PopSugar

Yummy Links: From Chile Peppers to Tyler Florence

partysugar — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 06:50:56 -0700

A visual guide to chile peppers. - Chow
A detailed look at Fall's cookbooks. - Eat Me Daily
Find out which brand of Greek yogurt tastes the best. - Serious Eats
Rachael Ray's not the only one with wacky recipe names; Guy Fieri's are pretty out there, too. - Food Network Humor
Easy secrets for doctoring up packaged foods. - The Epi-Log
Learn how to make a rooftop garden. - Grub Street
Tyler Florence is doing more than just television: he's opening several restaurants and stores. - Eater SF

Greek Yogurt Breakdown

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 08:00:00 -0700

I'm a big fan of yogurt. It's a tasty way to get protein and calcium, especially before or after a workout. Greek yogurt is one of my faves because it's packed with so much more protein than regular yogurt, and the thicker consistency makes it feel more decadent.

Since Greek yogurt is becoming more popular, there are many companies making it now. If you want to know how they compare, read more.

Yogurt	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Cholesterol (g)	Sodium (mg)	Sugars (g)	Protein (g)
Cabot Plain (6 oz)	210	17	55	80	6	7
Cabot 2% Strawberry (6 oz.)	160	3	20	80	24	13
Chobani Original Plain (6 oz.)	240	17	65	60	6	14
Chobani Lowfat Plain (6 oz.)	130	3.5	10	70	7	17
Chobani Nonfat Plain (6 oz.)	100	0	0	70	7	18
Chobani Vanilla Nonfat (6 oz.)	120	0	0	65	13	16
Chobani Honey Nonfat (6 oz.)	150	0	0	65	20	16
Chobani Peach Nonfat (6 oz.)	140	0	0	80	19	14
Chobani Strawberry Nonfat (6 oz.)	140	0	0	80	19	14
Chobani Blueberry Nonfat (6 oz.)	140	0	0	65	20	14
Fage Total Classic (7 oz.)	263	20.1	35	57	6.1	13.1
Fage Total 2% (7 oz.)	131	3.9	13	66	7.9	16.6
Fage Total 0% (5.3 oz.)	79	0	0	56	5.9	13.2
Fage Total With Honey (5.3 oz.)	250	12	20	35	28	8
Fage Total 2% With Honey (5.3 oz.)	180	2.5	5	40	29	10
Fage Total With Strawberry (5.3 oz.)	210	12	20	35	18	8
Fage Total 2% With Strawberry (5.3 oz.)	140	2.5	5	40	19	10
Fage Total With Peach (5.3 oz.)	210	12	20	35	18	8
Fage Total 2% With Peach (5.3 oz.)	140	2.5	5	40	19	10
Fage Total With Cherry (5.3 oz.)	210	12	20	35	18	8
Fage Total 2% With Cherry (5.3 oz.)	140	2.5	5	40	19	10
Oikos Plain (5.3 oz.)	90	0	0	60	6	15
Oikos Vanilla (5.3 oz.)	110	0	0	60	11	15
Oikos Honey (5.3 oz.)	120	0	0	50	17	13
Oikos Blueberry (5.3 oz.)	120	0	0	70	15	13

I'm curious, which brand of Greek yogurt do you usually buy?

What Kind of Yogurt Do You Prefer?

partysugar — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 12:50:24 -0800

Food Review: Chobani Greek Yogurt

FitSugar — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 08:00:00 -0800

I'm a big fan of yogurt for breakfast or for a pre-workout snack, but I'm an even bigger fan of Greek yogurt. Oikos and Fage are equally delicious, but they're not cheap (about $2 per small container). So when I was food shopping the other day, I was thrilled to see another kind of Greek yogurt called Chobani on sale for $1.29. Wahoo! It doesn't take much to get me excited.

Chobani comes in all sorts of flavors, like strawberry, peach, blueberry, and honey, but I picked up the vanilla. To see what I thought and find out how this yogurt compares to Oikos and Fage read more.

I really loved this Chobani Greek yogurt. It's smooth, thick, creamy, and has a slightly warm vanilla flavor, so you can enjoy it alone or with added fruit and granola. The texture and mild sour flavor reminded me of both Oikos and Fage Greek yogurt, and nutritionally, if you check out the chart below, you'll see all three are pretty similar. Chobani is slightly higher in calories and sugars, but it also contains more protein per container. For me though, I think I'll buy whichever one is the cheapest, being as things are pretty tight these days. If buying organic is important to you though, you may want to spring for Oikos.

	Chobani Vanilla	Oikos Vanilla	Fage Total 0%
Serving Size	6 ounces	5.3 ounces	6 ounces
Calories	120	110	90
Total Fat	0g	0g	0g
Saturated Fat	0g	0g	0g
Cholesterol	0mg	0mg	0mg
Sodium	65mg	60mg	65mg
Carbs	13g	12g	7g
Sugars	13g	11g	7g
Protein	16g	15g	15g
Ingredients	Cultured Pasteurized Nonfat Milk, Sugar, Natural Vanilla Flavor. Contains Five Live And Active Cultures Including S. Thermaphilus, Bulgaricus, L. Acidophilus, Bifidus, and L. Casei.	Cultured Pasteurized Organic Nonfat Milk, Organic Sugar, Organic Natural Vanilla Flavor. Contains Five Live And Active Cultures Including L. Acidophilus, Bifidus, and L. Casei.	Grade A Pasteurized Skimmed Milk, Live Active Yogurt Cultures (L. Bulgaricus, S. Thermophilus).

I Heart Greek Yogurt

FitSugar — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:45:00 -0700

There are so many reasons to love Greek yogurt, like Fage brand. According to the experts at the Berkeley Wellness Letter, Greek-style yogurt has about 50 percent more protein than regular yogurt, about 20 grams per eight-ounce cup to regular yogurt's 13 grams.

It is thicker because it is strained and the liquid (aka whey) is removed. Because it has less whey it will stay fresher longer and is less likely to curdle when heated. Greek yogurt also contains less carbs than regular yogurt and therefore less lactose, the sugar in dairy products that can upset some peoples stomachs.

Greek-style yogurt does have some drawbacks, to learn them read more.

It seems that with all good news there comes some bad. Greek yogurt is considerably higher in fat than most other styles of regular yogurt. Make sure that you opt for low-fat or nonfat Greek-style yogurt. It is also lower in calcium than other types of yogurt, but is sill a good source - providing around 150 to 200 milligrams per eight-ounce serving. The recommended daily intake for the mineral is 1,000 milligrams and calcium from food sources is more readily absorbed by the body.

If you don't feel like buying yogurt that has traveled all the way from Greece, Okinos Greek Style Yogurt produced by Stonyfield Farm is organic and tastes great. You could always make your own - you just have to strain it!

Source

Weekend Well-Being: Strain Your Own Yogurt

FitSugar — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 02:00:00 -0700

Yogurt is a great ingredient when you are cooking light. You can use it to substitute sour cream, butter and cream cheese. The problem is that regular yogurt is fairly runny since it contains so much water. To make it a better consistency for cooking and baking you need to strain it. It is easy - it just takes some time.

First off you are going to need:

Yogurt, I prefer to use low fat yogurt over non-fat because the non fat can get a little chalky in its consistency.
A piece of cheesecloth, if you have no cheesecloth you can use a thick paper towel.
A strainer or sieve
A big bowl and space for it in your refrigerator

What you do:

Place the sieve in a bowl.
Line the sieve or fine strainer with cheesecloth / paper towel.
Put the yogurt on top of the cheesecloth.
Lightly salt the yogurt and gently stir - this helps pull the water out of the yogurt.
Place bowl in your refrigerator and wait.

It takes just about an hour for 20% of the water to strain out of the yogurt. This texture is great in salads - from tuna salad as a mayo substitute or fruit salad since the consistency is similar to whipped cream.

Let is strain for several hours and the yogurt will decrease in volume by half and this consistency is great for dips and as a base for marinades.

Source

Oikos Greek Style Yogurt from Stonyfield Farm

FitSugar — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 14:30:00 -0700

I love yogurt and I really love Greek style yogurt, since it is already strained so it is extra thick and creamy. I was stoked to hear that Stonyfield Farm is now making a Greek style yogurt. I was even more stoked when I tasted it. It is great!!!

Stonyfield Farm has partnered with a master yogurt maker from Greece, Mustafa Dogan to make their new Oikos Greek style yogurt. Let me tell you Mustafa knows his stuff. And, because the yogurt is made by Stonyfield Farm it is organic. Good for you and the planet.

Oikos yogurt is packed with protein - 16 grams per 6 oz. serving - and is naturally lower in carbs and sugars than regular yogurts. The yogurt contains 5 live and active cultures so it is chock full of good bacteria. If plain yogurt is not for you Oikos also makes a vanilla flavored yogurt, which contains a bit more sugar and calories as well. Personally I love eating the plain with fresh fruit and it great for making Tzatziki and dips.

Interested in seeing the nutritional breakdown, then read more

6 oz. container)	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Carbs (g)	Sugar (g)	Protein (g)
Plain	100	0	7	7	16
Vanilla	120	0	14	14	15

Nutritionally it is quite similar to Fage Total Greek style yogurt, the big difference is that it is made in the U.S. and is organic. Look for it in your local natural food store or in the natural food sections of select grocery stores nationwide. A 6 oz. single serving cup is priced just under $2.00.

Greece's Hidden Secret: FAGE Yogurt

FitSugar — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 14:05:57 -0800

I love yogurt but for me there are very few yogurts that stand out among the pack.

That is why I was totally blown away when I tried, FAGE Total Yogurt (pronounced: Fa'-yeh!). FAGE Total is "Greek yogurt" that is truly Greek -- You can tell by the signature rich and thick velvety texture. It gets the great texture with the unique straining and separating process of the whey from the yogurt. The process also makes the product a suitable cooking ingredient as it does not curdle at high temperatures. What's more? All the FAGE yogurts contain Live & Active Cultures.

The taste is unbeatable and the texture is downright amazing. For me, nothing is worse than eating super runny yogurt. The FAGE Total 0% has 80 calories and zero grams of fat and unlike most fat free yogurts, it actually tastes really, really good.

I used it to make my most recent batch of Tzatziki and it was the best yet! Look for it in boutique and health food grocery stores. For more info, visit the FAGE Website.

Your Healthy Food Swaps

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:00:27 -0800

Since decadent foods like ice cream, baked treats, and fried foods tend to be high in the calorie department, it's good to have a few healthy food swap ideas up your sleeve. Here are some shared by fellow FitSugar readers.

"Avocado instead of mayo . . . sure it may have fat in it but it's healthy fat and tastes delicious. Hummus instead of cream in sauces and soups . . . adds a ton of flavor and protein." - mamasitamalita
"I use balsamic vinegar (not vinaigrette) on my salads without any oil. It gives the same powerful flavor kick but for a lot less calories." - laellavita
"Replace ranch dressing on my salad with cottage cheese." - genipher85

For more great ideas, keep reading

Sunday Dinner: Whole-Wheat Flatbreads With Lamb & Yogurt

YumSugar — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:30:25 -0800

Ever since I made pasta with lamb and tomato ragu, I haven't been able to stop singing the praises of ground lamb. If you love ordering lamb at restaurants but have never made it at home, ground lamb is the perfect starting point, since it requires no special handling.

Prepare the quick, from-scratch recipe for wheat pitas below or, in a pinch, use store bought pitas or tortillas. The textural contrast of the grainy bread with Greek yogurt and ground meat is incredibly satisfying. For the fun, hands-on recipe, read on.