You may have heard that yogurt is the perfect option for a healthy breakfast or snack.  After all, yogurt contains an abundance of calcium, Vitamin A and Vitamin B12 and even probiotics to improve digestion.  The challenge is, as “healthy” as yogurt is, it’s also loaded with sugar!  For those of you that are trying to stabilize your blood sugar to lose body fat and increase your lean muscle and metabolism, traditional yogurt may not be the way to go.   The average 8 oz cup of fruit flavored, low-fat yogurt contains a whopping 42 grams of sugar and is very low in protein and fat.  That amount of sugar and carbohydrates alone is too much for the average female.  Add a piece of fruit on top of the yogurt and you now have an unbalanced snack with enough carbohydrates to rapidly spike your blood sugar only to crash again a few hours later!  So what is the solution for people who love the taste and convenience of yogurt and also want to keep their blood sugar stable?  Aim for Greek Yogurt!

If you’ve never tried Greek Yogurt, then you’re really in for a delicious surprise.  Greek Yogurt is thicker and creamier in texture than traditional yogurt, similar to sour cream.  Best of all, one 7 ounce container of Greek Yogurt naturally contains approximately 17 grams of protein and only 8 grams of sugar!  Because Greek Yogurt doesn’t contain all of the calcium that traditional yogurt does, it’s important to supplement your diet with other calcium –rich foods like milk and low fat cottage cheese.  We recommend that you try the plain, unflavored version of Greek Yogurt so your in control of the type of carbohydrates.    A few drops of artificial vanilla or almond extract is the perfect flavoring for this creamy yogurt.  Add some berries or sliced fruit of your choice and mash slightly for a sweet, fruit-flavored version.   A sprinkle of nuts mixed in (or even a drizzle of flax seed oil if your allergic to nuts) is a delicious and heart healthy source of fat.   Lastly, if your looking for a little extra sweetness, stir in some Stevia or Splenda to taste.

So where can you find Greek Yogurt?  The brand that we prefer is Fage, and we recommend that you try the Fat Free or Low Fat version of the yogurt (so your in control of the type and amount of fat added).  You can typically find Fage Greek Yogurt at your local specialty market like Whole Foods or Trader Joes, and occasionally at your regular grocery store.  The key is to stock up on this yogurt (the individual serving sizes are great for this) so you always have it on hand.   For delicious and healthy recipe ideas using Greek Yogurt such as Greek Yogurt Parfait or Greek Chicken Pita with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce, see your Recipes tab inside your Venice Nutrition program today.