Add more protein and calcium to your diet with these genius ways to use more Greek yogurt in everything from savory to sweet dishes!
For vegetarians and meat-eaters alike, Greek yogurt is a great source of nutrients. But eating a bowl of yogurt with toppings can get really old.
Luckily, Greek yogurt is more versatile than you think. You can use it in everything from savory dishes to baking to smoothies. It’s also my go-to for replacing high fat foods, like sour cream and mayo.
It’s much lighter than other heavy dairy options.
Nutrition
A 3/4 cup (170 gram) serving of plain non-fat Greek yogurt has:
- 90 calories
- 0 grams fat
- 5 grams carbohydrates
- 0 grams fiber
- 18 grams protein
- 200 milligrams calcium (15% daily value)
- 260 milligrams potassium (6% daily value)
How to eat Greek yogurt
1. Swap it for sour cream
If you put sour cream and Greek yogurt in a side-by-side blind taste test, you wouldn’t be able to taste the difference. The tartness of the Greek yogurt goes really well on tacos or any dish that you is traditionally topped with sour cream. Try it on:
- Chili Honey Lime Butternut Squash Tacos
- Slow-Cooker Vegan Tacos with California Walnuts
- Zucchini & Lentil Tacos with Radish Salsa
- Moroccan Lentil Soup
2. Freeze it and make a yogurt bark
The creaminess of Greek yogurt is great for desserts. Higher fat Greek yogurts that are made with whole milk freeze really well. You can also freeze low-fat Greek yogurt, but it will crystallize and become more icy than the low-fat version.
To make a frozen Greek yogurt bark, combine whole milk yogurt, sweetener and flavoring (like cocoa powder or peanut butter) and top it with fruit, nuts, seeds, chocolate chips or shredded coconut.
Grab the recipes for Chocolate Covered Strawberry Yogurt Bark and Peanut Butter Berry Yogurt Bark here.
3. Top a spicy dish with Greek yogurt
Your inclination may be to reach for a glass of water when you eat spicy foods. But believe it or not, dairy actually counteracts the feeling of heat in your mouth. To balance out the spiciness of a dish, top it with a dollop of Greek yogurt.
4. Replace the mayo in chickpea salad
Greek yogurt makes a healthier stand-in for fatty mayo. Whether you hate the taste or texture of mayo or just want to reduce calories or amp up the protein, turn to Greek yogurt instead.
This Chickpea Salad Sandwich combine chickpeas, apples and veggies with a combination of Greek yogurt, cottage cheese and lemon juice.
5. Whip up a dressing
Rather than use sour cream or heavy cream to make a velvety dressing for a healthy bowl, I opt for Greek yogurt. It’s the perfect base for creamy dressings to top a grain and veggie bowl.
Add some flavor and moisture to your grain bowls with a yogurt based dressing in these recipes:
6. Bake with it
For baked recipes that call for sour cream, like pound cake or coffee cake, you can sub in Greek yogurt without any difference in taste. Greek yogurt can also replace buttermilk, but you’ll need to think out the consistency.
Read more about using Greek yogurt in baked goods and grab some recipes here.
7. Make tzatziki
Tzatziki is a yogurt-based Mediterranean dip. It’s made with strained yogurt, chopped cucumbers, lemon juice and herbs, like dill and parsley. It’s a delicious accompaniment to crudité or makes a really nice spread on a veggie sandwich. Here’s a super simple recipe for tzatziki.
8. Add it to a smoothie
Okay, I know this suggestion is obvious, but hear me out! Plain Greek yogurt is a fantastic addition to a post-workout recovery smoothie. Ditch the protein powder and combine Greek yogurt with a tasty assortment of fruits and a liquid of choice (coconut water, water or milk).
Here are some of my favorite smoothie recipes with Greek yogurt:
9. Add creaminess to a soup
Creamy soups often call for butter or heavy cream. Ditch the saturated fat and use healthier Greek yogurt instead. You can substitute Greek yogurt into a soup recipe in place of sour cream in a 1:1 ratio. If the recipe calls for heavy cream, thin out the Greek yogurt until it’s a liquid consistency, then use it in place of the heavy cream in a 1:1 ratio.
Try Greek yogurt in this lightened up Corn Chowder recipe.
10. Spread it on toast
Change up your savory toast routine with Greek yogurt. Swap out cream cheese and spread Greek yogurt on toast or a bagel. Then top it with your choice of:
- fruit
- homemade chia seed jam
- seeds
- chopped nuts
- nut buter
- chocolate chips
- shredded coconut
11. Make a creamy dip
Greek yogurt is the perfect base for a creamy dip. Just like the other recipes, sub in Greek yogurt for any dip that calls for Greek yogurt. Or make a sweet dessert dip, like Blueberry Cheesecake Dip with Greek yogurt.
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