Diet Food Reviews
Greek Gods Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt
By: | Oct 6, 2008
Call me primitive, sheltered, ignorant, but up until a couple weeks ago, I was a 23-year-old Greek yogurt virgin. Cue the condescending collective gasp. Then sitting in a Pax Wholesome Foods with a couple friends, one shelled out $2.95 for a 6 ounce Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt. I tried a bite and wrinkled my nose. She did the same. It tasted like plain old sour cream.
Fast forward a few weeks, and there I was at Whole Foods in front of the yogurt section. I decided to give Greek yogurt another try and grabbed Greek Gods Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt which cost $1.49 for a 6 ounce container. After I bought it, I eagerly peeled back the foil, which showed a sketch of Poseidon - although my own enthusiasm for Greek mythology led me to believe he was ruler of the sea, apparently I was mistaken and he is actually the ruler of nonfat plain Greek yogurt.
That little tidbit aside, the yogurt was white and there was no nasty liquid on top, so that was a plus. Now that I knew what to expect from Greek yogurt, when I took a bite I was not caught off guard by the tart, acidic taste. It was, however, a bit lumpy, so I mixed it vigorously, which seemed to do the trick, but while I still did not like it, I did not despise it either (nor did I finish it). Instead, I took my other container, decided to commit blasphemy and mix in sweetener. I did what I tend to do with any other vanilla yogurt: mixed in sugar-free apple flavored drink mix and some cinnamon, and popped it in the freezer to try it as apple cinnamon frozen yogurt. I almost never eat yogurt unfrozen anyway ... and there it sits as I type this.
Meanwhile, the half-eaten container sits beside me and I have a good look at the stats, for the millionth time. They lead me to believe that perhaps this yogurt is NOT actual Greek yogurt, as the nutrition facts are fairly far off the other brands of nonfat Greek yogurt I have seen. A 6 oz container gives you 60 calories, 30-40 less than the others. That is not bad at all, but why? Where did the calories go? They obviously didn't come from fat, since I am comparing the nonfat versions of both. The sugars content is relatively similar, about 7 grams in each. However, kudos to Greek Gods Yogurt for adding in 2 grams of fiber where the other brands have none. The total carbohydrate count is 10 grams, including the fiber, which is still pretty darn good for the counters out there. Then I see the reason for the lower calorie - there is a huge drop in protein content. The 6 grams in this container are not shabby, but nowhere near the 14-15 grams found in Fage, Oikos, and the others. Tell me, dear readers, where did the protein go?
Like I said, I'm still not a big fan of Greek yogurts, but they seem to have a bit of a cult following. Am I really wrong for preferring the sweetened Yoplait and Dannon yogurts that I have come to know and love?!
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I look at Greek Yogurt the way I look at 100% dark chocolate there great ingredients ,but something I wouldn't want to eat plain.
The big problem I have with Greek style yogurts is the price way too expensive for me to purchase regularly.
I love greek yogurt, but can't eat it plain either. I usually put a one of those individual sized unsweetened applesauces in it, or a little bit of honey, and some cinnamon. It is very expensive, but easy to make - it's just strained to remove the whey. Take a big container of cheap store brand plain yogurt, slap a few layers of paper towel in a strainer over top of a bowl, put the yogurt in and let it drain overnight. In the morning, you've got greek yogurt.
I'm glad I'm not the only one. I excitedly bought some of this the other day, thinking it was going to be so fabulous because everyone RAVED about it and UGH. It is sour and nasty. I think I'll stick with my Yoplait Boston Cream Pie flavor!! (Since my post this morning is a recipe for PIE, I'm probably not the healthiest person in the world!!)
I love Greek yogurt but was disappointed with Greek Gods' version. They actually use pectin to thicken the yogurt, which unfortunately also adds a slightly gritty texture to it. Although it's a bit cheaper, I rather stick with Fage.
Glad I'm not the only one too. For a little update since i wrote this, though, I just wanted to say that when mixed with the sugar free apple flavored drink mix and some cinnamon, then frozen, it tastes pretty good. Still more tart than the regular vanilla yogurt tastes when prepared the same way, but all in all pretty good.
I think I will use Greek Yogurt as sour cream in recipes in the future though...
i havent found this greek yogurt yet but thanks for the heads up - i dont like Oikos at all - tastes like sour cream , actually i think all stoneyfield yogurt has a sour taste but i LOVE the fat free Fage greek yogurt - i use it as a substitute for cream cheese or sour cream
I buy plain nonfat Mountain High and strain is - it's only $4.50 for a huge 64 oz. tub. I like to use Greek yogurt in things and on things, much as a replacement for sour cream. If I want to eat it as yogurt, I'll add some jam, fresh fruit, or maple syrup.
Greek Yogurt plain is a little hard to stomach. The first time I ate it it reminded me of the first time I ate "fruit on the bottom" yogurt as a kid but didn't know to stir the fruit to the top. That being said, greek yogurt is NATURALLY fat free (at least the one I eat is) w/ no added sugar. I add St. Dalfour Wild Blueberry Fruit Spread which gets me my blueberry fix for the day & it is wonderful!!
Hi! Chobani Girl here, I noticed you have tried a couple of different Greek yogurts and they were not to your liking and was curious if you ever tried Chobani? I would love to send you some. Please email me and let me know where I can send samples to Tiffany.gray@agro-farma.com. Thanks!!!
I really love the Greek Gods yogurt. Way better than the Oikos. The pomegranate is to die for, but alas, it is not fat free. I eat the plain one with a packet of sweetener. I don't like non-Greek yogurts, as they are all too sweet for me. So this is perfect. Plus, the liquid in other non-Greek yogurts grosses me out. This is totally the best fat free yogurt out there.
I hear you you I also love the pomegranate Greek Gods Yogurt. What I do is mix the Greek Gods Honey with the nonfat plain that reduces the fat and taste great. It sooo yummy I replace it for something not so healthy when i need a little boost of sweet.
Does anybody else sweeten their Plain-Yogurt with Stevia Powder? It's pretty tasty this way. Who can eat Plain Yogurt WITHOUT adding a healthy sweetener anyway?