It's All Greek To Me!.....or is it?!

So, you're at the grocery store standing in front of the yogurt section....... you aren't completely new to eating healthy, but you aren't really much of a label reader either. You reach for a popular Greek yogurt that you have seen on TV since Greek yogurt is all the rage right now & go on about finishing your grocery shopping. You feel healthier already knowing you've made a better decision by not grabbing yogurt with the granola on top, but ........ not so fast! Have you read the label on the "healthy" Greek yogurt you just threw in your buggy?! The carb content?! The sugar?! Did you really make a healthier choice? You see, all Greek yogurt is not the same. You have all heard the saying "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" right?  Well, the same goes for food too. And the "real fruit" in the bottom? Have you ever seen real fruit covered in syrup? I haven't! All Greek yogurt is NOT created equal! Most of them are nothing more than sugary treats wrapped up in "healthy" looking containers because he makers of these products know that most people trust the front of the label that says Greek, light, low fat, low sodium, naturally sweetened, whole grain, etc. & will never turn them around & actually ready the nutritional content....... & if you do, you won't make it past the calories content. And, if they keep that low enough, the product is sold! So, if you haven't started reading labels yet, now is a great time to start!!!
Your best option when buying yogurt is most definitely Greek for it's many health benefits. Just make sure you choose one that is plain & nonfat. You can sweeten it yourself with Stevia & real fresh fruit. My favorite brand is Fage (shown above) 2%. It's thick & creamy & has 150 calories, 8 carbs & 20 grams of protein per container! You can use Greek yogurt for lots of different things! I use it in place of mayo in tuna, as sour cream on fajitas or a potato, I make a honey mustard dip with 1 tbs of Greek yogurt & 2 tsp of honey mustard, throw 1 tbsp in with your eggs to make them creamy, use it to make protein shakes........ be creative! Stir in Stevia & cinnamon,  a tsp of honey, 1 tbsp of peanut butter & 1 tsp of cocoa powder, your favorite sugar free jelly, cinnamon, fresh fruit or another thing I love to do with mine is pour a container into a small bowl first thing in the morning & put 1/4 to 1/2 a serving of frozen fruit (not the kind in syrups.....whole natural frozen fruit) on top, then put a lid on it & stick it back in the fridge til after my workout mid morning or to have right after lunch. By the time I eat it, the fruit has thawed & the juice can be mixed into the yogurt & it is soooo good! And you know it's real fruit & naturally sweetened! ............What can be sweeter than that?!
Click on the link below to read all about the health benefits of eating Greek yogurt in an article from Livestrong.com.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/300164-what-are-the-benefits-of-eating-greek-yogurt/