So anyway, here's the thing about Greek yogurt in general: I am conflicted. On one hand, the texture is thick and dense and creamy and perfect. I remember taking my first bite of Fage about a year ago and being like, "Oh. OH. So THIS is what yogurt really is. Right. OK. I stand corrected. Got it."
On the other hand, having been raised on Yoplait and Dannon and accustomed to such sugar-bombed flavors as "Key-Lime Pie" and "Raspberry Chiffon," I haven't yet been able to enjoy the taste of plain, unflavored Greek yogurt. I actually find it kind of revolting, honestly. It's just too "sour cream meets unidentifiable musky note" for me at this point in time. I'll keep trying, but so far, no thank you.
So what's fantastic about TJ's vanilla-flavored Greek is that you get the dreamy, super-satisfying texture and mouthfeel of Greek yogurt but ALSO just a smidge of sweetness and vanilla flavor. Enough to make this yogurt seriously delicious and the perfect partner for fruit and granola, but not enough to overpower the tart or dairy flavors or make you feel like you've just eaten dessert.
Also, for what it's worth, OGSNYV contains 12 grams of protein, which is about double that of typical American (or, I guess,"non-Greek-style"?) yogurts---a boon for those of us who don't eat a ton of meat and could therefore use extra protein grams wherever we can get them.
I am always interested in new ways to get even more yogurt into my life, so I'd love to know how others eat it. Here's my preferred method:1. Dump a container of OGSNYV into a medium-sized bowl.
2. Slice strawberries and bananas into it.
3. Sprinkle generously with granola (preferably homemade!) or whatever other crunchy thing I have available: Grape-Nuts, Joe's O's (review to come!), etc.
P.S. Maya (age 6) loves this yogurt concoction, too, which kind of blows my mind apart, considering her other favorite foods include such paragons of nutrition as corn dogs, mac and cheese (packaged, mind you), and Chicken McNuggets.
I like my yogurt that way, too, with sliced fruit and crunchy topping. If I don't have real fruit on hand, I stir in a little (homemade) jam. If I don't have granola, I just add a spoonful of plain rolled oats, some sliced almonds, a touch of brown sugar, and some flaxseed meal. But my favorite way to eat plain yogurt is actually to use my immersion blender (!) to puree it with some fruit (strawberries work best, or peaches in the summer--blueberries create a weird texture) and then just drink it, like a quick non-icy smoothie. You can add a little honey if it's too tart. I usually use the thinner European-style yogurt, but Greek works too. Try it!
ReplyDeleteWow, J! THANK YOU for reminding me about stirring in the homemade jam...I had totally forgotten about that! I believe I still have some of your blueberry-lime jam left. (...and a bit of the mustard you made, and that's about it from the Christmas treasure chest o' J's homemade goodies. Everything else was pretty much gone within a week of your presenting it to us.)
ReplyDeleteAnd how excited am I about yet another use for my immersion blender?! (Answer: Very!) You're sort of making your own lassi when you do that, right?
Good point! It IS basically a lassi!
ReplyDelete