Greek yogurt is one the hottest trends in the grocery stores right now and because it is so popular every brand name is getting on the Greek yogurt game. In parallel to this Mediterranean Diet has been reported by several studies that it is probably the healthiest diet of all the diets. Yogurt is one the basic components of the Mediterranean Diet.
The Greek Yogurt Case
During these days as a result of the recent hype there is a legal claim that some Greek yogurts on the shelves are just imitators. Does it really matter if Greek yogurts made in a more traditional way are any better or worse than Greek yogurts made with the little help from food Chemistry?
Let’s find out what really sets Greek yogurt apart from everybody else. That is, its high protein value and the fact that it is loaded with probiotics and that’s the good bacteria that we all want to eat. But there is however a debate about whether Greek yogurt made Greek by additives, is as good for you as the others. But for most of us what really comes down is the good taste for the right price.
What sets Greek yogurt apart?
What sets Greek yogurt apart from regular yogurt is its nice thick texture. It is creamy and tasty too. It is good it so good, high in proteins, low in sugar and it has good for you bacteria, good for stomach health. But all this goodness comes at a cost. Greek yogurt is about twice as much, sometimes more, than regular yogurt. There are the artisan’s Greek yogurts where the ingredients come from nearby farms. Their motto and marketing hype ‘’from cow to containers takes 30 hours’’ shows that they take pride in what they offer and they justify the high cost. There are Greek yogurts which come in exotic flavours like ‘’black cherry and port wine’’ and ‘’maple bacon’’. Such Greek yogurts can be even eaten for dinner. It is crazy delicious but it comes at a high price, this is what sets Greek yogurt apart.
Greek Yogurt Brands
The number one Greek yogurt seller is Chobani who make their yogurt the traditional way by straining the yogurt to make it high in protein. Tasting it, it leaves a kind of dry nice taste in your mouth while the others, the so called imitations leave a more sweet taste in your mouth. The word Chobani in Turkish means shepherd. The other known Greek yogurt brand is Voskos which is shepherd in Greek.
There are some who believe that customers do not care if the yogurt is considered real or not. For most people price is the point. These people believe that they are basically getting the same thing whether they eat real Greek yogurt or an imitation. ‘’Imitations’’ or ‘’Greek-style’’ yogurts are those yogurts whose manufacturers use milk protein concentrates to pump up the protein. They also use Corn Starch to thicken it and lemon juice to give it that Greek yogurt taste. People on a budget do not care how the proteins reach their stomach! More educated consumers however read the labels for calories, for ingredients and for carbs and they call non-traditional yogurts as ‘’Greek style’’ yogurts instead of Greek yogurts.
Is there a Greek Yogurt standard?
All this debate about Greek yogurt and imitations leads us to the conclusion that there should be a standard of what a Greek yogurt is and what isn’t. This is the best way to protect the consumers because there are some high priced imitations and this is unfair to all, the consumers and the Greek yogurt producers.
Labor intensive process of straining is something which helps make Greek yogurt creamier than regular yogurt.
Nutritionists love Greek yogurt. It has nearly 3 times the protein as regular yogurt, and its hard to pronounce cultures, which are known as probiotics, are good for our stomach health.
People are scooping up the Greek staff like is ice-cream. Chobani and Fage make Greek yogurt the old fashion way and they recommend that you always take a look at the label. Chobani is made from two basic ingredients: Pasteurized milk and live and active cultures.
‘’Greek-style’’ yogurt has both of those but some of the live cultures, Bifidus, Lactobacillus Casei and Lactobacillus acidophilus are not there, while Thermophilus and Bulgaricus are the two bacteria which are there.
Labels will tell you the full story so read the labels. Once you are educated on Greek yogurt you will be able to recognize the real Greek yogurt since there is no standard of what Greek yogurt is, to help consumers identify the product.
The Greek yogurt challenge
We recommend that you take the challenge and taste the difference between Greek yogurt, any yogurt and ‘’Greek style’’ yogurt and remember that taste is one thing and price is another. Put Greek yogurt in your diet so that you will have a healthier life and remember that Greek Yogurt is an integral part of the Mediterranean Diet
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