the sweet peeps at chobani recently sent a wagon load ‘o greek yogurt to fitlosophy headquarters, unleashing a fury of of cho-literations including but not limited to: CHOrific, CHOliciousness, CHOtreat, and of course a CHO-cheer that can only truly be appreciated by has-been cheerleaders: “go go go – go CHO!”  after the greek-citement settled, we divvied up the goods and got busy pulling together our go-to greek recipes + fave ways to sub-in this high-protein, low-cal dairy darlin’.

i must clarify: all greeks are not created equally (healthy). some greek yogurts are just sugar bombs disguised in a pretty plastic container. certain not-to-be-named varieties of greek yogurt don’t have nearly as much protein per serving, are jam-packed with added sugars, and have enough fat to make a snickers bar look skinny. so before i give you my recipe round up, here’s my top tips for going greek:

be a label looker: when grocery shopping, take a peek at the nutrition label – those who do weigh an avg of 9lbs less! tip: compare labels side-by-side and make sure to look at the servings size so you’re comparing apples-to-apples. or shall i say, greek-to-greek?

zero hero: personally, i opt for non-fat greeks. no offense to the low-CHO, but i’d rather save 30 calories + 3.5g of fat by opting for the non-fat plain that (to me) tastes the same. (that rhymed)  but if you do go low (fat), go CHO: other brands of 6oz single serving greeks tout a whoppin’ 250cals + 14g fat!  tip: top a bowl o’ greek with bananas, walnuts, cinnamon + stevia for a sweet, clean treat.

go pro: what i love about the cho? high protein. other varieties have about 6-8g protein per 6oz single serving. chobani? 12-18g. (wowza) another “pro”? pro-biotics: they pack in 3 varieties of live + active cultures which aid in digestion. did you know: this is why greek yogurt is the one dairy that those with lactose intolerance can, well, tolerate? tip: add 1/4c greek yogurt to your next smoothie for a protein-packed, creamy consistency.

shake the shuga: hands down, chobani has the most luscious line of flavors. and still, i avoid fruit-on-the-bottom yogurts (19g sugar) + just choose to add fruit to the non-fat plain (7g sugar). but when i crave some flava i opt for BITES: 100cals, 8g protein + just 12g sugar. my motto: enjoy all things (in moderation).  my absolute FAVE: coffee w/dark chocolate chips, but i must know, CHO: where is this mint chocolate chip that you speak of? i must give it a go, CHO! tip: freeze BITES overnight, use in your lunch bag the next day as an ice-pack to keep your food cool, and by the time your CHO-craving hits? it’s the perfect frozen frothiness.

sub it: greek yogurt is by far the sneakiest ingredient in my healthy repertoire. just a few ways i sneak it: use in place of mayo when making egg or tuna salad, add a dollop to your turkey chili or healthify tex-mex foods with it in place of sour cream, or sub-in for butter/oil when baking! 

now, for my recipe round-up: download each of my pretty, pinnable greek-inspired recipes below and get cookin’!  [click each image to view larger on pinterest]

and finally, my latest CHO-concoction:

greek oatmeal chocolate chippers
[work in progress - let me know what you think!]

1 cup almond flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup sucanat (tastes like brown sugar but is natural!)
1 egg
3 tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp coconut oil
½ cup non-fat plain greek yogurt
1 cup whole grain oats
½ cup mini dark chocolate chips

1. preheat oven at 350º.
2. combine almond flour, baking soda, salt, and sucanat in a large mixing bowl + set aside.
3. mix egg, water, vanilla, coconut oil + greek yogurt in a small bowl, then add to dry ingredients in the large bowl.  using a hand mixer, blend all ingredients on low speed.
4. fold in the oats + chocolate chips…mix well.
5. drop teaspoons of dough on a baking sheet lined with foil + bake 8-9 minutes until golden brown. let the lil’ cookies cool – then enjoy!

(makes 20 little chippers)
nutrients per chipper: 95cals, 3.4g fat, 11g sugar, 1.5g fiber, 1.6g protein

go greek or go CHO!
angela