5 ideas for using yogurt

Yogurt has taken over the dairy aisle, and we’re okay with that. Because in addition to being a high-protein, high-calcium breakfast, it can be used in everything from savory marinades to salad dressings to sweet homemade frozen yogurt.

Chobani is a good choice since it only uses natural ingredients and doesn’t contain preservatives. Whichever brand you choose, just remember that Greek yogurt will be thicker and contain more protein than regular yogurt.

Breakfast

The trick to making a breakfast that keeps you full until lunch is simple: Pair protein with fiber and a little bit of fat. For example, Greek yogurt is high in protein, berries are high in fiber, and nut butter is rich with unsaturated fat. And they just happen to be delicious when mixed together in parfaits or smoothies.

Marinades

Use yogurt to marinate chicken. Not only does it contain enzymes that help tenderize meat, plain yogurt also has less sugar than most marinades, which tend to burn on the grill. Here’s a quick recipe that works for 1 to 1½ pounds of chicken: Mix together 1 cup of Chobani plain Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 minced garlic cloves, salt, pepper and any fresh herbs you like. Allow the chicken to marinate in the mixture for at least 30 minutes, but preferably overnight, before grilling.

Mayo Substitute

So you love potato salad and pasta salad but want a lighter version? Use yogurt instead of mayonnaise. You get the same tang for your buck, without the extra fat. It also works well for chicken salad or egg salad.

Frozen Yogurt

Flavored Greek yogurts make delicious desserts, especially when they’re frozen. Two of our favorite ways to do this are to make frozen yogurt bark or frozen yogurt pops. For the bark, spread two containers (5.3 ounces each) of flavored Greek yogurt on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Then top with fresh berries and whole grain cereal and freeze for at least four hours. Once frozen, break the bark into large pieces and serve. To make frozen yogurt pops, mix 1 1/2 cups of flavored Greek yogurt with 1/2 cup coconut milk. Pour the mixture into molds with a stick in the center of each and freeze for at least four hours.

Baking

If you’ve ever made a French Yogurt Cake, then you know how delicious yogurt can be in baked goods. It adds a rich tanginess similar to buttermilk. In fact, yogurt works as a substitution for buttermilk, sour cream, and sometimes heavy cream in many recipes. Plus, the acidity of yogurt helps activate baking soda in cakes and quick breads. You can also use yogurt to replace some of the oil in a recipe. A good rule of thumb is to swap out 1/2 the oil and replace it with 3/4 the amount of yogurt. So, if your recipe calls for one cup of oil, use half cup of oil and 3/4 cup of yogurt.