Hey Sugar, let's talk: 6 greek yogurt flavors you won't find in stores

One of the ways to achieve my goal of reaching MILF status is to watch my sugar intake. As most of you already know sugar is the bad boy culprit in most weight loss/management journeys. However, sugar is hard to avoid because it can be found in almost everything and anything. The key is to differentiate between Refined sugars (which are the processed sugars found in most shelf products) and Natural sugars (found in fruits, sugars that occur in nature) and try not to consume too much of either. The problem with this is that even seemingly healthy products, like greek yogurt can be found to have too much sugar. The AHA recommends a healthy person consume no more than 30% of their calorie intake of sugars, and no more than 245 grams of sugar for woman. To me, that still seems like a lot for someone trying to significantly reduce their body fat percentage.

And speaking of greek yogurt, a popular brand has recently come out with a ton of new delicious flavors to encourage people to try greek yogurt. After all, greek yogurt is one of the best sources of protein out there. It's full of natural probiotics, low in fat, and again, is chock full of awesome protein. I recently checked out one of the newest flavors (pomegranate) which tasted absolutely amazing but when I read the nutrition label, I was flabbergasted (one of my fave words, haha) by the amount of sugar it contained. That one small 6oz cup of greek yogurt had 19g of sugar which is way over half the recommended daily allowance. That's absolutely ludicrous to me!

After learning all of that, for the past few weeks I've been experimenting with creating my own greek yogurt flavors. I used 0% fat greek yogurt, all natural ingredients and limited the amount of sugar I used. I finally feel comfortable enough to share them with readers so without further adieu...



As for the type of brand I use, I use the Dannon Oikos 0% fat in the plain flavor. I prefer this brand simply because it has a smoother, creamier consistency which makes it easier to mix and feels a little more indulgent.

And as always, if these don't float your boat, it doesn't hurt to fall back on the tried and true method of mixing yogurt with granola, fruit and honey. I did that for the longest time and still do occasionally. I figure these make a great treat for every now and then when you're fixin' for something new. They'd also be great for those picky eaters too ;)

Red Velvet Greek Yogurt

by Maria W

Prep Time: 5

Ingredients (1 serving)

• 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
• chocolate chips for garnish
• 2 tbs cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbs red food coloring
• 2 tsp Truvia (or splenda)

Instructions

Mix everything together except chocolate chips. Use the chocolate chips as a garnish.

Peanut Butter Banana Bread Greek Yogurt

by Maria W

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients (1 serving)

• 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 vitatop banana nut muffin
• 1 tbs peanut butter
• 1 tbs honey
• 1 tsp flax
• 1 tsp Truvia (or splenda)
• 1/2 banana mashed

Instructions

Mix everything together except Vitatop muffin. Toast Vitatop muffin, crumble to pieces and then top your yogurt!

 

Key Lime Pie Greek Yogurt

by Maria W

Prep Time: 5min

Ingredients (1 serving)

• 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1/2 packet of SUGAR FREE lime jello mix
• 1 tsp Truvia (or Splenda)
• 1 graham cracker, crushed

Instructions

Line dish with graham crackers. Mix 1/2 packet of jello mix with lime juice, then mix with the greek yogurt and sugar. Top with rasberry and more greek yogurt and enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Greek Yogurt

by Maria W

Prep Time: 5min

Ingredients (1 serving)

• 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbs Truvia (or Splenda)
• 1/3 cup of vegan chocolate chip cookie dough

Instructions

Mix everything together and enjoy!

Birthday Cake Greek Yogurt

by Maria W

Prep Time: 5min

Ingredients (1 serving)

• 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 2 tbs Truvia (or Splenda)
• Sprinkles for garnish

Instructions

Mix everything together but the sprinkles. Garnish with the sprinkles and enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Greek Yogurt

by Maria W

Prep Time: 5min

Ingredients (1 serving)

• 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 tbs pumpkin puree
• 1 tbs Truvia (or Splenda)
• 1 tbs honey
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp ground flax
• 1 graham cracker

Instructions

Line your dish with the crumbled graham cracker. Mix everything together. Sprinkle the top with a dash of cinnamon and enjoy!

I forgot to mention that it's best to chill the yogurt in the freezer for a few minutes to get that frozen yogurt texture. But if you're in a hurry (or just can't wait to try one) it's no big deal to dig in right away.  They'll still be just as delicious ;)

As always, stay tuned for my next greek yogurt recipe post! Yes, there's more!