Acquiring a taste for plain greek yogurt

[Night Elf]

It tastes bitter to me, like sour milk. That's why I buy flavored yogurt. I did try to buy plain and add a little maple syrup but that didn't help. Would it help if I added fruit and nuts? I feel like it won't. I need protein though and yogurt is a favorite snack.

[Hilltopmom]

It’s sugar you need to add ?

i like sugar (I know,I know... but it’s too sour without it for me), fruit, granola in mine

[umsami]

Fruit can make a big difference.  Berries are my favorite.  Some people will add a swirl of jam instead of sugar or maple syrup.  Could try honey or agave if you are open to those... Swerve as well. 

[Ali in OR]

I find the Fage brand better tasting than others I've tried. It is absolutely delicious with some frozen blueberries and maybe a little granola.

[Carol in Cal.]

I find the sourness refreshing.

It's a nice contrast with some blueberries or strawberry slices and granola mixed in.  

[regentrude]

I don't like plain greek yoghurt, but I LOVE it with fruit. Makes all the difference. Blueberries, strawberries, peaches, mango - anything that's juicy and soft (not apples). And it's SO much better than the flavored stuff.

[EmilyGF]

Dittoing the fruit.

I eat mine with a banana and a cup of berries. I buy berries in the big 10-lb frozen bags and then defrost a cup of them before dumping on the yogurt.

I also like yogurt with garlic and salt. I dip cucumbers in it. 

Emily

[WendyLady]

I'm not a huge fan of Greek Yogurt, it is too bitter and sort of dry for me.

I really like Skyr or other Icelandic Style yogurt - it is higher in protein, lower in sugar, and I like the texture better.  Siggies is another brand that I can find at Safeway;  I'm still not a huge fan of plain yogurt unless it is in a smoothie, but I do have an occasional Skyr yogurt with fruit!  Yum!!

[2ndGenHomeschooler]

I love full fat plain Greek yogurt with fruit added. Full fat is creamier and less dry than non or low fat and a little sweeter, I think. I like Aldi brand. I add fruit - usually chopped apple. It’s one of my go-to breakfasts and snacks.

[Scarlett]

Fruit, nuts and granola.  If I don't have enough sweet fruit I drizzle a little honey....but honestly it just takes a little getting used to.  Now the sweet stuff tastes sickly sweet to me.

[mmasc]

I do think you can possibly acquire a taste for it. I did, sort of. I’m not going to eat it JUST plain, but I do like it now with a bit of honey, frozen banana slices, and a few chopped walnuts. I like the Fage brand best, usually the 2% or full fat. I don’t care for the 0%. 

If you’re just looking for protein, why not a pre-made protein drink? My DH buys the ones they sell at Sam’s. They aren’t yummy, but much easier to chug down than any powders we’ve tried. Probably easier to drink than eating yogurt that you don’t like. 

[ktgrok]

Siggies is a GREAT compromise. Less sugar than most yogurts (like, about the same as the ones with artificial sweeteners, but it doesn't have any), lots of protein, nothing weird or artificial, but sweeter than plain yogurt. 

[ktgrok]

Also, different brands taste VERY different. Some are much more tangy than others. 

[marbel]

For me it depends on the brand. Some are too tangy, some have a sort of weird vegetal taste to them, and some are great.  Generally I try to make my own.  

Fruit, nuts, oats, granola, grape nuts... all those things can enhance the flavor. You can experiment to see what tastes good with it.  Oh, I do not bother with nonfat; that stuff to me tastes like chalk. Full-fat is best. 

[lavender's green]

I am really open to all sorts of flavors and textures, but I struggle with Greek yogurt. I've tried again and again to like it, but for me it's like trying to eat a cup of sour cream.

Just thinking out loud... does it have to be Greek? If you're going to load it with sugar to help the flavor, maybe it would be better to just eat more regular yogurt to get the same level of protein? Or what if you strained some regular yogurt by yourself? It may taste better than what a factory can do. I'd imagine it just involves putting some yogurt in a few layers of cheese cloth and letting it hang from something like your kitchen faucet or a cupboard knob. (Don't take my word for it, though. Find a recipe!)

But to actually answer your question: my favorite way to cut yogurt is to add canned pumpkin and a little spice. Or if you like regular oatmeal, I think it plays really well with yogurt - the sour of the yogurt cuts through the heaviness of the oatmeal. Or all three together. That was my breakfast a couple days ago. ?

 

 

[marbel]

1 minute ago, lavender's green said:

I am really open to all sorts of flavors and textures, but I struggle with Greek yogurt. I've tried again and again to like it, but for me it's like trying to eat a cup of sour cream.

Just thinking out loud... does it have to be Greek? If you're going to load it with sugar to help the flavor, maybe it would be better to just eat more regular yogurt to get the same level of protein? Or what if you strained some regular yogurt by yourself? It may taste better than what a factory can do. I'd imagine it just involves putting some yogurt in a few layers of cheese cloth and letting it hang from something like your kitchen faucet or a cupboard knob. (Don't take my word for it, though. Find a recipe!)

But to actually answer your question: my favorite way to cut yogurt is to add canned pumpkin and a little spice. Or if you like regular oatmeal, I think it plays really well with yogurt - the sour of the yogurt cuts through the heaviness of the oatmeal. Or all three together. That was my breakfast a couple days ago. ?

 

 

When I make yogurt, I strain it to make it thicker (Greek style). I just put a coffee filter in a strainer set over a bowl, fill it with yogurt, and put it in the fridge overnight or for several hours. It's very simple to do.  The method you describe is probably better for getting a very thick yogurt (labneh, even?) but I don't generally want it that thick because at that point it does taste like sour cream to me. 

There is a brand sold here that my husband loves but is too thick and rich for me. So it definitely varies by brand.

[Night Elf]

I've only tried Chobani plain yogurt, full fat. I like the idea of adding berries and nuts/seeds. I just need them to mask that sour taste. The maple syrup didn't do it and I didn't want to add so much as to make it like the flavored yogurt I buy. 

I bought a protein powder that my dd's boyfriend recommended. I liked it best with milk and bananas but it wasn't my favorite. I think I'd like to try doctoring some plain yogurt first to see if I can find something I like.

However, I did find a new yogurt I love. It's Brown Cow whole milk Maple flavor. During the holidays, Chobani had maple but it was stopped when the holidays were over. So when I saw that Brown Cow brand I was so excited! For that, I'm willing to eat some flavored yogurt!

[Katy]

Vanilla, sweetener, and fruit.

[lavender's green]

32 minutes ago, marbel said:

When I make yogurt, I strain it to make it thicker (Greek style). I just put a coffee filter in a strainer set over a bowl, fill it with yogurt, and put it in the fridge overnight or for several hours. It's very simple to do.  The method you describe is probably better for getting a very thick yogurt (labneh, even?) but I don't generally want it that thick because at that point it does taste like sour cream to me. 

There is a brand sold here that my husband loves but is too thick and rich for me. So it definitely varies by brand.

Good to know!

DH and I dabble in cheese-making, so I was making an educated guess at it. If I ever feel like trying it I'll do it your way!

[TechWife]

I can't eat Greek yogurt. It's a texture thing for me. It's way too thick. I've added fruit, nuts, granola, honey. Nope, can't do it. I search around the grocery store until I find my regular Dannon or Stoneybrook, which, sadly, is getting harder to find.

[marbel]

6 minutes ago, lavender's green said:

Good to know!

DH and I dabble in cheese-making, so I was making an educated guess at it. If I ever feel like trying it I'll do it your way!

Oh and this is way off topic, but I save the drained whey sometimes and use it when I bake whole wheat bread.  

[AmandaVT]

DH has been on a yogurt making kick with our Instantpot and it makes the yummiest yogurt. Just the right amount of tang - he strains it in the fridge for a bit to get it thicker, close to Greek. 

I agree w/ PP, the Icelandic style is good - more protein, less sugar. I've had a key lime one that I love. 

I think it's a lot of retraining the taste buds to not expect sweetness. I used to be a yoplait person and have slowly weaned myself to plain greek or the Icelandic for a treat.

[edelweiss]

I have tried again and again to like Greek yogurt.  I just can't get used to the texture.  Yuck! It doesn't matter what I put in the yogurt, I just can't make myself like it.

[Elfknitter.#]

1 hour ago, WendyLady said:

I'm not a huge fan of Greek Yogurt, it is too bitter and sort of dry for me.

I really like Skyr or other Icelandic Style yogurt - it is higher in protein, lower in sugar, and I like the texture better.  Siggies is another brand that I can find at Safeway;  I'm still not a huge fan of plain yogurt unless it is in a smoothie, but I do have an occasional Skyr yogurt with fruit!  Yum!!

Greek is ok, but Skyr is much better. I prefer Icelandic to Siggi's.

I like to change it up- a tablespoon of jam and berries, 1/4 cup of granola and honey or maple syrup. I found over time it grew on me. I find yogurts with more than 12-14g of sugar to be disgustingly too sweet.

[regentrude]

1 hour ago, Night Elf said:

However, I did find a new yogurt I love. It's Brown Cow whole milk Maple flavor. During the holidays, Chobani had maple but it was stopped when the holidays were over. So when I saw that Brown Cow brand I was so excited! For that, I'm willing to eat some flavored yogurt!

Brown Cow is amazing, and the maple one is the best!

[City Mouse]

I like to use it in place of sour cream. I mix it 50/50 with salsa to make a great dip or topping for baked potatoes 

[gardenmom5]

all greek yogurt is not created equal.  some are more bitter than others.

I have simply added frozen berries.   I've even added raw oats - let is set for 10 minutes.

[Ali in OR]

Also I don't use a ton. Maybe 2 Tbs. yogurt with 1/4 cup frozen blueberries is plenty.

[Annie G]

I’ve tried many kinds many times. I do not like it, Sam I am. 

[teachermom2834]

I do like it plain but I absolutely love it with fruit and granola. 

I wake up in the morning and one of the first things my mind goes to is my yogurt with fruit and granola. Yum. 

I buy the Aldi brand yogurt. (Actually my frozen berries and granola are from there too. They usually have a good variety of granola so I try different varieties. 

[EmseB]

plain yogurt with a couple teaspoons of brown sugar and blueberries is my favorite combo.

[FriedClams]

I have overnight oats every day. I use 1/2 cup Fage non fat unsweetened yogurt, 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1/3 cup old fashioned oats, and 1 t chia seeds. Stir. Top with 1 cup frozen blueberries and stick in the fridge overnight. In the morning stir and eat. Yum!!! I will say, Kroger's private selection (and cheap) frozen blueberries are SO SWEET and delicious. 

[SquirrellyMama]

I like Fage plain yogurt with mixed berries, and salted almond pieces. I use frozen mixed berries from Sam's.

Kelly

[KatieJ]

I Mix  PB2 into  it. ( peanut butter powder)  Fage brand is my current favorite. 

[happi duck]

Preferences are so different!  I love the tang and the texture!

 

[Amira]

I make plain yogurt and I love several Turkish brands of labnah, but I’ve never been a fan of any brand of Greek-style yogurt I’ve tried in the US. I suspect that is mostly because I prefer whole milk yogurt and skim milk yogurt always tastes a bit off to me, strained or not.

As for the tang, I incubate my yogurt as long as possible so it has plenty of flavor.  I rarely eat it sweetened, although I do love it sweetened with vanilla sugar and topped with homemade granola. Yogurt is more traditionally used in savory dishes rather than as a sweet treat so there are plenty of ways to eat it without sweetening it.  A simple favorite here is strained whole milk yogurt topped with zaatar and eaten with flatbread.

[Katy]

Before "Greek Yogurt" was a marketed thing, "Strained Plain Fat-Free Yogurt" was touted as a great diet substitute for sour cream.  So I can't think of why there is any need at all to learn to love it plain the same way it's easy to love when mixed with fruit, vanilla, and sweetener. It tastes like sour cream, which no one would feel the urge to eat alone by the spoonful.

[Night Elf]

9 minutes ago, Katy said:

Before "Greek Yogurt" was a marketed thing, "Strained Plain Fat-Free Yogurt" was touted as a great diet substitute for sour cream.  So I can't think of why there is any need at all to learn to love it plain the same way it's easy to love when mixed with fruit, vanilla, and sweetener. It tastes like sour cream, which no one would feel the urge to eat alone by the spoonful.

Greek yogurt is high in protein.

[Katy]

1 minute ago, Night Elf said:

Greek yogurt is high in protein.

 

This is true, but first it's not difficult to get enough protein. And two, the protein content doesn't diminish when you mix in vanilla extract and some strawberry all-fruit.  It isn't more virtuous to eat it plain if you don't like it plain.

[ktgrok]

17 minutes ago, Katy said:

It tastes like sour cream, which no one would feel the urge to eat alone by the spoonful.

Um, speak for yourself. 

Cream in all it's many forms is delicious. Sour cream, heavy cream, whipped cream...I love them alll differently but equally, lol. I don't usually eat sour cream with a spoon because calories, but if I could, I would. I certainly lick the spoon when dishing it out onto tacos, tortilla chips, potatoes, EVERYTHING. Yum. 

[Night Elf]

5 minutes ago, Katy said:

 

This is true, but first it's not difficult to get enough protein. And two, the protein content doesn't diminish when you mix in vanilla extract and some strawberry all-fruit.  It isn't more virtuous to eat it plain if you don't like it plain.

In my world it is. I have trouble getting enough protein because I'm not a big eater and I tend to stay away from high calorie foods unless I'm really craving something. And there is some misunderstanding. I"m not trying to like only plain yogurt. I started this thread with the idea of finding out what to put in the plain yogurt to make it palatable. I don't know what kind of sugar is added to flavored yogurt but my favorite yogurts have an average of 18 g of sugar. I just feel I can do better than that.

[KungFuPanda]

I think the Icelandic yogurt with fruit and a little sugar is much more sour than the Indian yogurt plain. I think the fat content helps. My Indian yogurt is full fat and dds Icelandic stuff is zero fat. It’s much creamier and doesn’t have that spackle texture. I buy it in half gallon tubs at Costco. 

[milovany]

Yogurt is really easy to make so maybe give that a try.  You can control the amount of tang that way (the longer it incubates, the sourer it gets). After trying several methods over the years, it's become a very simple process for me.  All I do is put 1/4 to 1/3 cup starter into four quart jars (I do store-buy this; whole fat plain Greek yogurt), and then heat a gallon of milk to 185 or so on the stove, cooling it to 118 or so in water in the sink and then pouring it into the jars over the starter yogurt.  Do not stir!  Stirring somehow makes for a runnier yogurt.  I get thicker yogurt throughout the jar by not stirring -- I can take out a forkful when done that will sit there, not dripping at all. Incubate for about eight hours for the least sour yogurt you can get.  I'm not saying it won't be sour at all, but less sour.  I've learned to like the sour but I do like to add sliced banana to it.  I use our dehydrator with trays removed to incubate, but there are other googleable ways.

[katilac]

If you're okay with sucralose, an easy protein alternative is Atkins shakes. I really only like the dark chocolate royale, but I LOVE that one. 15 grams of protein, 6 carb (1 sugar), 4 fiber. I  like it super cold, either over ice or blended with some ice for more of a smoothie texture. 

Also, your protein powder experience will be vastly improved by using an immersion blender and some ice. And peanut butter or peanut butter powder (blends more easily) if you like it. 

[Momto6inIN]

I like the Oikos brand much better than Chobani and I get the vanilla kind which still has all the protein but not a lot more carbs than the plain. It made a HUGE difference!

[Kebo]

If you have a Trader Joe's nearby, we find the whole milk/full fat Greek yogurt in the blue and white container very mild.  My kids prefer it with a drizzle of honey, but it's quite easy to eat plain.  

[Scarlett]

2 hours ago, Momto5inIN said:

I like the Oikos brand much better than Chobani and I get the vanilla kind which still has all the protein but not a lot more carbs than the plain. It made a HUGE difference!

But the vanilla has a lot of sugar right?

[Momto6inIN]

1 hour ago, Scarlett said:

But the vanilla has a lot of sugar right?

The Oikos Triple Zero has 8 grams of sugar/cup. I don't know if that counts as a lot, but it's worth it to me not to eat plain yogurt ?

[Ravin]

I will second a suggestion to try skyr. Siggis flavored varieties have a lot less sugar than any of the flavored greek yogurts I've seen (other than the artificially sweetened ones).

I like greek yogurt with:

peanut butter and strawberries (natural peanut butter)

peanut butter and banana

banana

blueberries (thawed from frozen usually)

mango

peaches

Regardless of fruit, almost always with granola.

If the fruits aren't particularly juicy/squishy, I'll add a tiny bit of maple syrup, jam, or honey, but the added sugar ends up being much less than what's in the flavored varieties.

[skimomma]

I like my yogurt plain, with no sweetener.  But I prefer savory foods over sweet naturally so that is no surprise.  It might help to change your expectations that yogurt is not a "sweet" food?

Growing up, my mom always mixed applesauce and plain (homemade) yogurt for snacks.  We never had store-bought flavored yogurt, mostly because it was too expensive.  That might be a good in-between step?