Greek yogurt is growing in popularity and seems to be popping up for sale at every grocery store. Aside from being thick, rich and high in protein, Greek yogurt has intense versatility. You can use it to cook with or in place of condiments that might be higher in fat and calories. At Diets in Review, we like to lean toward Chobani and Fage for our Greek yogurt purposes. The possibilities with this product are endless and it can all be done with zero percent fat, plain Greek yogurt.
We recently spoke with recipe developer, cookbook author, lifestyle blogger and President of Ingredients, Inc. Alison Lewis about some of her favorite uses for Greek yogurt. “I love to use it instead of sour cream in dips, tacos and fajitas. I also love to use it in spreads, dressings and in baked good recipes for muffins, cookies and quick breads,” Alison said.
You may be wondering about substituting and if it will affect the taste of your items, so I asked Alison if she noticed a difference in flavor when using Greek yogurt. “Actually I think it gives all of the foods a richer, tastier flavor. My kids cannot even tell when I have replaced it on top of baked potatoes or tacos. I think it adds even more moisture and fluffiness to baked goods,” she said.
Using Greek yogurt in some of your favorite recipes can definitely help you cut fat, calories and add protein without sacrificing flavor. Below are some suggestions for using plain Greek yogurt in your favorite dishes.
Banana Bread with Greek Yogurt– The yogurt replaces some of the high fat ingredients like oil or shortening and keeps the bread moist.
Mashed Potatoes– Substitute Greek yogurt in place of whole milk and butter for lighter yet creamy mashed potatoes.
Bake with Greek Yogurt – Use Greek yogurt in place of half of the butter, shortening or oil in the recipe to cut down on fat and calories.
Ranch Dressing – Replace the recommended 1 cup of mayonnaise with 1 cup of Greek yogurt and you will have a thick ranch dressing that is much healthier. One cup of Greek yogurt has 130 calories and no fat while the mayo holds 916 calories and 78 grams of fat.
Chocolate Frosting – Using Chobani plain Greek yogurt with no fat replaces the butter or heavy cream that most recipes call for saving you cholesterol, fat and calories.
Mac N Cheese – Although you still use some butter, the addition of 1 cup of nonfat Greek yogurt offers an incredible creaminess without adding fat to your dish.
Smoothies – Use Greek yogurt in place of ice cream to give your smoothie that signature texture without the additional sugar and fat that ice cream has.
Potato Salad – Use Greek yogurt along with a small amount of mayo to create a potato salad dressing that is lower in fat and calories than traditional potato salad.
There are plenty of recipes available to help you incorporate Greek yogurt for healthier eating. And you can always just eat it plain or mixed with fresh fruit. Enjoy!