Helpful Hints For Living

If you want Greek yogurt, get REAL Greek Yogurt.

Hmm. Should I be offended that they are leveraging “greekness” by plastering the word “GREEK” in faux Greek script across this cereal box? Or should I be more offended by the ingredients:

Whole Grain Flakes (Whole Grain Wheat, Sugar, Rice, Corn Syrup, Wheat Flour, Yellow Corn Meal, Whole Grain Rolled Oats, Malted Barley Flour, Salt, Canola And/Or Sunflower Oil, Honey, Natural Flavor), Greek Yogurt Granola [Whole Grain Rolled Oats, Brown Sugar, Whole Grain Wheat, Rice Flour, Canola And/Or Sunflower Oil, Milk Protein Concentrate, Corn Syrup, Sugar, Greek Yogurt Powder (Heat Treated After Culturing), Honey, Natural Flavor, Lactic Acid, Malic Acid, Citric Acid], Greek Yogurt Style Coated Granola [Whole Grain Rolled Oats, Brown Sugar, Whole Grain Wheat, Rice Flour, Canola And/Or Sunflower Oil, Corn Syrup, Whey, Sugar, Honey, Greek Yogurt Style Coating (Sugar, Palm Kernel And Palm Oil, Reduced Mineral Whey Powder, Nonfat Dry Milk Solids, Greek Yogurt Powder (Heat Treated After Culturing), Lactic Acid, Soy Lecithin, Salt, Natural Flavor)]. Bht Added To Packaging Material To Preserve Product Freshness.

Who was it who said that anything over 4 ingredients is bad? Or if you can’t recognize the ingredients you should stay clear? This baby’s got 13g of sugar and a whopping 47g of carbs per 1 cup serving, 270 calories with milk! That’s 30 minutes on an exercise bike at high speed!

Note that the list says Greek “style” – so its not even Greek yogurt? I doubt that this stuff even has any of the ingredients that are supposed to make yogurt good: like probiotics and stuff.

If you want Greek yogurt, you should get real Greek yogurt. And eat it like the Greeks do, plain with a little Greek honey. My recommendation? FAGE (which means EAT! in Greek) is probably the best one that you will find anywhere, but make sure that you get the full fat, aka Total Classic. Stay away from Chobani, Oikos, Greek Gods or anything that looks overly GREEK! (Like cereal with the GIANT GREEK on the side!)

Even better, go to an middle-eastern or Greek market in your neighborhood, its very likely that you have one, and get a name you don’t recognize, like Krinos! Make sure that you are getting “pressed yogurt”, which is what Greek yogurt is – yogurt with most of the water pressed out of it. In future, we’ll feature how to make it yourself. While you are at it, pair it with Attiki brand honey:

This whole “Greek Yogurt” thing has gotten out of hand. I guess it was Oprah who started it all way back when. The reality is that most of the products that you see out there nowadays are cheap knockoffs trying to leverage the whole Greek yogurt movement. Be smarter! Take it from a Greek, if its really Greek, I doubt that it will say GREEK in giant letters. Maybe a big flag instead!

Opa!