It’s not all Greek to us…

Of all the ingredients we use every week here at Lincolnshire Fitness, the one we couldn’t do without is Greek Yogurt. Versatile, filling and packed with protein, we don’t go a day without eating it in one form or another.

Greek Yogurt, Greek-Style Yogurt, Icelandic Skyr or Turkish süzme are all essentially the same thing, despite what the food manufacturers will try to tell you with their (often misleading) marketing (we may look at that in a later blog post…). They are all yogurts that have been strained to remove most of the whey, resulting in a higher protein content and a thicker, longer lasting product. Quite rightly in the UK Greek Yogurt can only be called Greek Yogurt if it’s, er, made in Greece, otherwise it has to be called ‘Greek-style’ Yogurt. If you’re buying Greek-style yogurt, and If you can be bothered, it’s worth checking the label to check that your yogurt contains only milk and live cultures rather than thickeners, preservatives or powdered protein. These additives won’t necessarily do you any harm, but they are usually a pretty good indicator that the yogurt you’re buying won’t taste as good, lacking that all-important creamy & luxurious mouthfeel. Our Greek Yogurt of choice is Fage Total, available in 0%, 2% and 5% fat versions (2% is the best).

So, what do we do with it? LOADS, is the answer; sweet, savoury, breakfast, snacking, drinking – the list is endless. Here are some of our favourites:

Dips & Drizzles

One of our favourite guilt-free snacks is crunchy vegetables dunked in harissa yogurt, simply squeeze the juice of half a lime into a small bowl of yogurt, sprinkle a pinch of sea salt and stir in a teaspoon of Harissa Paste (available in all supermarkets). Roughly slice some peppers, carrot sticks, whatever you have to hand and greedily dunk in the resultant glorious, spicy gloop. Indian and Thai curry pastes work just as well and are perfect drizzled on grilled meats or salads 

Breakfast of Champions

Our go-to breakfast when we have a busy day of teaching ahead; sweetened Greek yogurt (use Maple Syrup or, for you low-carb types, vanilla flavour drops) with diced pear (good, old-fashioned conference pears work best), a healthy shake of cinnamon, a few pecan nuts and sprinkle of all-bran cereal. Loosen with a splash of milk, stir well and pretend you’re a Greek God(dess) scoffing Ambrosia atop Mount Olympus. We often customise with any berries we have lying around in the fridge. You can also add dried fruit, granola, or whatever else takes your fancy.

Add a New Dimension to Drinks

Adding yogurt to smoothies is a great way to increase the protein hit and adds a rich silkiness to the texture. Our favourite incorporates Greek yogurt, banana, raspberries (use frozen when out of season, they taste as good and are WAAAAYYY cheaper), peanut butter and maple syrup. Truly decadent. Also, did you know that many mixologists are now adding Greek yogurt to cocktails? Not exactly healthy but, well, y’know…

Be good to yourselves

Emma & Gav x