It’s a Yogurt Experiment

Geesh! My foot was so sore today!   I thought running caused bottom of the foot problems but I seem to have a top of the foot problem.  It’s so achy but there is no swelling and no bruise.  Fingers crossed that this will be another one of those pains that just goes away as quick as it came on.  I keep putting BioFreeze on it. UGG!

This morning I made the BEST oatmeal.  It was 1/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut + 1/2 tsp cinnamon + 1 TBS mixed raisins and dried blueberries + 1/2 split vanilla bean + lots of water.  That vanilla made the kitchen smell so good. 

Although the flavor was rich and luscious, I wouldn’t recommend spending the $10.00 for 2 beans.  I’m going to rinse the used bean off, let it dry and see if it will impart some flavor in tomorrows oats as well. Those beans are like GOLD!  So expensive.

Do you have a favorite yogurt?  Do you even like yogurt? 

This is an interesting fact that a friend of our family told me about this past week:

Approximately 15% of the population are known as “thiourea tasters”.  This group can taste the compound thiourea. 

“A specific taste receptor determines why some people can taste bitterness in certain foods and some can’t. A specific gene, TAS2R38, produces different versions of the TAS2R38 taste receptor. “Tasters” have a version of the TAS2R38 taste receptor that can detect thiourea compounds and “non-tasters” have a version of the receptor that can’t.”  Source: Precision Nutrition

For some of the Thiourea group, the strong taste of lactic acid in yogurt is a real turn off unless it is well sweetened with artificial sugars. 

I love yogurt. My favorite is the Greek 0% fat plain.  I enjoy adding my own almonds or other nuts plus Craisins or raisins to flavor it.   However, as I posted back at the beginning of the month, I snagged 4 flavors of Chobani that I had never tried.  I did  a taste test and these are the results.

Chobani Pineapple Low Fat

Even though I mixed in my own nuts and raisins, I didn’t like this flavor.  It was like fruit jelly on the bottom.  It was too sweet and the texture didn’t work for me. It was like a gelatinous yogurt.  *Ted LOVED this flavor.

160 calories. 2.5 g fat. 21 g carbohydrates. 18g sugar. 13 g protein.

Chobani Strawberry Banana

Good taste and not as sweet.   The texture was still soupy-jelly-slimy. Sounds great doesn’t it?!

Ted is eating these flavors like candy. He is not even a huge fan of yogurt… that is until now.

160 calories. 3 g fat. 19g carbohydrates.  17g sugars.  14 g protein.

Chobani Pomegranate

When I picked this flavor up at the EXPO, the young lady behind the table said it had the seeds in it. Maybe she was suggesting that it isn’t the most popular because it had seeds? I’m not sure.  It was kind of  gritty but the flavor was excellent.  Still, that gelatin texture.  🙁

140 calories.  0% fat. 21g Carbohydrates. 19g sugar. 14 g protein.

Chobani Raspberry

This was the best so far. The flavor was really good.  It was sweet and tart from the raspberry flavor.  Do I need to mention the texture?!!!!

140 calories. 0% fat. 22g carbohydrates.  19g sugar. 14 g protein.

Following this tasting experiment, I received this:

That’s a lot of CHOBANI!   I can’t wait to try the blueberry, the strawberry  (Ted  swiped it before I could get at it), the PEACH  🙂  , and to compare the Low Fat plain to the Non fat plain.  The later being my favorite.

For more information on the benefits of eating yogurt, see my EXAMINER article.

Raspberry Chobani Pancakes – Based on Bob’s Red Mill Blueberry-Yogurt Pancake recipe.

• 1 cup whole wheat flour (I used white whole wheat flour)
• 1/2 tsp Baking soda
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 cup reduced fat milk (I used Lactaid Reduced Fat milk because Ted digests the Lactaid better than regular milk. Plus it was all I had.)
• 6 oz Chobani Raspberry Non Fat Yogurt – fruit on the bottom.

NOTE:  These are “over night pancakes” because I mixed up the batter at night then cooked the pancakes the following morning.  The result:  FANTASTIC and it saves time!

Mix dry ingredients together then make a well in the center.  Add the egg, milk, and yogurt and stir all together. Mix well.

Heat a greased grill pan on medium high and let cook first side until bubbles form on the top. Flip and cook about a  minute or two more until brown on the bottom.

I heated about 1/4 cup of frozen raspberries, added 1/2 tsp orange zest and 2 tsp 100% Maple syrup to top the cakes.  Add a dollop of yogurt.

Enjoy!

Joanne