My New Obsession - Greek Yogurt

My mom went to BJ's and bought this new, strange yogurt called Chobani. It's a brand of Greek yogurt, which I had never tried before. So far now, I've had blueberry, strawberry, and peach. I can't say one was better than the other because I loved them all! They are fat free, with just 140 calories and an amazing amount of protein - 14 grams. And did you know, protein-dense yogurt is now considered a meat alternative by the United States Department of Agriculture in its school meal programs?

Chobani also contains 3 active probiotics -- good for digestive health. The yogurt has a distinct flavor. It is very creamy, and the Chobani kind comes with fruit on the bottom that you mix in. It is a delicious and different kink of yogurt that I recommend to everyone!

Get your fiber -- even in yogurt!

The American Heart Association recommends eating a variety of food fiber sources. Fiber is important for the health of the digestive system and for lowering cholesterol. Foods containing fiber often are good sources of other essential nutrients. Depending on how they're prepared, these foods can also be low in trans fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. Fruits, vegetables, whole-grain, high-fiber foods, beans and legumes are good sources of both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber. The AHA recommends that at least half of grain intake come from whole-grain foods.

(http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4574)

Here is an easy and delicious way to get an excellent serving of fiber using, of course, yogurt!! You're 5 ingredients and 10 minutes away from dipping into a deliciously layered dessert or snack of yogurt, fruit and high-fiber cereal.

Strawberry-Banana Parfaits
Prep Time:10 min
Start to Finish:10 min
Makes:4 servings

2 containers (6 oz each) Yoplait® Original 99% Fat Free strawberry yogurt
2 cups Fiber One® Honey Clusters® cereal
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1 medium banana, thinly sliced
4 whole fresh strawberries

1. In each of 4 (10-oz) plastic cups or parfait glasses, layer 2 tablespoons yogurt, 1/4 cup cereal, 1/4 cup strawberry slices and 1/4 of banana slices.
2. Top each with 2 tablespoons yogurt, 1/4 cup cereal and remaining yogurt. Garnish top of each parfait with whole strawberry.

(This recipe uses Yoplait yogurt. You could even use Fiber One Yogurt for even more fiber.)

Here's your yogurt with Vitamin D!

Below are the major national-brand yogurts that have been fortified with vitamin D, because not all yogurt has Vitamin D in it. Vitamin D is fortified into milk and yogurt.

Now there may be more brands than these listed below, so leave any comments if you want to add any more to the list. I've included only brands that contain at least 10 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin D per single-serving container. (Smoothies and yogurt drinks are excluded).


(Size is a 6-ounce cup unless noted) . . .

Breyer's Creme Savers: 30 percent
Breyer's Light: 20 percent
Breyer's Disney Swirled Lowfat: 20 percent (4 ounces)
Dannon Light & Fit: 20 percent (except for strawberry and mixed berry, with 15 percent)
Stonyfield Farm Fat-Free: 20 percent
Stonyfield Farm YoCalcium: 20 percent
Stonyfield Farm Lowfat: 20 percent
Yoplait Original: 20 percent
Yoplait Light: 20 percent
Yoplait Thick and Creamy: 20 percent
Yoplait Light Thick and Creamy: 20 percent
Stonyfield Farm Fat-Free Probiotic: 15 percent (4 ounces)
Dannon Light & Fit 0%-Plus: 10 percent (4 ounces)
Yoplait Whips: 10 percent (4 ounces)
Yoplait Yo-Plus: 10 percent (4 ounces)
Yoplait Fiber One: 15 percent (4 ounces)
Trix by Yoplait: 10 (4 ounces)

Vitamin D and Yogurt

The major biologic function of vitamin D is to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium, helping to form and maintain strong bones. Recently, research also suggests vitamin D may provide protection from osteoporosis, hypertension (high blood pressure), cancer, and several autoimmune diseases.

Vitamin D must be present for calcium to be absorbed and used. For this reason, yogurt that is rich in calcium and fortified with Vitamin D is a good choice. Some yogurt brands are not fortified with Vitamin D. Look for brands, such as Yoplait, that contain Vitamin D, or make sure you are getting your vitamin D from other sources.

Classic Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

Last night I visited the Taunton mall again with a few friends. We stopped at Bridgham's (again) for some ice cream/frozen yogurt. This time I got vanilla frozen yogurt with hot fudge and strawberry topping. It was really good! Fudge and strawberries go very well together, I must say, especially with frozen yogurt.

And since we've been working on a project about the ingrdients in food, most of the ingredients in the vanilla frozen yogurt seem pretty promising. Here's the list:

Skim Milk, Sugar, Cultured Skim Milk, Corn Syrup, Cream, Vanilla Extract, Locust Bean Gum, Guar Gum, Carrageenan, Soy Lecithin. Contains active Yogurt Cultures: L. Bulgaricus & S. ThermophilusContains active Yogurt Cultures: L. Bulgaricus and S. Thermophilus

Happy 20th to mee.

Oh and today is my birthday.

:)

I love coffee ANYTHING!

Last week I was at the Taunton Mall and decided to stop and the Bridgham's Ice Cream place. For those who don't know, Brigham's is a New England ice cream brand. In Massachusetts, you can find their cartons of ice cream at Donelan's, Foodmaster, Market Basket, Omni Foods, Roche Brothers, Shaw's/Star Markets, Stop & Shop, Trucchis Supermarkets, and Victory Markets.

Their frozen yogurt is called élan. élan frozen yogurt is a healthy, all natural alternative. élan contains live and active cultures, which aids in digestion and can be beneficial for those who are lactose intolerant. You won't find anything artificial or unnecessarily added, but what you will find is an abundance of satisfying flavor. élan is one of the few indulgences you can feel uncompromisingly good about.

When I was at the Taunton Mall, I chose their Coffee frozen yogurt, and it was delicious! For those sensitive of caffeine from coffee, they also make a Decaffeinated Cappuccino flavor :)