Health and Fitness: Yummy Greek Yogurt

Phoenix Phacts 
By Thom Seefhauer

Before you push away from the table or wrinkle your nose at the idea of the awesome taste sensation that is Greek Yogurt, let me ask you one thing. Have you tried it?

Perhaps you don’t even know what it is, hmm? Let me tell you, then. It is a traditional yogurt that is made from sheep’s milk. It is also a strained yogurt, (not a strain of yogurt) and the straining process is what accounts for its creaminess and higher protein content.

What can you do with it? You can use it in place of many dairy products - heavy cream, sour cream -and it is wonderful to use as a substitute for cream cheese in your dips, spreads or cheesecakes. But steer clear of the ones with fruit added, because if you read the label you will notice the sugar content is rather high and we know that certain types of sugars are bad. So buy the plain or vanilla and (hint, hint) add your own fruit or blue agave sweetener to it. (In the future , I will also discuss the different types of sweeteners out there: agave, xylitol, stevia, aspartame - BOO! - but for right now, let us focus on the yogurt in question.)

Here are some suggestions on how to use Greek Yogurt:

1. Use it in dips to replace about ½ the suggested amount of sour cream - it's smoother and creamier but not quite as tangy.

2. Use it any place you'd normally use sour cream - the possibilities are endless. Imagine a nice dollop on top of your nachos, chili or tacos. Fewer calories and more protein!

3. Don't forget to give your protein smoothie a boost with a heaping spoonful.

4. Combine with either feta or bleu cheese and lower your fat intake. Throw in some fresh herbs, and maybe a hit of tobacco, and voila, a low cal chicken wing sauce.

5. A bowl full of granola, a handful of fresh fruit and a nice dollop of plain or vanilla yogurt really gets the day going!

6. Instead of using oils or butters in your baked goods, try a little yogurt instead. Replace half of the butter with one-half that amount in yogurt. For example, if you have a total of 1/2 cup of butter required in a recipe you would use 1/4 cup of butter and 1/8 cup of yogurt.

7. How about throwing some in with the brown rice to get it just a little more flavor and moistness? Not that the crunchiness and nuttiness of the rice isn’t good by itself, but how about experimenting a little and give your taste buds a kick?

8. It’s a yummy base on which to build a red potato salad.

9. Add chopped apple and cinnamon for a delicious apple pie flavored yogurt. Or, bake some apples in the oven with walnuts and raisins and top off with some yogurt.

10. How about pulling out your food processor and pureeing up some fruit, adding some yogurt, a bit of milk and popping it in the freezer for a delicious dessert? 

Thom Seehafer is part-owner of Body Solutions Rx, a company which he says helps people release excess weight in a short amount of time, but in a healthy, safe way with the use of Hcg.