FitSugar

Food Review: Chobani Greek Yogurt

FitSugar — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 08:00:00 -0800

I'm a big fan of yogurt for breakfast or for a pre-workout snack, but I'm an even bigger fan of Greek yogurt. Oikos and Fage are equally delicious, but they're not cheap (about $2 per small container). So when I was food shopping the other day, I was thrilled to see another kind of Greek yogurt called Chobani on sale for $1.29. Wahoo! It doesn't take much to get me excited.

Chobani comes in all sorts of flavors, like strawberry, peach, blueberry, and honey, but I picked up the vanilla. To see what I thought and find out how this yogurt compares to Oikos and Fage read more.

I really loved this Chobani Greek yogurt. It's smooth, thick, creamy, and has a slightly warm vanilla flavor, so you can enjoy it alone or with added fruit and granola. The texture and mild sour flavor reminded me of both Oikos and Fage Greek yogurt, and nutritionally, if you check out the chart below, you'll see all three are pretty similar. Chobani is slightly higher in calories and sugars, but it also contains more protein per container. For me though, I think I'll buy whichever one is the cheapest, being as things are pretty tight these days. If buying organic is important to you though, you may want to spring for Oikos.

	Chobani Vanilla	Oikos Vanilla	Fage Total 0%
Serving Size	6 ounces	5.3 ounces	6 ounces
Calories	120	110	90
Total Fat	0g	0g	0g
Saturated Fat	0g	0g	0g
Cholesterol	0mg	0mg	0mg
Sodium	65mg	60mg	65mg
Carbs	13g	12g	7g
Sugars	13g	11g	7g
Protein	16g	15g	15g
Ingredients	Cultured Pasteurized Nonfat Milk, Sugar, Natural Vanilla Flavor. Contains Five Live And Active Cultures Including S. Thermaphilus, Bulgaricus, L. Acidophilus, Bifidus, and L. Casei.	Cultured Pasteurized Organic Nonfat Milk, Organic Sugar, Organic Natural Vanilla Flavor. Contains Five Live And Active Cultures Including L. Acidophilus, Bifidus, and L. Casei.	Grade A Pasteurized Skimmed Milk, Live Active Yogurt Cultures (L. Bulgaricus, S. Thermophilus).

Plain Yogurt vs. Flavored Yogurt

FitSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:50:03 -0700

For breakfast, yogurt with fruit and granola has become my favorite. I love that the yogurt offers lowfat protein, and the granola gives me fiber to keep me satisfied until lunch. With all this talk about how Americans are getting too much sugar, I'm trying to do what I can to cut back on added sugars.

I was wondering if there's a huge difference when choosing between plain yogurt or one that's flavored. So here's a comparison between a few flavors of Chobani Greek yogurt. To see the chart, read more.

These numbers are based on six-ounce containers.

	Plain	Vanilla	Blueberry	Honey
Calories	100	120	140	150
Saturated Fat	0 g	0 g	0 g	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg	0 mg	0 g
Sodium	80 mg	75 mg	65 mg	75 mg
Carbs	7 g	13 g	20 g	20 g
Fiber	0 g	0 g	less than 1 g	0 g
Sugars	7 g	16 g	20 g	20 g
Protein	18 g	16 g	14 g	16 g
Ingredients	Cultured Pasteurized Nonfat Milk.	Cultured Pasteurized Nonfat Milk, Evaporated Cane Juice, Natural Vanilla Flavor.	Cultured Pasteurized Nonfat Milk, Blueberries, Evaporated Cane Juice, Locust Bean Gum, Pectin, Natural Flavor.	Cultured Pasteurized Nonfat Milk, Clover Honey.

Wow. Plain yogurt is clearly the better option when it comes to sugar. The vanilla, blueberry, and honey flavors have more than twice the amount as the plain. Plain yogurt also contains fewer calories and more protein, so I'll definitely stick to plain.

If you're trying to cut down on sugar, but can't stomach the sour taste of plain yogurt, mix in fresh, frozen, or dried fruit. It not only offers added fiber, but it will sweeten your yogurt naturally, unlike the flavored yogurts that contain evaporated cane juice. Tell me, will this info make you choose plain over flavored yogurts?

Greek Yogurt Breakdown

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 08:00:00 -0700

I'm a big fan of yogurt. It's a tasty way to get protein and calcium, especially before or after a workout. Greek yogurt is one of my faves because it's packed with so much more protein than regular yogurt, and the thicker consistency makes it feel more decadent.

Since Greek yogurt is becoming more popular, there are many companies making it now. If you want to know how they compare, read more.

Yogurt	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Cholesterol (g)	Sodium (mg)	Sugars (g)	Protein (g)
Cabot Plain (6 oz)	210	17	55	80	6	7
Cabot 2% Strawberry (6 oz.)	160	3	20	80	24	13
Chobani Original Plain (6 oz.)	240	17	65	60	6	14
Chobani Lowfat Plain (6 oz.)	130	3.5	10	70	7	17
Chobani Nonfat Plain (6 oz.)	100	0	0	70	7	18
Chobani Vanilla Nonfat (6 oz.)	120	0	0	65	13	16
Chobani Honey Nonfat (6 oz.)	150	0	0	65	20	16
Chobani Peach Nonfat (6 oz.)	140	0	0	80	19	14
Chobani Strawberry Nonfat (6 oz.)	140	0	0	80	19	14
Chobani Blueberry Nonfat (6 oz.)	140	0	0	65	20	14
Fage Total Classic (7 oz.)	263	20.1	35	57	6.1	13.1
Fage Total 2% (7 oz.)	131	3.9	13	66	7.9	16.6
Fage Total 0% (5.3 oz.)	79	0	0	56	5.9	13.2
Fage Total With Honey (5.3 oz.)	250	12	20	35	28	8
Fage Total 2% With Honey (5.3 oz.)	180	2.5	5	40	29	10
Fage Total With Strawberry (5.3 oz.)	210	12	20	35	18	8
Fage Total 2% With Strawberry (5.3 oz.)	140	2.5	5	40	19	10
Fage Total With Peach (5.3 oz.)	210	12	20	35	18	8
Fage Total 2% With Peach (5.3 oz.)	140	2.5	5	40	19	10
Fage Total With Cherry (5.3 oz.)	210	12	20	35	18	8
Fage Total 2% With Cherry (5.3 oz.)	140	2.5	5	40	19	10
Oikos Plain (5.3 oz.)	90	0	0	60	6	15
Oikos Vanilla (5.3 oz.)	110	0	0	60	11	15
Oikos Honey (5.3 oz.)	120	0	0	50	17	13
Oikos Blueberry (5.3 oz.)	120	0	0	70	15	13

I'm curious, which brand of Greek yogurt do you usually buy?

Healthy Eating Tip: For Breakfast, Don't Forget the Protein

FitSugar — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 03:00:00 -0700

Toasted bagels, blueberry muffins, and warm waffles with fruit are some of my favorite choices for breakfast. Although they're tasty, they don't offer much protein. This essential nutrient makes you feel full and gives you sustained energy. So after eating a breakfast that's low in protein, you'll end up feeling hungry and sluggish soon after, and are more likely to reach for an unhealthy pick-me-up before lunch. If weight-loss is your goal, or you just want to prevent unnecessary weight gain, a high-protein breakfast can help.

Since the average woman needs between 40 and 60 grams of protein a day (depending on your weight and activity level), eating 10 to 20 grams of protein per meal is a great way to make it happen. To see which high-protein foods I recommend keep reading

Are You Eating Too Much Cholesterol?

FitSugar — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 09:00:30 -0700

I was vegan for a short time in college, and was shocked when I had my cholesterol tested and found it was high. I wasn't even eating cholesterol! The thing is, your liver makes cholesterol and it's actually essential for your body to function normally. Cholesterol is also found in food and appropriately called dietary cholesterol. Since your body produces enough, you don't need to worry about getting any from diet. What you do need to worry about is getting too much.

A healthy person with healthy cholesterol levels can safely consume 300 milligrams a day. If your levels are high, aim for less than 200 mg a day. Are you eating too much? Find out how much cholesterol is in your favorite foods when you read more.

Food	Cholesterol (mg)
1 Hard-Boiled Egg	212
1 cup Skim Milk	5
1 cup Lowfat Milk (1%)	15
1 cup Lowfat Milk (2%)	20
1 cup Whole Milk	34
1 oz. Cheddar Cheese (1 slice)	29
1/4 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese	20
2 tbsp. Cream Cheese	26
2 tbsp. Butter	61
5.3 oz. Fage Total Classic Greek Yogurt	35
5.3 oz. Fage Total With Honey	20
6 oz. Chobani No-Fat Vanilla Greek Yogurt	0
6 oz. Stonyfield farms Organic Low-Fat Vanilla Yogurt	7
1/3 Pound Hamburger Patty	90
5 inch Hot Dog	24
4 oz. Filet Mignon	75
4 oz. Organic Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast	70
4 oz. Tilapia	55
3 oz. Salmon	85
2 tbsp. Mayonnaise	8
3 oz. Sour Cream	11
1/2 cup Chocolate Ice Cream	120
1/2 cup Chocolate Ice Cream	115
9 Hershey's Dark Chocolate Kisses	5

High cholesterol levels in the blood can put you at risk for heart disease. So answer these two questions for me: have you had your cholesterol levels tested, and are you getting too much?

Healthy Eating Tip: Mix Plain and Fruit Yogurts

FitSugar — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:00:00 -0700

I probably eat yogurt at least five days a week, being that it's so healthy with all the beneficial bacteria it contains. Even better is plain yogurt, since it doesn't contain as much sugar as fruit-flavored yogurts. If the sour taste is too pungent for your taste buds, I discovered a good compromise. I mix half plain yogurt with half fruit yogurt, so my new concoction is slightly sweeter than plain yogurt but doesn't have as much sugar as just the fruit-flavored yogurt.

To see how the nutritional info of this mixed yogurt compares with eating either just plain or just fruity yogurt read more.

	Chobani Plain	Chobani Peach	Half Plain and Half Peach
Serving Size	6 ounces	6 ounces	6 ounces
Calories	100	140	120
Total Fat	0g	0g	0g
Saturated Fat	0g	0g	0g
Cholesterol	0mg	0mg	0mg
Sodium	70mg	80mg	75mg
Carbs	7g	20g	13.5g
Fiber	0g	0g	0g
Sugars	7g	19g	13g
Protein	18g	14g	16g

As you can see from the chart, the mixed yogurt contains 6.5 fewer grams of carbs, six fewer grams of sugar, and 20 fewer calories than the peach yogurt. As an added bonus, it also has two more grams of protein. Once you go mixed, you'll never go back.

Yogurt and Granola vs. Cereal and Milk

FitSugar — Tue, 05 May 2009 13:00:00 -0700

It's breakfast time and you can't decide if you should have yogurt and granola or cereal and milk. Both are good forms of protein and calcium, and they also contain fiber. Depending on your specific needs though, you may want the breakfast that contains more calories (since you're going for a long bike ride), or maybe you're concerned with getting the least amount of sodium (because of your high blood pressure).

So let's compare the two. To see the nutritional info for each meal read more.

Food	Calories	Fat (g)	Cholesterol (mg)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Sugars (g)	Protein (g)	Calcium (mg)
6 oz. Chobani Vanilla Yogurt	120	0	0	65	13	0	13	16	200
1/4 cup Bear Naked Fit Granola (Vanilla Almond)	120	2.5	0	15	19	3	3	3	0
1/4 cup blueberries	21	.1	0	0	5.3	.9	3.6	.3	2.2
Total	261	2.6	0	80	37.3	3.9	19.6	19.3	202.2

Food	Calories	Fat (g)	Cholesterol (mg)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Sugars (g)	Protein (g)	Calcium (mg)
1 cup skim milk	91	.7	5	130	12.3	0	12.3	8.7	316.2
1 cup Kashi Go Lean cereal	140	1	0	85	30	10	6	13	60
1/4 cup sliced strawberries	13	.1	0	0	3.2	.8	1.9	.3	6.6
Total	244	1.8	5	215	45.5	10.8	20.2	22	382.8

As you can see, yogurt and granola contain less cholesterol, less sodium, fewer carbs, and slightly less sugars. A bowl of cereal and milk contains fewer calories, less fat, more fiber, slightly more protein, and a great deal more calcium. Now that you can see the two comparisons side by side, you can can decide which meal is right for you.