How to Eat More Greek Yogurt in Your Healthy Diet

Greek yogurt is perhaps one of the best foods to use for losing weight and eating healthy.

Not only does it provide great nutrition and beneficial probiotics, but it's also a very versatile ingredient. There are some great ways to begin eating more Greek yogurt everyday that you may have never considered.

When many people think of yogurt or Greek yogurt, they automatically think sweet and fruity. However, I'm an advocate of using all natural, plain Greek yogurt instead of the sweet varieties as I think sugar and/or artificial sweeteners negate some of the health benefits that yogurt offers.

I usually use regular Greek yogurt, but the low-fat variety is good too, just be mindful of which thickeners are used in the low-fat varieties. I had to "retrain my brain" to think of yogurt as a savory food and not just a sweet food, but once I did, it opened up a whole world of possibilities. Here are a few of my favorites.

Use it instead of sour cream. Think of all the ways sour cream is used in/on foods such as Mexican, bake potatoes, dips and soups. Greek yogurt gives food the same cool, but zingy flavor with less calories and fat, but a lot more protein.Use Greek yogurt as a salad dressing. Combine one cup Greek yogurt, the juice from 1/2 a lemon, garlic, sea salt, some chives, and you then have an easy, but very tasty, salad dressing.Use it in your oatmeal. Add a couple tablespoons of plain yogurt on top of your oatmeal. I don't sweeten my oatmeal, but just use some dried fruit and nuts in it. The zing of the yogurt contrasts nicely with the light sweetness of the dried fruit.Use Greek yogurt on Indian curries. I love Indian curries and especially my lentil curry which has become a staple of my muscle building diet. The coolness of the yogurt contrasts well with the spiciness of the curry.Discover Turkish Cuisine. Turkish food is full of healthy Mediterranean flavors and spices. Greek yogurt is a staple in Turkish recipes.

There you have it, a few suggestions on how you can incorporate more healthy Greek yogurt into your diet without adding more sugar or artificial sweeteners. Of course, these are just some of the ideas that I've discovered. Perhaps you can add to the list?

Add your Greek yogurt ideas in the comments below.

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