:

Liberté Yogurt: www.liberte.ca

Greek Gods Yogurt: www.greekgodsyogurt.com

Olympic Dairy: www.olympicdairy.com

Astro: www.astro.ca