Increasing Yogurt’s Worth with a Few Mix & Match Sessions

The Love for Yogurt Never Fades

Mix your Choice of Ingredients for a Favourite Yogurt Meal

Western adaptations have taken us all by surprise in all spheres of life. Besides idli, dosa, roti and sabji people have started eating other healthy options that could benefit our body. My 5-year-old daughter is a crazy fan of flavoured yogurts besides the regular ice creams, chocolates and muffins. The interesting part here is that yogurt is healthy, tasty as well as economical-when the right choice is made. Yogurt, rich in protein, calcium and potassium is also an excellent source of live, active bacteria. Such active bacteria are called as “good bacteria” for the gut as it helps in maintaining a healthy digestive system, promotes the presence of good bacteria and results in a healthy body due to the untiring effort of the gut microbiome. Our gut bacteria holds responsibility for a major portion of health and recent research has unravelled the ravishing effects of them on human body and for more details on gut microbiome and the related health benefits please visit www.firsteatright.com.

Supermarket shelves are arranged with different varieties of yogurt that come in an array of flavours. We have got everything right from Greek and flavoured yogurt to low-fat and fruited. While we adults are confused by with the different flavours available children go into frenzy unable to make the right choice. Every flavour has an attraction and a uniqueness which makes it different from the rest. But how do you choose the right kind of yogurt that’s tasty as well as healthy? Use your discretion and choose based on different criteria such as fat percentage, flavour and more.

1. Full-fat options might provide us with enticing taste and flavour but they cannot be consumed regularly on a daily basis. Choose low-fat or fat-free yogurt as suggested by dietary recommendations-these do have various tasty treats.
2. Something that tastes better than the rest must be rich in sugar or fat most times. Likewise, flavoured and fruited varieties commonly contain aplenty added sugars. Rather than going for readymade flavours, choose a plain variant yogurt and add your own choice of fruits or flavours such as vanilla or blackcurrant. Read the Nutrition Facts label before deciding on a variety. Even plain yogurts show the presence of sugar as they contain lactose, a naturally occurring sugar in milk.
3. The latest craze has been for Greek yogurt which is strained making the end product creamier and thicker. Though it contains twice the protein content as traditional yogurt its calcium levels are reduced. For the lactose intolerant, Greek yogurt is a much better option as it has reduced lactose than traditional yogurt making lactose-intolerant people tolerate it much better. Generally too, yogurt is very much recommended for lactose-intolerant people as the bacteria that grow in it break down lactose making it easier for such people to digest the food
4. Dairy-based yogurts are generally liked but if you are particular about avoiding dairy-based products there are plant-based alternatives available in the market. If you look closely, fortified soy-based yogurt has somewhat the equal nutrition content of dairy-based ones followed by coconut- and almond-based ones. The thumb rule is to choose something that’s rich in calcium and vitamin D.
   
   

Fulfilling Your Dreams
Cartons of plain/flavoured yogurts have arrived from the supermarket and your child is bored after a couple of days eating the same yogurt in the same style. Bring in some innovation and inspiration to your yogurt cups by following any of the given ideas below:

Mix yogurt with a handful of colourful berries, some nuts and granola for a yummy and satisfying breakfast meal.

Drink yogurt by making a smoothie using low-fat yogurt with your choice of flavour and some milk. Adjust the consistency (too thin or too thick) by adding some yogurt or milk respectively. This makes your bones stronger and you even find it easier to complete the healthy beverage. You can add fruits such as frozen strawberries, blackberries or mulberry, cinnamon and some vanilla extract along with nut butter, seeds or other nutritious toppings to make the smoothie as enriched with calcium and proteins as possible.

You can make a lip-smacking topping using some low-fat Greek yogurt, a tablespoon of seasoning of your choice such as taco and some lime juice which makes it a perfect replacement for sour cream. There is no harm in replacing sour cream with plain yogurt in your recipes.

Any yogurt has some sugar due to milk but you can enhance sweetness by mixing fresh/frozen fruits of your choice. If you really want some real taste of sugar maybe use some honey (for kids above the age of 1) or sugar substitutes but ensure to never exceed calories from sugar by more than 10% daily.

Yogurt dips are becoming our favourite these days as it is easier to make and healthier to eat. Dip carrot, pear or pineapple sticks in a succulent dip made from low-fat yogurt, cinnamon and some vanilla extract. This is the perfect replacement to your cheese dips that can shoot up calories as much as possible.

Though its interesting and nice to know the different ways in which yogurt can be used in our daily meal sticking to portion sizes is necessary here too. One cup of dairy-based fat-free or low-fat yogurt fulfils 30-45% calcium requirements. Whereas, one cup of frozen yogurt provides 10% of the daily required calcium levels. Boost calcium levels by taking yogurt in recommended portion sizes for good health.

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