Greek Yogurt--rather nasty tasting--help!
 

OK, I'm trying to get away from the "diet" fruit yogurt I usually eat. Greek yogurt looks great on paper--a load of protein and only 40 cals more than the artificially sweetened stuff I usually eat.

However, is tastes like, well, I can't really say here, but let's just say I don't care for it :mad:.

I've mashed up a bunch of (really tasty) blackberries in it, and it's just barely tolerable--just barely. I'm choking it down, but bleech!

How can I make this stuff palatable w/o adding many more calories and w/o adding any artificial junk?

Thanks for any suggestions!

Regards,
Michael

A co-worker on weight watchers says she uses Honey and fruit in her's and loves it! She buys the bigger containers and measures out 1 serving then adds 1 tbsp of honey and a handful of blueberries.

I've never tried it but she says it's very satisfying. Personally I'm sticking with Dannon Light and Fit! ;)

An acquired taste
 

Hi Michael,
I think yogurt, in general, and the greek styles in particular are something of an acquired taste. I wasn't much of a plain yogurt fan until last year, now I have to say I find myself craving it sometimes. One of the gateways tastes that got me hooked is adding vanilla (actually I would buy the kind with vanilla already in it first. Once I started making yogurt at home, I began adding it).

The other thing I use it for is a replacement for sour cream. Again it took a little getting used to, but now it is my preference. Salad dressings, top of the occassional potato, or in dishes that call for either regular cream or sour cream. It actually cooks better that sour cream as it doesn't tend to separate with heat.

Keep experimenting. Use it as a topping for fruit instead of the main ingredient. Add anywhere from a couple of drops of vanilla to 1/2 teaspoon, and I think you may find it increasingly tolerable.

Pam

To be honest, Michael, I hate plain greek yogurt. I can shove honey and berries in it until I can barely see the yogurt, and I still hate plain. Just something about the taste. I will say that honey makes it BETTER than berries for me, but I still, like you, have to choke it down.

I buy the flavored ones. Chobani has strawberry, raspberry, honey, vanilla, etc. etc. all at 0% fat. It's a bit higher-cal (I think the flavored varieties have 120-150 cals per serving) and perhaps a little lower-protein (I think 16 grams versus 22, or something like that) but it saves my tastebuds and lets me eat a cup of Greek yogurt most days. I take the tradeoff. :o

Hmmm--thanks for the ideas so far. One of the kids at school said honey as well. Too bad a tbsp would add 60 cals, making it around 180 :eek: for 6oz.

Luckily, I only bought two containers so maybe it's just not for me. It does seem like a nice protein source for the cals and the cost (a buck). Perhaps I'll toss it in the blender w/a banana tomorrow and try that (I usually have a banana for my 9:00 am snack, anyway).

Regards,
Michael

PS You're right--it does sort of taste like sour cream (perhaps a bit more rancid)--I bet it would be lovely on top of a microwaved "baked" potato!

I'm with Terri. I buy the flavors. If not, you can stir a tablespoon of jam into the plain or vanilla. Chobani now makes a lemon flavor, and Oikos even makes chocolate and caramel.

For me, it's worth the trade off of a little sugar as opposed to the artificial sweeteners, in order to make it something I will eat regularly for the health benefits. Life is too short to eat yucky food ;).

I totally agree that it is an aquired taste. At first, the tartness of Greek yogurt really threw me off, but now I crave it all the time. Also, I was talking to a local dairy farmer about yogurt and he was so passionate about the Greek style, that it sort of got me pumped up about it. (On a side note, he also claimed that the sweetened yogurts on the market all looked and tasted like snot (!!) after he'd started making and eating Greek yogurt -- nothing like that image to steer you clear of the Yoplait :eek:)

About the only thing I can add to the discussion is that I really think the quality of the yogurt matters. If I'm going to eat it plain, I pretty much only buy Fage -- for me, nothing compares to the quality and the slightly higher price is truly worth it. I am hoping to one day replicate this quality in home-made form. For smoothies/shakes I can get away with the slightly "grainier" brands like Oikos and Greek Gods.

Another alternative to morning (or smoothie) yogurt is ricotta cheese. You can add a tiny bit of milk, fruit and/or a little sugar and whip it in a food processor. Again, the better the quality, the better results -- the really good stuff is almost like whipped cream. It'll keep in the fridge for a couple of days, so you can make it ahead of time. Ricotta is a little heavier on calories than Greek yogurt, but it is high in protein and can be used in similar ways. I especially like it on poached pears or baked apples.

I agree, it the sourness of any plain yogurt really varies between brand and even between products in a brand. I did eventually find an organic yogurt that I find mild enough to eat without adding sugar or sweetener. I'm not a hardcore "go organic" person by any means, but I think it's worth the extra price since I actually finish a tub.

Quality does matter...
 

... good point Sailor. And there is a lot of difference among the various brands. I agree, that Fage is my favorite so far (other than homemade, but I'll often us Fage as the starter).

My husband and I go through tons of greek yogurt in a week, but not as an "eat alone food" (for that, I highly recommend Trader Joe's European Style fat free plain yogurt mixed with fresh fruit, particulary, mangoes or bananas!)

Greek yogurt lets you think you are eating rich food - we have a low calorie chicken stroganoff which is amazing - I'd be glad to share recipe - it involves stirring in greek yogurt at the end.

Yesterday, I mixed it with horseradish (which I love, an acquired taste), and spreat it on grilled turkey patties wrapped in flax wraps, far better than you'd think.

we make tzadiki (probably spelled wrong), you put half a cucumber, greek yogurt, fresh mint, dill and garlic in the food processor, then spread on cooked chicken breasts, it's great, tastes rich, and and you get away with very few calories!