So you know how if the world was made out of ideas collected on Pinterest, we’d all sleep in beds made of wooden shipping pallets held together with burlap and washi tape and we’d stay perpetually skinny by adding dollops of coconut oil and Greek yogurt into everything we ate (and by “everything,” I mean a diet consisting largely of smoothies)? I love Pinterest (sometimes I love it more than others…I tend to like myself a lot more when I pin in moderation); I love so many of the ideas and being able to save such fabulous creative ideas into one place. But it’s also easy to get burned by trends that seem to have all the answers.
Like Greek yogurt.
I love Greek yogurt–I’ve loved it for way longer than it’s made your skin silky soft and established world peace one 5.3-ounce container at a time. But I’m under no illusions that it’s going to change the world. I also totally get it if you think it tastes like baby vomit and are scared to admit it lest the throngs of Greek yogurt devotees come and flog you with the un-cool stick. Yeah, yeah, I just said “baby vomit” on a food blog. It’s gonna be one of those posts.
What Greek Yogurt Is:
- Before the Greek yogurt purists hit the comment button and furiously tell me that I am wrong and that TRUE Greek yogurt is made from full-fat milk and the stuff we eat from the grocery stores here in the US is not fit for dogs and we are stupid, stupid idiots for eating “Greek” yogurt, yeah, I get it, whatever. This post is about Greek yogurt purchased in major US grocery stores.
- True Greek yogurt has been strained twice, so it has twice as much protein as regular yogurt. Most Greek yogurt sold in the US is low-fat or fat-free, which does make it a great addition to a healthy diet–it’s a good source of lean protein and has all sorts of other dietary goodies like calcium and Vitamin D.
- Pretend Greek yogurt (more officially known as “Greek-Style Yogurt”) is thickened with pectin and doesn’t have the protein of double-strained yogurt.
- Greek yogurt is thicker, tangier, and generally not as heavily sweetened as yogurt you might be used to eating. I like the tangy flavor and the thickness makes it feel like I’m eating a treat, but some people compare it to eating plain sour cream.
- Speaking of sour cream, it’s a great substitute for sour cream and other fatty, creamy ingredients like full-fat buttermilk and mayonnaise. Check out this chart from Chobani that tells you how to substitute Greek yogurt in the kitchen:
- It may be more expensive than yogurt you might have bought in the past.
- It pretty much always contains live active cultures. You know, all that good bacteria.
What Greek Yogurt Isn’t:
- It isn’t going to negate all the other bad things you eat all day or make you magically lose 7 pounds by hanging out in your fridge.
- It is not a sure-shot with husbands. Mine looked at me like I gave him a sealed plastic container full of peach-flavored something horrible when I handed it to him.
If you go to the grocery store, you might feel overwhelmed with the Greek yogurt selections. Seriously, 3-4 years ago, I couldn’t find it anywhere and now it’s kind of taken over the dairy department. Which is awesome. But Greek yogurt can be really really good and it can be really, really bad–don’t judge all Greek yogurt on one or two bad brands.
I couldn’t possibly test all the flavors of all the brands in all the grocery stores in all the land, but I did try to track down all the brands I find at grocery stores where I usually shop. Because I’m not a total glutton (or glutton for punishment), I didn’t get every single flavor. I can tell you that even within my favorite brands, there are flavors I love (Chobani pineapple!) and others that I can’t stand (Chobani Strawberry!) I tried to stick with vanilla or honey if possible because they’re smooth and mild, but I got Fage peach because that was the mildest flavor I could find. Also, all the yogurt here was purchased with my very own money for testing purposes. I’m not being compensated in any way by any yogurt company, so I promise, everything I’m telling you is totally my own opinion.
First up: Chobani Honey!
Serving Size: 6 ounces
Calories: 150
Fat: 0 grams
Carbs: 21
Protein: 13
Weight Watchers Points +: 4
This yogurt was delicious and creamy, not too sweet, with a slight, pleasantly sour aftertaste. Grade: A.
Next…Dannon Light & Fit Greek Vanilla.
Serving Size: 5.3 ounces
Calories: 80
Fat: 0 grams
Carbs: 9 grams
Protein: 12 grams
Weight Watchers Points+: 2
This yogurt had a nice texture, but it tasted like a cup full of chemicals. The vanilla tasted like a vanilla candle, the yogurt was overly sweet, and it had an artificial sweetener aftertaste. Grade: C-.
Next…Fage Peach
Serving Size: 5.3 ounces
Calories: 120
Fat: 0 grams
Carbs: 17 grams
Protein: 13 grams
Weight Watchers Points +: 3
This yogurt was thick, creamy, and didn’t taste fat free. The texture was smooth and silky, the yogurt was tangy with no weird aftertaste,and the peach wasn’t gummy or over-processed like a lot of fruit flavors in yogurts. Also, the fruit comes in a separate compartment,
so you can add as much or as little as you like. A+
Greek Gods Vanilla Honey
Serving Size: 8 ounces
Calories: 280
Fat: 14
Carbs: 33
Protein: 8
Weight Watchers Points +: 8
Tangy, creamy, multidimensional, distinct, clean honey and vanilla flavors that didn’t taste fake in any way and were well-balanced. This was probably the best-tasting of all of them (um…duh–it has 14 times as much fat as any of the others). I took a peek at the ingredients list and it had whole milk, sugar, honey, vanilla, and whey and pectin. So a lot more natural than some of the other options and you could taste it. That said…take a look at the serving size and the protein content. This isn’t actually Greek yogurt, it’s Greek-style yogurt (notice the pectin?) It’s also probably not something you want to eat every day if you’re trying to lose weight. But it’s a delicious, creamy treat–I’m giving it an A-, just because it’s misleading and more like ice cream than a healthy breakfast alternative… 🙂
Oikos Vanilla
Serving Size: 5.3 ounces
Calories: 120
Fat: 0
Carbs: 19
Protein: 12
Weight Watchers Points +: 3
This was creamy and smooth with a slightly gritty after-feel. This had a strong artificial vanilla flavor that I wasn’t too keen on. Grade: B.
Voskos Vanilla Bean
Serving Size: 5.3 oz.
Calories: 130
Fat: 0
Carbs: 21
Protein: 11
Weight Watchers Points +: 3
This was hands-down my least favorite. It was grainy with an artificial vanilla taste and a weird, unpleasantly sour aftertaste. In fact, I checked the expiration date a few times to make sure it wasn’t spoiled, but the expiration date was a few weeks off. I couldn’t eat more than a few tastes. Grade: D-. And that’s because I’d feel like a jerkface for giving it an F.
Yoplait Greek 100 Vanilla
Calories: 100
Fat: 0
Carbs: 11
Protein: 13
WW Points: 2
The yogurt was thin and had an artificial flavor and chemical aftertaste. It didn’t taste a whole lot different from non-Greek diet yogurt. Grade: C-
I know that’s a lot of info, so here’s a little chart of how the different brands of yogurt stack up nutritionally. Happy Monday to you!
and here’s the chart from Chobani so you can print it out and hang it on your pantry door:
You Have to try:
Noosa Finest Yoghurt
THE BEST hands down
AGREED!!! Hands-down simply the BEST-tasting (yummiest) yoghurt in the US and probably second-best in the ENTIRE world after Queensland Yoghurt which it is a clone-copy!! This is SO MUCH better than Chobani and all the other Greek and so-called Greek yogurts. SO MUCH BETTER!!!
I loved your comment about Greek Gods yogurt, because I feel exactly the same way. It’s soooo good, but I consider it a dessert. My husband actually asked for it specifically the other day as a treat. For breakfast, I just buy Kroger brand and it does the trick. The lite version has 90 calories and 16 grams of protein.
i always love reading your posts – especially this one!! We love Greek yogurt and now you have given me more reasons to use it in our cooking. thanks for the info!
I haven’t had the yoplait 100 (because i hate the aspertame after taste) but at my store they have the regular yoplait Greek yogurt 4 packs and I love them. Plus they are not quite as much money as the other brands. I also really like the athenos brand I’d get when I lived in the south but hey don’t carry it at my store in Utah. 🙁
Cool post! Except that now I will feel guilty eating my Greek gods yogurt! I’ve tried many “Greek” yogurts and thought Fage was the most disgusting thing I’ve ever tasted. Greek gods and ZOI are the best. Probably both are like dessert. I am ruined!
It’s all that delicious fat and sugar… 🙂
I am loving this post! My mom and I have been making our own yogurt AND Keifer lately. It is so easy and unbelievably good for you. (Seriously, do some research on Keifer. It is awesome! I am a believer!) we make smoothies with it and use it in place of buttermilk in recipes. My mom actually just likes to drink it with a little homemade raspberry jam mixed in… Like those expensive drinkable yogurts.
Thanks for this post! I love having all the nutritional information in one place, and the substitution chart is fantastic!
Great information! I totally agree with your reviews and grades on the brands I’ve tried. I use Chobani Greek as a sour cream substitute. I can really taste the artificial sweetener in most of the yogurts, so I buy Fage plain Greek and add my own fruit.
I’ve never had it due to the fact that I’m lactose intolerant:(. If they made it lactose free I’d totally be all over it!
Actually yogurt is lactose free. The live cultures eat the lactose and turn it into lactic acid which curdles the milk into yogurt and gives it it’s tangy flavor.
Most people who are lactose intolerant can have yogurt.
Yogurt with lots of live cultures is NEAR to lactose free and usually well tolerated. Kefir is also. However, watch out for frozen yogurt- it has no live cultures.
My favorite is Fred Meyer brand GREEK Nonfat Yogurt, unflavored. It’s 23g of protein per 8 oz serving, 150 calories and 0 fat; ingredients are cultured ultrafiltered nonfat milk, natural flavor, vitamin a palmitate, vitamin D3 and active cultures (L. acidophilus and b. bifidum). I like to add a bit of brown sugar for sweetness, and granola or chopped nuts for texture – YUM. I have served this to my husband with our tacos, for a sour cream sub, and without hiding the tub and it went over just fine. My least favorite brand was soemthing from Dannon that tasted like rancid goat, but I blocked out the details…Thanks for the humorous post, Kate!
I love greek yogurt. My son is allergic to eggs, and I use this as a substitute for cakes and quick breads for the added protein. The easiest recipe is 1c greek yogurt, 1c, water and 1 cake mix. Bake as directed on cake mix. I’ve tried so many substitutions for the eggs, and this is by far one of the easiest ones and the taste is good. You can mess around with the flavors of yogurt to change the flavors of the cake. My son likes to pick the yogurt we use for his cakes 🙂 For just greek yogurt,my special treat has to be the passion fruit Chobani. It takes me back to Brazil!
The first time I tried greek yogurt, I got Greek Gods strawberry honey. Holy cow that stuff is amazing…. but once I realized it was the same calories/ points as ice cream I couldn’t do it. I’d rather have the ice cream…. haha
I love my greek yogurt with honey and cinnamon!!!
Guys don’t like Greek yogurt because of the same reasons many women don’t drink beer: the advertising is designed to appeal to one gender and not the other. It also doesn’t help when they outright demean men (Sorry that your husband doesn’t look like John Stamos, eat our yogurt and fantasize about other men some more)
Zoi from Winco is my absolute favorite. I get the fruit flavored ones and just eat the yogurt on top and forget about the fruit on the bottom. I fell in love with yogurt when I lived in Europe and this is the closest to it I’ve been able to find in the states. Chobani used to be my favorite until I found Zoi. It’s much better.
I mostly dislike Greek yogurt (“You can really taste the goat!” I always say) but I’ll admit that the Chobani Kids flavors are decent. And I had key lime (I think it was Oikos) with vanilla almond granola on top and it tasted JUST LIKE PIE.
Thank you for this great review about Greek yogurts also the time and money to do so. I have always been confused about all the different Greek yogurts on the markets today and you just confirmed my own choice.:-)
I love the plain Greek yogurt. It’s tart and oh so yummy.
I actually like the Dannon Oikos vanilla but have not tried Chobani or Fage yet. I cannot stand the plain Greek yogurt though! I used the Dannon Oikos plain in a dip recipe and it was terrible! Does Chobani or Fage’s plain taste ok to substitute? I like the fact of getting the extra protein and less fat than using sour cream, but I do not want it to taste terrible!! The Oikos tasted like it was spoiled and it wasn’t!
i’m in total agreement with your rating system. i was wondering if you’ve tried costco’s brand of greek yogurt. i normally buy their gigantor container of fage, but they’ve got a pretty darn close-second with their kirkland brand. don’t know if you have a costco near you. the only yogurt that i’ve tasted that is over-the-top so good it made me feel like the cartoon character mutley….was this deliciously full-fatted organic yogurt that must be made by some little indie company near us on vashon. holy cow. anyway….it would be fun to see where your thoughts run to the costco brand. just sayin’
I wanted to make the same comment about Costco’s Kirkland Greek Yogurt. It comes in a two-pack for a total of 64 ounces for 6.99 here in Utah. The only ingredient is “cultured pasteurized Grade A nonfat milk”, plus the cultures. It’s thick and creamy, and you can add your own fruit and honey or stevia. The facts for an 8oz serving: calories 140, fat 0 grams, carbs 10 grams, sugars 7 grams, and protein 24 grams. I used to be a Chobani or Fage fan, but this is all I buy anymore! And getting used to plain yogurt is a process. Just gradually add less and less sweetener. Now I can’t stand commercially sweetened yogurt, and I have a huge sweet tooth. (I’m totally fine with chocolate chip cookies!!)
Holla for homemade yogurt. So easy and sooooo much better than the stuff in the grocery store… though I’m a total sucker for Chobani Black Cherry.
Thank you so much for this post! I’m going to be using that substitution chart alot! I live in Canada so most of the brands you reviewed are not available here, but I did want to comment that my favorite Greek yogurt is Kirkland brand (Costco label) that is available North American wide. It has an amazing 18 grams of protein per 3/4 cup serving, is fat free and has only 2 ingredients, skim milk and bacterial cultures. It has a heavy, smooth texture and is plain, so you can add whatever you like, as much as you like, to flavor it. (No, I don’t work for Costco, I just wanted to mention my favorite)
I’m with you, Taralee! I buy Fage full fat, 2% and 0% fat depending on the scale and the ‘sale’but only buy plain. Then I can add my own honey or microwaved Allfruit Spread/jam, chia seeds, or fresh fruit. I like knowing what I’m eating and you get twice as much yogurt and protein for the price. Target puts them on sale $1 each about every month and I stock up for the month.
Oh my gosh, I laughed so hard at the ‘baby vomit’ comparison! I just started eating Greek yogurt and I bought 3 flavors of Chobani. Rasberry (LOVE) Blueberry (LOVE!) and Lemon. The lemon was very much under the baby vomit category. I, too, checked the expiration date thinking that was the problem. Nope! Glad I am not the only one who compares it to that! 😉
Zoi yogurt (especially the stawberry kind) tastes like the tastiest treat you’ll ever eat. It also has the calories of a tasty treat, but it is the most delicious thing on the planet. My non-dieter husband goes through like 4 of these a day when they’re around. Can only find them at winco, though.
I completely agree with your reviews except for the Greek “style” one and the Yoplait, I’ve tried the others. Voskos was the first I tried and I thought it was absolutely awful. lol Luckily I continued to try others. There is a brand called Liberte. I think it’s Greek and not Greek style but it is amazing. Thanks for this!
Great information, love the research.
Thanks for this, I love the chart! I’m a big yogurt fan, I prefer regular yogurt over Greek for eating straight, but I’ve just discovered using Greek yogurt in cooking (particularly for cream cheese dips!) and it’s great. I plan on using this chart a lot more often when cooking!
I love Fage! I’ve tried all the ones you listed, and felt the same about them, actually. I eat the Fage 0% with raspberries and granola. But, when I’ve tried the Dannon or Yoplait, I’m always left disappointed. The only other kind I like is the OIKOS Key Lime greek yogurt, but it has a lot of added sugar and doesn’t seem like greek yogurt to me. Thanks for the post & the charts!
Kate you are amazing! I feel like we share the same brain!!! I know scary thought. i have been telling myself I really must diversify and try other brands of greek yogurt. I was afraid to be disappointed b/c my two fav’s are chobani pineapple and chobani peach. Thanks for saving me time and money. I look forward to our weekly chats! ( I promise I am not a stalker!)Thanks again-have a great week.
My favorite brand are the Oikos organic – especially the Super Fruits flavor!
So did you just know that I spent way longer than I should have on Saturday looking at the Greek Yogurt options and ultimately walked away because I was so overwhelmed? Thanks as always for simplifying my life!
I also make my own yogurt. It’s so easy and so much less expensive than buying it at the store. Plus, then I have control over the level of sugar put in. My kids love it with some honey and a tiny bit of vanilla added. I do use whole milk though since it gives it the best texture. The best part is, when I’m running low on yogurt, I’ll take the few spoonfuls left from the last batch and can use it to culture the next batch. So the total cost of buying a whole gallon of yogurt is the cost of the gallon of whole milk (a couple bucks), no pectin added! I haven’t had to buy yogurt in a long time!