We eat yogurt all the time.

If you have a really good blender, try blending the yogurt with fresh berries, cranberry juice, some agave syrup and ice for a smoothie.

I also like yogurt with blueberries and granola mixed in. The more berries the better in my book.

I love yogurt and my favorite, also, are any kind of berries and also peaches.
You might want to try a couple different brands. There are a couple of brands that I don't care for at all, so that may be one reason you don't like it.

What brand of yoghurt? Because I find different varieties can taste very different; Dannon, Brown Cow & Nancy's are quite acidic tasting & Stonyfield is the least, IMPE. And their whole milk plain yoghurt has cream on top - yum!

Edited to add: forgot to mention that if you don't want to eat leftover plain yoghurt as-is, you can use it up in recipes calling for buttermilk, like ranch dressing &/or baking & pancakes.

This post was edited by carolb_w_fl on Sat, Jan 31, 15 at 12:50

What is it about the yoghurt that you don't like? If we knew that, it would be easier to make suggestions.
I particularly like a brand of Greek yoghurt we have here which is naturally sweet and very thick and creamy. It is totally different from regular yoghurt which is thin and a bit sharp tasting/ So as Shadylady points out, brand and type makes a big difference.

Also check out Greek yogurt which I find much less acidic that regular yogurt.

One of my favorite summer breakfasts is to mix old-fashioned oats with yogurt and fruit with juice and a bit of cinnamon at bedtime and leave it in the refrigerator overnight. Eaten cold at breakfast is almost like dessert.

Try drizzling some honey on it. Delicious, especially greek yogurt

You don't have to eat it if you don't like it. :)

Full-fat Greek yogurt is the most palatable plain yogurt to me but all the fat seems to defeat the purpose of yogurt. It seems to get more tart the less fatty, but maybe that's just the brands I've tried.

Try it with some good salsa and tortilla chips?

Fori, the Greek yoghurt I get is low fat, no sugar and lactose free yet tastes sweet and creamy. There is another brand of Greek yoghurt here with similar characteristics. I would expect if we can do it here in Oz, someone in the US should be making a similar product.

You couldn't pay me to eat yogurt for breakfast or anything other meal. Life is way to short to eat foods that you don't like.
Too many other things to choose from. And there is no rule that you have to have traditional breakfast items for breakfast.

~Ann

Is it possible to chill purchased yogurt for homemade frozen yogurt? Sort of a breakfast which doesn't seem breakfast-y.

We have, downtown in the county seat (a touristy area), no less than 2 frozen yogurt places, plus a creamery which makes its own ice cream. Lots of add-ins at all three places: berries, granola, dried fruit bits, chocolate bits, 1/2" cubes of cheesecake, syrups, etc.

Okay, I'm not recommending all of those for breakfast! Maybe some simple oatmeal-honey granola (chop up or crush a granola bar if you don't want to make your own) and a bit of fruit? [There are also yogurts which come with a tiny container of granola to add.]

Besides all the different yogurt brands, there are all the flavor possibilities. My favorites are lemon, black cherry, lime, and most berries -- but there are dozens of others, including vanilla and coffee. [Plain? There are better things!]

And I definitely prefer the Greek yogurt.

If you don't like yogurt, it is not a magic breakfast food - you don't have to force yourself to eat it. Every few days I eat Trader Joe's European style organic plain yogurt, and add frozen organic berries from Costco, along with sunflower and chia seeds. Good amount of protein without lots of sugar. If you don't like the plain yogurt, could be that you are used to the taste of much more sugar.

No one likes yogurt at first. It's rotten milk.

Yogurt, like cheese, is an acquired taste. The more acquired tastes you like, the more opportunities for enjoyment.

Keep eating it, soon, you will love it.

dcarch

If you like sweetened flavored yogurt, but are avoiding the sugar-sweetened varieties by using plain yogurt, I suggest sweetening AND flavoring the plain yogurt with flavored liquid stevia drops. That's what I do with plain homemade kefir, which is similar to plain yogurt.

I use different flavors of stevia for a lot of things and have these flavors on hand: vanilla creme, coconut, lemon, hazelnut, chocolate, English Toffee, even root beer. NOW and Sweet Leaf are two brands I use. I also add some to plain club soda occasionally, instead of drinking soda/pop. I purchase them from Amazon.com, or iHerb.

If you need another way to use the plain yogurt, make a small box of your favorite flavor of gelatin (regular or sugar-free). Lemon flavored gelatin is our favorite flavor and it will remind you of lemon meringue pie, but any flavor will work. Place the gelatin powder in a small bowl (large enough to hold at least 2-1/2 cups). Add 1-cup of boiling water and dissolve the gelatin in the bowl. Add 1-cup of plain yogurt, stir with a whisk until well blended. Refrigerate. Makes 4-servings. Serve with some homemade granola on the top.

There are many recipes for pancakes, waffles, muffins, tea breads, scones and coffee cakes using plain yogurt that will work for breakfast. Add plain yogurt to oatmeal or a smoothie. Before going gluten-free my favorite recipe for English Muffins used 1-1/2 c. plain yogurt.

Check your library for a copy of "Stonyfield Farm Yogurt Cookbook" by Meg Cadoux Hirshberg for recipes using yogurt. The recipe for "Honey Whole-Wheat English Muffins" is on page 72 (make 1/2 a recipe because it makes a LOT of English Muffins - and they freeze well).

-Grainlady

Barb, what is your usual breakfast fare? And what is your goal....healthier options or just some variety in your life?

I mix in jam or jelly. I like strawberry or apricot best. It isn't anymore jam or jelly than I would use on slices of toast and it is very good.
I tried buying those fruit flavored yogurts. The strawberry I can find doesn't have any fruit in it and reminds me of pepto bismo.
That is why I buy plain yogurt and mix my own.
Mixing in frozen or fresh fruit also works well

I LOVE yoghurt! No sugar, no fat, tastes like real yoghurt yoghurt. But I'm with Ann T. Life's too short to eat things you don't like. You can get probiotics from capsules, nowadays.

Eating a good protein for breakfast is a good idea, however, as is getting some fiber. Scrambled eggs or eggwhites and whole grain toast (scrambled because they're not bad rewarmed if you want to make ahead). Muesli and berries with milk. Leftover beef and an apple. A (small) sizzling steak and mini potatoes with lots of skin (for the easy portion control, vitamins in the skin, and cuteness). Eggwhite frittata (chop veg night before, or use leftovers). Grilled chicken with whole grain waffles and a drizzle of honey (it really doesn't need to be fried--it traditionally is because it started as an afterhours dish (too late for dinner and too early for breakfast) when the restaurant's large cooking equipment would be shut down).

The important thing without salt is to amp up other flavors. We tend to associate certain flavors with certain dishes, but you can use your whole spice rack at breakfast. Start with herbs and pepper and start adding more from there. Seasoning blends are great first thing in the morning (make your own or buy them). You can vary the flavor of a chicken fillet or eggs or chicken omelette by changing the spices. Greek one day, Mexican the next.

If you want to stay closer to the yoghurt idea, how about cottage cheese? There are no salt added cottage cheeses. They're still sweet from the milk sugar.

If you want to keep at it, try adding granola to the top or crushed graham crackers, seeds (chia, hemp, pumpkin, etc.), wheat germ, slivered almonds. Have you tried vanilla sugar? My favorite would be lemon curd added to the yogurt with some crushed graham crackers, or with honey and frozen berries. We make our own yogurt so I am not up on the brands available but I seem to recall that different brands had different flavors. My daughter just adds a dollop of jam to hers plus a little Splenda. It is a big expensive to make, but our favorite yogurt is made with coconut milk. It is wonderful. Coconut sugar gives more depth of flavor to yogurt so it is another thing to try. Another alternative would be citrus zest mixed in the night before for more flavor.

I agree though, if you try different things and still do not like it, I would find another alternative.

I had a whole followup written and lost it. It is Greek yogurt. I was trying to stay away from the fruit on the bottom. I love frozen yogurt. Got plain because I thought I could use it with the veggies by varying it. Using Dannon Fit and something. Don't want to get up and look . Rhizo, I vary with the following: one day I have a poached egg, perhaps with a couple of little frozen rounds of Kielbaska (pork, turkey, chicken), multigrain toast; omelet made from Southwestern style egg whites, chopped red pepper,onion, spinach); steelcut oatmeal with chia, bananas and blueberries. On the days I go to exercise at the Y, I like to have something quick and that is when I like the yogurt (quick fix). Gotta work on the Greek yogurt one. I do use stevia a lot and the pure Maple syrup. Sometimes agave. Cottage cheese--I wish. Cant find any here with no sodium. Have to wash, even to get it halfway low sodium You know, I really have a hard time with meat, I could be a vegan. I love ribeye steak, but I know I am not getting enough fiber and protein. I'm working on it. It has gotten so that it makes me feel nauseous to smell the meat cooking. When I do, I usually broil it in my little convection oven. I can tolerate fish fixed that way also. My daughter lives on the west coast and can't stand the fish here. It is hard to find a good mix of seasonings that don't have a lot of sodium I'm constantly working on it. Thank you so much friends for your advice Barb

Barb, if it's the Greek yoghurt that's getting to you, try plain regular yoghurt. It's not nearly so sour! Until you get used to the flavor, you can add a little jam or honey, and/or sweet fruit to it. The pears would have been good. The texture in the pepitas is great, but there's not a whole lot of flavor there, and home canned pears are mild too, so maybe what you really need is a shot of more intense flavor?

If you just can't handle any kind of plain yoghurt, you can ease away from fruit on the bottom. The trick is not to stir it up. Get just a little of the jam on your spoon each time, and try to leave at least half the jam. When that seems "normal", try to use half again less (i.e., 1/4). Meantime, try whatever you have in the house with the plain part. Jam or preserves or even chutney. Anything with a lot of flavor. Move to plain yoghurt with a little more of your own jam (I think they sweeten the yoghurt part in fruit on the bottom, not just the jam). It's all about resetting your taste expectations, and easing into things over time, rather than assaulting your senses.

Another way to vary your proteins, since you're not into meat, is to try various plant protein products. They're best used with something, rather than straight, but you can make some with the same kinds of things you'd put in yoghurt, and many start out bland, rather than sour. Try tofu with berries and muesli. Hemp tofu (which is very different in texture to soy tofu), if you can find the salt free kind in a fry up. Grilled seitan with veggies.

Nutritional yeast (I like Bragg) is something I learned about here. It has a salty flavor even though it's zero sodium. It also has the B vitamins that generally are found only in meats, so it's a useful flavoring.

Pillog, thanks so much for your comments. I think I read something about soy not being good for my thyroid troubles, I know a lot of the veggies are not good for me either unless I cook them--not raw. I don't know anything about the Bragg nutritional yeast. Where do you get that?. I was having trouble with cramps at night in my toes and I am trying the powdered magnesium. I take calcium magnesium, but it's not enough. It is helping. Tonic water did not help enough . Has something to do with the rheumatoid arthritis, I think, plus one of the medications I have to take at night. Thanks again. Barb

You can get nutritional yeast at any health food store. Make sure it's the nutritional yeast, however, not just brewer's yeast. Amazon also has several brands, including Bragg.

I don't know about the soy, but that still leaves hemp, saitan (wheat), and tempeh (bean) proteins. There's lots of good stuff out there.

When we were talking about potassium in a different thread, I mentioned getting mine from fruit, but that was to maintain steady blood pressure. I'm no expert in leg cramps, but it might be a symptom of your no salt diet. If the foods you're eating aren't helping, I think you need to have a serious talk about mineral balance with your doctor. Your heart is mostly muscle and the leg cramps can be a warning that your heart isn't getting the minerals it needs either. If you don't get good help, try another doctor until you do. You should probably have tests to make sure what your exact deficiencies are and talk to someone with more clinical knowledge about how to balance your system correctly. Having the wrong balance of sodium, potassium and magnesium can have serious consequences. Please take this seriously and take the time to get real answers.

Barb, I won't be much help on the yogurt thing because I just can't stand the stuff. I use it in cooking and baking, instead of sour cream or buttermilk, but I seldom eat it. I occasionally choke it down when I load it up with granola and maple syrup, but that kind of defeats the purpose.

I make my own, but I find Greek style yogurt to be particularly sour to the point of being offensive. For me it's more texture, though, than flavor. Yogurt is too....slimy or gloppy or something.

I say eat something else if you don't like yogurt. Lots of things can be made ahead, even frozen, for those mornings when you are more hurried. Breakfast burritos, egg muffins, even a peanut butter sandwich on whole grain bread.

As Ann T said, life is too short to eat something you don't like.

Annie

Barb, I'm with those who say if you don't like it, don't eat it. I grew up eating plain yogurt -- but as a condiment with tomato-based Greek main dishes. Similar to how Indians use raita.That's still my favorite way to eat it.

I shudder at the thought of fruit flavored yogurt. I also think full fat yogurt tastes best, not as sour. That's what I grew up eating. That said, I do like Brown Cow's cream-top maple flavored yogurt and Greek God's honey flavored Greek yogurt. Not sickeningly sweet.

From time to time, I'll make homemade granola, and I don't mind that with a couple of dollops of plain yogurt. But most of the time, yogurt is an ingredient when cooking.

Try a different brand, Barb. IME Greek yoghurt isn't particularly sour. See if you can find a vanilla flavoured one (out of curiosity, why were you avoiding the fruit?).

Greek Gods Traditional Plain is what I buy. I sometimes use it in place of sour cream but mostly I add a splash of vanilla and some sweetener, maybe some cocoa nibs.

Maple syrup. Makes anything taste good!

I take my probiotic in pill form. No nasty yogurt for ME! The good yogurt is loaded with sugar, people eat that stuff thinking it's healthy...HA!

Although I like yogurt, I agree with those that say don't eat it if you don't like it. I hate arugula, the only green leafy I don't like, so I don't eat it, even though for a while it was in every single recipe presented by tv chefs and magazines.

That being said, here's what I do with plain yogurt. I pour some frozen blueberries, or a berry mix into a bowl and zap it in the microwave long enough to defrost the berries. That also creates a syrup of sorts. I then put some dollops of the yogurt on top, making my own fruit on the bottom yogurt. I top it off with granola. The thawed frozen berries sweeten it enough, usually, depending on the type of berries I use. If it's not sweet enough, I'll add honey or maple syrup.

I also use plain yogurt as a substitute for sour cream on baked potatoes or burritos or such. My co-worker thinks that sounds gross, but I think it's just fine. If I do a side by side comparison with sour cream, of course the sour cream tastes better, but I'm easily fooled by the yogurt, and it's way more healthy.

Brown Cow is my favorite brand. Opposite of what was posted above, I find it less acidic or bitter than some other brands. I tried a Belgium yogurt once - talk about bitter, wow. The Brown Cow with cream on top is very yummy to me, but I only get it as a treat sometimes. Not all our stores here carry Brown Cow, I have to go to Whole Foods or Central Market to get it.

For some reason, some Greek yogurt, I'm blank on the brand name, gives me heartburn. I have no idea why, but it does.

Sally

If you have a dehydrator, making large quantities of yogurt, any style, is very easy and cheap.

You can control how sour and how thick you like your yogurt.

You can use milk, low fat milk, or even powdered milk.

Life is too long not to stay as healthy as you can. :-)

dcarch

dcarach- Are you talking about the thing that you dry veggies and fruit in or is there something I have not seen? How in the world would you go about this? Direct me to your healthy source because we are in the middle of a white-out and because I am not getting to church, the Devil will be working on me all day. Barb

Keep in mind full-fat yoghurt will keep you feeling full and not needing to eat for quite a few hours. Unless you have a medical reason, I feel full-fat yoghurt is better for you. I drink kefir in berry flavors, but it does have too much sugar.

I eat yogurt for all the health benefits. The only one I can eat is Wegmans Organic blended Vanilla Super Yogurt. I have tried different brands and types and this is the only one that I like. For me yogurt must not have fruit, needs some favor like vanilla and MUST be blended. If there is any type of separation when I open the container it gags me. Sometimes instead of eating chocolate I add a little unsweetened cocoa to the yogurt.

sjerin- I know. I am limited to certain veggies because of the thyroid and I am always trying to find some that agree with me, keep me full but don't have many calories. With me keeping the food diary, it has gotten to be calories in, calories out. I didn't get along with kefir either, but I try. It smells to me like I imagine an acid stomach would feel.. I know. It's all in the head. Barb

Barb, so easy. I regularly make one gallon overnight.

Yes, using a regular veggie dehydrator.

After you pasteurized the milk on your stove. add culture (using leftover yogurt). Put in the dehydrator.

A few hours later, you will have wonderful yogurt.

There is only one thing you need to do, and you only need to do it once. Put some water in your dehydrator and set the temperature. Check the water temperature and mark the thermostat dial when the correct yogurt temperature is reached.

dcarch

Debra, I think you hit the nail on the head. When I open this yogurt, there is a separation and it nauseates me. I pour that top stuff off .Can't stand to even look at that smelly stuff. You opened my eyes. Then, the thought continues., and that is all I can think about. Same with the kefir unless the smell is covered up with the fruit or something. . I know--it is thought over matter. It still nags.
Barb

That liquid is whey, in case you didn't know - & I love it! When I strain yoghurt, I often drink the whey, but then I was raised by a Wisconsin-bred mom to relish buttermilk, so go figure...

Listen to your body! Yoghurt, for all it's vaunted good properties, can also promote stomach acid. If it bugs you, stay away.

BTW, you can make your own cottage cheese fairly easily, if you can get milk that hasn't been ultrapasteurized (normal pasteurized is fine). Cheese is salty because people put salt in it. You don't have to. If whey makes you gag, however, maybe it's not for you. If you just want to gleefully strain out the curds so you can make the whey your b@#$%, then go for it!

I was thinking about this thread this morning. DH gave me a cookbook by Paula Wolfert on cooking in the Eastern Mediterranean. The author notes that in Turkey, they drain the yogurt and add either cold water or milk back to the yogurt to give it a creamier consistency and it improves the taste. It may be worth a try for you.

Carol, your message makes me think about my Mom. I can remember when I was young seeing her drink buttermilk, and it left a white mustach. She loved that stuff. Surely didnit pass on to me. Barb

Colleenoz In reading these over I see your question about why didn't I like the fruit on the bottom. I think because I heard a TV show that said it is rull of calories and like eating sugar, and I am trying to watch it. Barb

Barb, I have an Excaliber food dehydrator and it's tall enough to fit a quart jar standing upright. I can make 6 quarts at a time, but I usually just make a gallon. Elery loves the stuff and I use it in baking and in place of sour cream (which I dislike even more than I dislike yogurt!).

I'll attach a link that will give you detailed information, it's very easy. I didn't start with the dehydrator, though, I just put the jars into a cooler full of hot water, wrapped the cooler in a towel to help keep the heat in and voila! I made yogurt.

Annie

Here is a link that might be useful: Fias County Farm Yogurt Making

I love vanilla bean paste. A generous spoonful stirred into a quart of yogurt gives a hint of sweetness and rich vanilla flavor. Yum!

That said I love the tang of plain yogurt. On the other hand jam/jelly - shudder.

A friend in LA puts cultured milk in her car. Parks her car under a tree and goes to work.

When she comes home, she will have yogurt for the whole family.

dcarch

Barb, in another message you said you didn't have any sugar issues. Dannon Light and Fit Greek has 7g sugar (per 150g serving) in both the vanilla and the blueberries on the bottom. In the Light and Fit regular yoghurt, there are 10g sugar per 170g serving for vanilla, and 9g for blueberry. Their regular fruit at the bottom, blueberry, has 24g sugar per 170g serving.

One teaspoon of sugar is 4.2g, 16 Calories.
One tablespoon (3 tsp.) standard jam is 20g, with about 12g of sugar.

Why not just get the Light and Fit with the fruit on the bottom, have a little sugar, and be happy?

By saying I don't have sugar issues, I meant at this stage of the game,, i don't have diabetes, although my son has. I'm still watching the calories though. The way this food industry is sneaking all these additives in our food and not wanting to reveal the ingredients makes me boiling mad. In fact I just sent a note to my local represetative to fight the bill in our legislature where they don't want to have to list the contents. At this stage of my life, don't have the energy to become too involved . That will have to go to the grandkids, but I'm still feisty at times. Finished my evening off watching the Super Bowl. Made my day. Thanks for all the imput. You all are always up to the task. Barb

I gotta make me some yogurt some day. The yogurt you get in the store isn't fresh, has a lot of additives, and the cultures are mostly dead, so is not as beneficial. I used to get whole milk yogurt from an organic farm I passed on my way home from work, but no more. You can get some good yogurts if you have a good health food grocery in your community, or food co-op. Fresh yogurt is a lot better than the stabilized stuff you get at most grocery stores but it doesn't keep as well, so can get sour faster. Good yogurt doesn't need that much sugar, a small amount can make a big difference. Maple syrup is also a good sweetener for yogurt, I have found. I use my own lower sugar home canned jams to flavor plain yogurt. I wouldn't consider yogurt a low calorie food but it is a healthy food so OK to eat if it fits in with your daily calorie profile. I eat it when I am in a hurry, it is better than my usual coffee and donut routine!

Great post about using the food dehydrator for yogurt Annie. I just might be able to make some yogurt now! My mom had a special yogurt maker, NEVER used it and finally I guess she gave it away to someone else after I turned it down. That was back when I could get the good stuff easily so I didn't think I would ever want it. Odd that now that I am living in the land o' dairy farms, I have actually LESS access to good organic dairy products. I think there are a few purveyors out there, I just have to find them!