THE VERSATILITY OF YOGURT:
Yogurt is a versatile food product. You can eat it for breakfast or as a snack. It can be used in baking, smoothies, sauces, and dressings.
You can reduce butter or margarine in your baking recipes by replacing with yogurt up to 25%. It can also be used to replace cream or sour cream when making sauces, dips or dressings. How about adding yogurt to make smoothies or milkshakes creamier? The possibility of using yogurt beyond just eating it out of its container is endless.
This month, I am using yogurt to reduce the fat content in my lemon blueberry cake and spicy cilantro yogurt sauce. These recipes are versatile and adaptable. You can replace blueberries with other berries that you like. The sauce recipe goes great on top of meat or fish. It can also be used as a salad dressing as well! Experiment with your own favorite cake and dip recipes and see what you come up with too!
Commonly asked questions on yogurt:
What is yogurt? Yogurt is a dairy product made by the bacterial fermentation of milk. This fermentation process produces a substance called lactic acid. Lactic acid causes milk protein to curdle which gives yogurt its tangy flavor and smooth texture.
What are the health benefits of eating yogurt? Yogurt is full of nutrition. It is high in protein, vitamin B12, riboflavin, calcium and potassium, and it is fortified with vitamin D. Due to its active culture (probiotic) content, eating yogurt can also improve gastrointestinal functions.
Are all yogurts created equally? No. Many commercial brands contain added sugar. If that’s something that you want to avoid, check the ingredient list. Words that signal added sugar are: sugar, agave, honey and any type of syrups.
How many types of yogurt are there? There are many types of yogurt. There are: traditional unstrained (more liquid content), liquid (Kefir), thick (Greek and Skyr), French style, and stirred yogurt. Not to mentioned that there are now yogurts made from different types of milk such as soy, goat and almond milk to name just a few.
What is the bottom line when eating yogurt? Choose lower fat and no or low added sugar yogurt if you want to avoid eating too much fat or added sugar. Otherwise, try different types and brands…and enjoy it!