THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR
Wishing to be friends is quick work,
but friendship is a slow ripening fruit. ~Aristotle (384-322BC)
ONLY THE GOOD FRIDAY
Leave the lamentations to the rest of the week and set aside Friday for celebrating the good. Shelly at This Eclectic Life has provided me support from the early days of this site for which I’m grateful. She’s a sassy, Texas Storyteller weaving tales about sights and sundries you’re likely to encounter in her native land.
Friends provide invaluable insight, comfort and feedback on many things from the trivial to the cataclysmic in our lives. I’m always getting valuable information from all points about relevant topics to discuss, and for that I’m grateful.
WHAT’S IN YOUR YOGURT?
One of the best foods ever made and a staple for many years in my kitchen, plain yogurt is one thing I never want to find my kitchen without. A friend asked, what’s the story on sugar in plain yogurt? I am only too happy to uncover the secrets within this miracle food.
Plain yogurt contains 9 to 17 grams of sugar per eight-ounce serving. To be honest, I hadn’t noticed the fact that, while showing sugar on the food label, no sugars are listed on the ingredient list. Good observation on the part of someone who’s on their toes, evidence of critical thinking about food.
According to WhFoods.org:
Yogurt is a fermented dairy product made by adding bacterial cultures to milk, which causes the transformation of the milk’s sugar, lactose, into lactic acid. This process gives yogurt its refreshingly tart flavor and unique pudding-like texture.
So nothing need be added to yogurt to give it a good texture or to increase it’s healthful benefits. It’s all in there already. The label does not have to say probiotic; the words to look for are live cultures.
Keri Glassman, registered dietician and contributor to Women’s Health magazine has this to say about yogurt:
PROBIOTICS The definition of yogurt is a milk product that contain live, active (good) bacteria that is so beneficial to our digestive system. These live cultures are inherent in yogurt.
FAT Non-fat yogurt has the same nutrients as yogurt made with whole milk. However, non- or low-fat yogurt does have a pronounced bite to it that works best with savory dishes. Full-fat plain yogurt delivers a flavor punch without the bite, and is also creamier and richer tasting. Full-fat plain yogurt works better in sweet preparations.
CALCIUM 200 mg, or 20% of daily recommended calcium is good. All yogurt has high calcium levels.
ORGANIC No hormones or antibiotics given to the cattle, no preservatives or artificial additives.
SUGAR About 14 grams per serving. This is the amount of natural sugar found in yogurt from the lactose. Avoid sugar-free because it contains artificial sweeteners.  Greek yogurt has less sugar. with the whey removed and is thicker, richer than regular yogurt. Usually higher in protein.
Nonfat plain yogurt has all of the nutrients of the full fat variety, and full fat plain yogurt has only a marginal downside in the form of added fat. If you filter out the milky whey, you extract a lot of the sugar, and get a richer, creamier yogurt with all of the protein and probiotics. If the higher fat content yogurt is more palatable to you, and you end up eating more of that kind of plain yogurt because you like it, then have at it. When it comes to plain yogurt, I don’t think you can have too much. It provides significant amounts of protein, calcium and good bacteria, all beneficial to humans.
PEELINGS
How to open a banana when it is a little on the green side? Grab the tubular fruit by the tough stem with one hand – usually perceived as the ‘opener’ end – and pinch the peel at the top, usually perceived as the bottom. Brilliant. How come I didn’t think of that?
COOKING & STIRRING
This could only be asked by a man. Cooking a multi-grain hot breakfast cereal, another friend became distressed at having to stir it for ten minutes until it was fully cooked. If left on the stove to simmer, it began to stick to the pot. I suggested that he put it on a burner wire, to slow down the cooking and avoid pot-sticking. He reported back, saying that it worked like a charm. The other suggestion I had was to soak the grains before cooking; breaking them down a little would require less cooking and, hence, less stirring time.
So tell me:Â What questions do you have for specific cooking procedures, or to solve cooking’s little inconsistencies?
MARION NESTLE’S NEW BOOK
Feed Your Pet Right makes it’s debut. The pet food industry is no less important than the one for people food, but is it any better? Find out in this exhaustive exploration on who feeds your best friends. Dr Nestle is also on Facebook (Feed Your Pet Right) where she will deal with pet food issues and answer readers’ questions.
SMOOTHIES & CREAMSICLES
Get out the blender and whir up a milky treat for today’s preparation. Select one from each group below – milk, fruit and flavoring – and either bottoms up as a smoothie for breakfast or freeze in popsicle forms as a dessert. Either works for a refreshing snack; have one every day. Summer’s coming!
MILK 1 cup:Â milk, plain yogurt OR coconut milk
FRUIT 2 cups:Â banana, strawberries, cantaloupe, blueberries, mango OR any combination
FLAVORING 1 teaspoon:Â vanilla extract, maple syrup ORÂ honey.
Using a low- or non-fat plain yogurt will give your smoothie more of a bite, and kids may not be too jazzed with the taste. You can get an a creamier, sweeter flavor by using a full fat plain yogurt. I recommend it. Using more fruit will also give you a sweeter, thicker result. Try that before adding more sweetener. If you do add more sweet flavoring than suggested, try to decrease the amount each time to get you used to the delicate sweetness of the fruit, rather than relying on sweetener.
Eating is about flavor and texture, so train your taste buds to recognize more subtle flavor and textural nuances and you will enjoy more while using less. Using Greek yogurt will result in a thicker consistency. As a bonus, add a teaspoon of 100% cocoa powder, in addition to or in place of the fruit. Rich in anti-oxidants, cocoa is a wonderful way to add additional flavoring with no down side. Pay attention to the gentle cocoa flavor that, in small amounts, needs no additional sugar.
Try combinations or other fruits to see how many different flavors you and your family like. I don’t recommend using citrus here, as the citric acid tends to sour the yogurt. And, in case you’re wondering, do not use almond extract in this preparation. It does not play well with a milky base.
Yogurt is just about the most versatile whole food imaginable, so try to use it in lots of ways. Eating plain yogurt every day is a tasty way to get a good does of great nutrition and flavor. What can you and your family discover about plain yogurt today?
