It’s difficult to tell real Greek yogurt from what is not authentic Greek yogurt unless you personally try out what is available on the market and start comparing options to identify the real from the not so real.
In this article, we’ll start by identifying the features of authentic Greek yogurt. We will then proceed with identifying some of the brands and the types of Greek yogurt available on the American market and then we’ll share how you can turn Greek yogurt into one of the most delicious snacks ever.
- Greek yogurt is produced by means of a straining process, which removes most of the water and the milk sugars in the product. The straining produces a much thicker yogurt compared to regular ones and it is usually much richer in protein.
While regular yogurt is strained about two times, Greek yogurt is strained three times, thus much of the liquid or the whey is removed.
The whey that is removed from the Greek yogurt contains most of the carbohydrates, calcium and sodium, so the yogurt contains lower amounts of these nutrients than the regular one.
What distinguishes real Greek yogurt from Greek-style yogurt or unauthentic Greek yogurt is not only the thickness but also the flavor, which is stronger.
- Aside from all the common brands selling Greek yogurt, which includes Fage, Chobani, Brown Cow, and Yoplait there are a number of them renown for producing the best tasting and the creamiest Greek yogurt in the country.
Worth mentioning is US company Extra Virgin Foods who use milk from grass-fed cows and live yogurt cultures to produce a real Greek yogurt that you can buy at Hannaford supermarket and other grocery stores nationwide.
Athenos is another brand worth mentioning, which uses non-fat pasteurized milk and live active cultures like L-Bulgaricus and S Thermophilus to create an authentic product. You can find it in Walmart stores throughout the US.
- And because not everyone enjoys the flavor of plain Greek yogurt and people tend to consume a lot of the flavored varieties, which contain so many added ingredients like cornstarch, pectin, gelatin and similar, it’s time we shared how you can make your own flavored Greek yogurt at home using healthy and nutritious ingredients.
- Banana Greek yogurt: blend your favorite Greek yogurt with two ripe bananas, add honey to sweeten and chia seeds for added nutrition. Refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight and enjoy.
- Berries flavored Greek yogurt: blend the yogurt with a handful of berries of your choice, add the honey and refrigerate before consuming.
- Other ingredients you can use include natural vanilla extract, chopped fruits, fresh mint, natural juices, oats.
For health reasons, you’ll want to avoid Greek yogurt varieties high in sugars and containing too many unappetizing ingredients.
Especially avoid yogurts with long list of ingredients. The real Greek yogurt should list less than five ingredients when speaking of flavored varieties.