Stealth Health: Why Greek Yogurt Should Be Part of Your Daily Diet

We’d like to make a case for one of the most useful ingredients in your refrigerator – Greek yogurt. It may be commonly known as a “healthy” snack option, but it happens to be the most versatile forms of dairy out there.

Let’s break it down: Greek yogurt is strained over and over, until all whey and lactose (the ingredients that make yogurt thicker) are removed, while regular yogurt is not strained. Aside from thickening up the product, the straining process also extracts some of its sugar – a common culprit in many store-bought brands. From an availabilty standpoint, then, Greek yogurt has made waves on shelves because of its high-protein, low-carb content and for its proven versatility. Long gone are the days when we’d only use it for simple parfaits or an added smoothie ingredient. 

Even Latina nutritionist Malena Perdomo, MS, R.D, CDE offers it as her favorite food option for clients. “Greek yogurt counts as part of the dairy group in a healthy diet, and it will help meet the daily calcium and protein needs. My favorite choice is Chobani Greek yogurt because it contains twice the amount of protein of regular yogurts.”

And with back to school approaching, fueling our kids properly is essential for making the most out of their school day. According to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from 1999-2006, about 20% of children skip breakfast. “Breakfast is essential in keep kids alert and ready to learn when they go to school,” Perdomo explains. To help everyone get their protein fix, she offers these sweet fruit kebabs as a healthy Greek yogurt snack, or this chicken salad sandwich, which uses the yogurt in place of mayo.

Better yet, kids can prepare their own no-cook, yogurt-filled meals. Who can say no to that?