Friday, May 21, 2010

Greek Yogurt : Food of Goddesses





Officially one of my favorite foods in the whole world, Greek Yogurt's creamy thick natural goodness could only hail from the land where Aphrodite and Athena and all the other beautiful goddesses of mythology originated.



My love affair with Greek Yogurt began pretty recently when I was looking for something satisfying to satiate my sweet tooth after dinner, as I had cut out all sugar from my life and was feeling pretty miserable in the beginning. But the Gods shone their light upon me when they delivered Greek Yogurt in to my hands. I purchased the full fat version, mainly due to its low carb count (less than 5 grams) which, compared to the other Yogurts around it (which have close to 20g) was right in line with my low carb quest, and so I set off home curious to discover just what set this Grecian export apart from its other commercial cousins.

Boy did I find out. Later that night as I got my usual craving for something sweet, (usually satiated by various versions of chocolate my brother in law and I would load up on from the nearest Walgreens), I held strong, shrugged it off, and set off to the fridge to give the new yogurt a try. Upon opening it I could see already how it differed from regular yogurts. It was thick and had almost a heavy whipped cream appearance. I heaped three spoonfuls into a bowl and added some fresh strawberries and a packet of my favorite sweetener French Vanilla Stevia. Mixing it all up I went back to the bedroom to sit down and taste my newest concocted dessert.


Taking the first mouthful, I feel like my taste buds almost exploded for joy. It was sweet, and smooth with a soft velvety texture, not unlike whipped cream, and it complimented the berries perfectly. Could this stuff be for real? And even more importantly, could this be healthy?


As I did a little research on my new crush, I started to fall more and more in love.


Turns out, my tub of luscious, feathery deliciousness did more than just curb my sweet cravings.
Greek yogurt has been an integral part of the Grecians healthy diet for thousands of years and benefits a number of things;


• Is a great source of protein with over 20grams per 8 oz, double that of other yogurts.
• Due to its high protein content, it helps you feel fuller longer which can contribute to weight loss efforts.
• It contains thousands of live good bacteria which promote intestinal and vaginal health
• Improves lactose intolerance
• Builds stronger bones
• Enhances immunity
• Lowers blood pressure
• And may even have anti-cancer effects


It is extremely versatile too and can be used as a breakfast or snack or for sweet (desserts, smoothies) or savory dishes, like dips and sauces and in soups.


And I even discovered I didn’t have to break up with chocolate forever, as a little more kitchen concocting on my part had me create a creamy chocolate yogurt, that is a quick, low carb, incredibly delish and satisfying dessert. I’ve posted the recipe below for you to try.


And you know what? I bet Greek Yogurt was the secret to the beauty of the Greek Goddesses. Well, it’s not a secret anymore. Lucky for us!






Easy Goddess Chocolate Yoghurt Yumminess


Ingredients
1 cup Greek Yogurt (full fat)
1 tbsp Ghiradelli’s 100% unsweetened cocoa (or any other brand of unsweetened cocoa)
1 packet French Vanilla Stevia
Handful of walnuts (optional)

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and Viola, that’s it! It’s that easy!!

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