Monday, April 13, 2009

Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt Review

I'm a big fan of Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is thicker, creamier and richer than regular yogurt. That's not even the best part! It has more than twice the protein of regular yogurt and is lower in sugar and lactose.

The higher protein content will help you feel full for a longer time! Like regular yogurt, Greek yogurt also contains live cultures (probiotics) for healthy digestion.

Why is Greek Yogurt Different Than Regular Yogurt?

Greek yogurt is strained to remove the whey (the liquid), giving it a thick and dense texture. You won't see liquid on top of Greek yogurt when you pull off the lid. Also, Greek yogurt can stay fresher longer since the whey is removed! Greek yogurt contains less carbohydrates than regular yogurt and therefore contains less lactose.

*Make sure to select low fat and non fat varieties of Greek yogurt. There are full fat versions out there that contain a significant amount of fat!

Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt



I use Stonyfield Farm Organic Yogurt often, but I haven't had the opportunity to try Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt. Recently, I was approached by the nice people at Stonyfield Farm. They sent me some coupons so I could try their Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt. Thank you Stonyfield Farm!

Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt is made by the world's leading organic yogurt-maker, Stonyfield Farm, in partnership with Euphrates, makers of authentic old-world foods.

Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt has 0% fat and twice the protein of regular yogurt.

Here is what Stonyfield Farm's website says about Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt:

Called “yiaourti” in Greece, Greek yogurt is creamier than regular yogurt. Authentic Greek yogurt like ours owes its extra creaminess to a centuries-old straining process that removes the whey (liquid) from the yogurt.

For hundreds of years, Greeks have prized strained yogurt for its richness and creaminess, and because it makes a wonderful cooking ingredient that’s less likely to curdle when heated. Before the time of mechanical refrigeration, Greeks also knew that yogurt stayed fresh longer with the liquid strained off. Today we know that straining makes Greek yogurt richer in protein than regular yogurt, and lower in lactose.



Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt is also different from other Greek yogurt products because it's organic! Stonyfield Farm makes it clear that Oikos is made from organic milk produced without the use of toxic persistent pesticides, chemical fertilizers, antibiotics, or artificial growth hormones (rBST). You can find more information about organic farming from the Stonyfield website: http://www.oikosorganic.com/WhatIsOrganic/

Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt is Versatile

You can use Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt in many recipes!

Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt can be used as a healthy cooking ingredient in a variety of recipes. Since Oikos is strained, it is thicker than regular yogurt and more versatile in recipes. You can use Plain Oikos to make fat free dressing, spreads, creamy dips, fat free desserts, delicious smoothies and more.

Oikos is a great substitute for mayonnaise, cream, sour cream, cream cheese or ricotta cheese. Oikos is less likely to curdle when heated since the whey is removed. Try some plain Oikos on your baked potato or use it on a sandwich instead of mayonnaise.

My Review of Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt

Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt comes in Plain, Honey, Vanilla and Blueberry. I only found Vanilla Oikos at Whole Foods. I was lucky to find Plain and Honey a couple days ago at another store close to my house. I'm still looking around for Blueberry Oikos. The suggested retail price is $1.99, but each 5.3 oz container at Whole Foods was over $2.00. Oikos is a little expensive, but it costs more to produce organic food.

If you're concerned about the sugar content, then Oikos Organic Plain Greek Yogurt is your best choice. You can add fresh fruit or nuts for extra nutrients and flavor. I added some honey and walnuts to my Plain Oikos and it was delicious! It is a bit tangy (which I like) and especially thick and creamy for nonfat yogurt! I definitely recommend it.


Oikos 5.3 oz Plain: 90 calories, 0 grams fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 60 mg sodium, 6 grams sugar and 15 grams of protein.

Oikos Organic Honey Greek yogurt is also thick and creamy with a subtle honey flavor. I was surprised to find honey at the bottom of the container! I didn't realize it until I was almost done. Yummy!


Oikos 5.3 oz Honey: 120 calories, 0 grams fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 50 mg sodium, 17 grams sugar and 13 grams of protein.

Oikos Organic Vanilla Greek yogurt has a gentle vanilla flavor and is thick and creamy. However, it is a little too sweet for me. I expected the honey yogurt to be sweet, but I'd like to see the vanilla yogurt have less sugar. It's still pretty tasty though.


Oikos 5.3 oz Vanilla: 110 calories, 0 grams fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 60 mg sodium, 11 grams sugar and 15 grams of protein.

I still would love to try Oikos Organic Blueberry Greek yogurt! For now, I'll just add fresh blueberries to my plain Oikos!

Oikos 5.3 oz Blueberry: 120 calories, 0 grams fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 70 mg sodium, 15 grams sugar and 13 grams of protein.

Conclusion

Oikos Organic Plain Greek Yogurt was my favorite followed by Oikos Organic Honey Greek Yogurt. I liked plain the best because I prefer adding my own ingredients like fresh fruit, honey or agave syrup, nuts or low fat granola. All the flavors are very thick and creamy. I was satisfied and remained full for a few hours after having Oikos.

Benefits of Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt

  • Low in calories (120 calories or less per serving)
  • 0 grams fat
  • High in protein (13-15 grams of protein per 5.3 ounce serving)
  • Certified Organic
  • No artificial sweeteners, flavors or colors
  • Higher in calcium than other brands of Greek yogurt
  • Contains probiotics for a healthy digestive system
  • Thick and creamy
  • Can be used in various recipes and won't curdle easily
  • Delicious!

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5 comments:

mchl said...

now i want a yogurt parfait...

-michael

Anonymous said...

I don't think Oikos is gluten free. I ate it for a few weeks and started to suffer the symptoms that I have when I consume gluten. I stopped eating the Oikos and the symptoms went away. I switched to Fage greek-strained yogurt and am doing fine. Fage claims on their label that they are gluten free. There is probably a good reason why Oikos cannot put gluten free on their label.

Bonniejean said...

I just tried Oikos for the first time and enjoyed it. I have to say the honey is actually very sweet and has a strong honey flavor if you mix it together at the beginning.

The blueberry is tasty also!

Anonymous said...

RE: gluten -- I found this on the Oikos web-site:

"We make our authentic Greek yogurt with a centuries-old straining method that removes the whey (liquid) from the yogurt. Called yiaourti in Greece, Greek yogurt is thicker and creamier than regular yogurt, and its production requires about three times the milk used to make regular yogurt."

I would think this "yiaourti" process would remove a lot, but not all, the gluten, therefore making it not a gluten-free product.

Kelby said...

Agreed. I stick to a gluten free diet as well. I generally purchase Chobani (SP?) but they were sold out so I purchased oikos. IT is the only thing I changed in my diet. GLUTENED.