If you ever browse the dairy aisle at the supermarket for yogurt choices, you’ll notice that many of them have a considerable amount of added sugar. It’s a little confusing, because yogurt naturally has sugar from the milk it’s made from. But any flavored yogurt typically has extra sugar added, and it doesn’t always come from the “fruit” blended in there – you may see high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, cane sugar, or any other number of “sugar words” on the ingredient list. Or, you may see artificial sweeteners like sucralose or aspartame on the labels.
To avoid the overly sweetened types, my standard recommendation for people is to use plain greek yogurt but add your own fruit for natural sweetness. The amount of sugar you get by adding your own fruit is typically much less than is added in many flavored varieties.
The objection I usually hear is that people don’t like the taste of the plain yogurt even with the fruit, or that it’s too thick. Not to worry, my friends! Here’s my secret trick that solves both of these problems:
First, instead of buying fresh fruit, buy frozen fruit. Frozen fruit is actually just as nutritious as fresh, since it’s been frozen at the peak of ripeness, and is often cheaper.
Place a cup of frozen berries (or other frozen fruit of your choice – berries are my favorite because they are a little higher in fiber) in a bowl. Pop these in the microwave for about 30 to 60 seconds. The fruit will defrost, and when it does, it’ll also release some of its natural juices.
Then simply take your plain greek yogurt, and mix it together with the fruit! The juice from the fruit will distribute evenly throughout the yogurt, leaving it a bit thinner and more like a flavored variety, and you still get chunks of yummy berries throughout the bowl.
Brilliant, right? Nothing but natural ingredients! Greek yogurt contains less sugar and more protein compared to regular yogurt, and the plain varieties don’t have any added sugar. By adding your own fruit, you add sweetness from the sugar naturally occurring in the fruit – along with a host of other vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
If this seems like too much trouble for ya, compare the labels on your favorite flavored varieties and go for the one with the least amount of sugar. Siggi’s is one of my favorite flavored brands because it tastes good and it’s very low in added sugar. Of course, if flavored yogurt is one of the only things you eat with added sugar each day, then you’re probably fine sticking to whatever brand you love. Just consider that now a days, there’s added sugar in tons of products, from cereals to salad dressings to pasta sauces – it always helps to cut back where you can.
Share with me: What is your favorite kind of yogurt?
Chrissy Carroll
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Kiara says
March 10, 2015 at 10:14 amquestion
What are the awesomest combinations for greek yogurt,please I don’t eat lumpy yogurt so any suggestions that are smooth like honey, peanut butter,ect.
Please give me advice…….
Thank You
Kiara
Chrissy Carroll says
March 10, 2015 at 11:09 amHi Kiara — What about pureeing fruit with an immersion blender (or a regular blender) and mixing that into the yogurt? Or adding the greek yogurt to a smoothie recipe? Then it would have a smooth texture.
You could certainly also add a little honey or maple syrup to sweeten it up, but I like the addition of fruit instead since you get more vitamins/minerals that way.
Though I haven’t tried it, my guess is that peanut butter probably wouldn’t mix as smoothly into the yogurt on it’s own, unless you were blending it into a smoothie with other ingredients too.
Katie says
May 30, 2016 at 10:01 amyeah! creamy peanut butter or PB2 and honey
it’s really yummy!!! I came here looking for more ideas 😀
Chrissy Carroll says
June 7, 2016 at 8:06 pmHi Katie! Love your ideas. 🙂
Kyle says
January 20, 2016 at 1:01 amIt still tastes like shit.
Chrissy Carroll says
January 21, 2016 at 7:28 pmI’m sorry you feel that way Kyle! Of course, taste is somewhat subjective. I hope you figure out a way to enjoy your plain greek yogurt. 🙂
LDA says
January 25, 2016 at 8:07 amGreek Yogurt is super gross, but I’ll try the microwaved fruit idea. I have a feeling that the only thing that would truly make the taste better is using canned fruit, like what’s done with Ambrosia (minus the sour cream and marshmellows). Maybe using a low sugar variety of canned fruit first, then graduate to frozen fruit. 🙂
Chrissy Carroll says
January 28, 2016 at 8:19 pmHahaha – I honestly am with you on the taste of plain greek yogurt. Even the smell of it bothers me. But that frozen fruit trick gives it enough flavor that it tastes good, at least to me. I think starting with some canned fruit is another great option!
Polly says
March 23, 2016 at 9:27 amBrilliant, I will try this! I’ve been using stevia or truvia or whatever, but I think it’s giving me headaches… This is such a good idea 🙂
Thanks!
Chrissy Carroll says
March 25, 2016 at 7:14 pmAwesome Polly – I hope it’s helpful for you! 🙂
Selena says
June 27, 2016 at 6:08 pmjust add a little of sugar and it taste like strawberry ::)
Gretchen says
September 12, 2016 at 4:37 pmI make 5 cup salad with plain greek yogurt instead of using sour cream. It tastes super delicious. I do leave out the marshmallows so it is a little bit healthier.
Chrissy Carroll says
September 12, 2016 at 6:52 pmYes, plain greek yogurt can work so well in savory dishes too! I love using it as a sour cream or mayo replacement in things like fish tacos, pasta salads, etc. 🙂