Greek yogurt

Greek yogurt was an acquired taste for me. I really didn't care for it when I first tried it. It is more expensive but with twice the protein of regular yogurt, it is one of those foods that really pack a punch nutritionally. The children love it. I usually use Great Value or Yoplait brand depending on what's on sale and which store I happen to be shopping at.

We do buy individual portions of greek yogurt with the fruit on the bottom or the blended Yoplait brand. But we also get the quarts of vanilla flavored greek yogurt. I normally use these in smoothies. I have found that too much juice or milk in a smoothie makes it upsetting to our stomachs so I have simplified it.

Christy's smoothies

1 cup greek yogurt
1 cup frozen berries
1 banana (frozen is best but room temp will work as well)
1 T chia seeds (benefits here)
1/4 tsp stevia
a splash of vanilla
about a quart of water until it blends to the desired consistency

I usually make two blenders full to have enough for the whole family.


Last night, I made blueberry pancakes. I had run out of frozen strawberries and didn't make as many smoothies as I had planned. I needed to use up the greek yogurt in a different way. Years ago, I would buy the plain yogurt before greek yogurt became popular and water it down to use in baked goods like muffins or cornbread. I'm really not sure why I stopped. I don't really recall it being a conscious decision. I just somehow got out of the habit.

I needed 2 1/4 cups of milk for my recipe. I used 1 cup of yogurt and 1 and 1/4 cup of water. These pancakes turned out to be the fluffiest, most delicious pancakes. The children loved them! The little ones almost ate more than the big boys. I was barely able to save a few for Mike to eat when he got home from work.

Here's an article about some of the benefits of greek yogurt. Give it a try, or a second try, or try it in a different way. Delicious and nutritious!