Greek Yogurt Comparison

I'm a compulsive label reader.  (When you have medical issues that afftct your eating you have to be, right?)  Plus, I want to make sure to eat the brand that has the least calories and the most nutritents.  Nutrients are especially important to me since I started working with my prep coach.  I have to make sure to eat a certain number of carbs, proteins and other nutritents every day.

Well, Greek yogurt has been a part of my diet for a while now.  I love it.  I don't think I could live without it.  I had 2 different brands sitting in my fridge and I started looking at the labels.  I was really surprised when I noticed that the numbers vary so much between them.  I started looking into the other brands.  I compared 7 factors (calories, cholesterol, sodium, potassium, total carbs, sugars, and protein) across the 4 major Greek yogurt brands (Fage, Chobani, Oikos, and Stoneyfield) and Walmart's store brand, Great Value.  All the nutritional facts are for an 8 oz (1 cup) serving of non-fat plain Greek yogurt.

The calories and protein between the brands isn't very different between the brands.  Calories are either 120 or 130 and protein is either 22 grams or 23 grams.  Carbs are 9 across almost all the brands and sugars are 9 grams except for 1 brand.   When you look at the cholesterol, sodium, and potassium, that's where the numbers seriously vary.  

I don't completely understand how the numbers can vary so much.  Carrots made by 2 different growers have the same nutrient levels, right?  Well, shouldn't greek yogurt (especially since it's plain) be the same?

**Note:  Any brand of Greek yogurt is a healthy choice.  You shouldn't make your decision one whether or not to eat it because of what I post here**

From: https://www.facebook.com/FAGE

Fage Plain
Calories: 130
Cholesterol: 0 g
Sodium: 85 mg
Potassium: 0 g
Total Carbs: 9 g
Sugars: 9 g
Protein: 23 g

From: https://www.facebook.com/Chobani

Chobani
Calories: 130
Cholesterol: 10 g
Sodium: 105 mg
Potassium: 0 g
Total Carbs: 11 g
Sugars: 6 g
Protein: 22 g

From: http://www.oikosyogurt.com/greek-yogurt/greek-nonfat-yogurt/plain

Oikos
Calories: 120
Cholesterol: 15 g
Sodium: 80 mg
Potassium: 240 g
Total Carbs: 9 g
Sugars: 9 g
Protein: 22 g

From:  http://www.stonyfield.com/products/yogurt/greek/plain

Stoneyfield Greek
Calories: 120
Cholesterol: under 5 g
Sodium: 95 mg
Potassium: 350 g
Total Carbs: 9 g
Sugars: 9 g
Protein: 23 g

From:  http://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-Fat-Free-Plain-Yogurt-32-oz/10450107

Great Value (Walmart)
Calories: 120
Cholesterol: 10 g
Sodium: 115 mg
Potassium: 510 g
Total Carbs: 9 g
Sugars: 9 g
Protein: 23 g

Calories:  

Winner - Tie between Oikos, and Great Value

Cholesterol:

Winner - Fage     

Loser – Oikos

Sodium:

Winner - Oikos

Loser – Great Value

Potassium:

Winner – Great Value

Loser – Tie between Fage and Chobani

Total Carbs:

Loser - Chobani

Sugar:

Winner – Chobani

Protein:

Winner -  Fage, Great Value and Stoneyfield

Losers – Chobani and Oikos

What's your favorite Greek Yogurt brand?  Am I missing any?

A Shot of Frosting....and Protein

First off, look what came!!!

Now I feel official!!

If you follow me on Facebook you know that I started with a prep coach.  As part of my competition prep I'm expected to eat 150 grams of protein.  I was finding this a tad bit difficult.  The first few days I came up so short!

I came up with this way of adding additional protein into my diet AND treating myself to dessert every nite.  Add a scoop of protein powder into my yogurt.  You can use either the flavored yogurt or plain.  I use the Danon Light n Fit 80 calorie yogurts.  Plain yogurt will work just as well and if you use the right protein powder it will flavor the yogurt for you.  But I have to warn you.  I've tried this with my other protein powder and it wouldn't thicken.  It still tastes good but, it's thin.  

I calculated the calories using Danon Light n Fit Greek yogurt and Spiru-tein Cookies and Cream protein powder.  

Fat Free Frosting Shots
Calories:  200
Fat: 1 gram
Carbs: 24 grams
Protein: 26 grams

Ingredients
1 5.3 oz container fat free Greek yogurt
1 serving protein powder

Directions

1. Stir together until evenly combined
2. Enjoy!

You could honestly use this to frost a cake.  It would probably be delicious.  And the flavor combinations are endless.  Tell me, what flavor combinations do you think would taste good together?

Homemade Protein Smoothie

 Don't you wish that all protein shakes looked like this?

I'm all about getting my necessary protein.  It's kind of hard for me because the foods I normally eat don't have much in them.  I have a ton of go-to protein sources that are very low fat or nonfat.  I love protein powder because it's only around 200 calories, has about 20 grams of protein and it's fat free.  Spiru-tein is my personal favorite.  You can find it at most health food stores.  Click Here to check them out.  They come in all different flavors.  Banana, cherries jubilee, chocolate chunk, cookies and cream, peanut butter.....the list is so long!  

But the thing I DON'T like about protein powders is the cost.  They seriously take a chunk out of my bank account.  I don't buy them very often due to that fact.  I came up with my own protein shake for at home though.  It comes in at 250 calories, 3.5 grams of fat and 25 grams of protein.  You can customize it as you'd like too.  The only downside is that it isn't portable like the protein powders.

Homemade Protein Shake/Smoothie 
1 cup (227 g) Nonfat, plain Greek Yogurt
2 T PB2
1 T Cocoa Powder (optional)
.75 - 1 cup Light Soymilk (I like Vanilla)

Directions

1. Place everything in a blender and blend until smooth.

Quick, simple, easy!