Greek yogurt vs Regular yogurt

Yogurt is considered one of the healthiest foods around. It's rich in probiotics which aid digestion, it reduces the risk of intestinal infection and colon cancer, and improves lactose tolerance. It also improves cholesterol levels by lowering bad Cholesterol and raising good Cholesterol.

Fat-free yogurt is rich in both calcium and protein, an important combination to include in any type of weight control. Calcium promotes the breakdown of body fat, stokes the metabolism, and helps build and support strong bones. Protein helps build muscle and staves off hunger, helping prevent feelings of hunger between meals.

Regular yogurt is not as thick as Greek yogurt because the whey has not been strained out of it. Greek yogurt is thicker because the liquid whey has been strained out of it. Both strained and unstrained yogurt is very good for you, but there are some nutritional differences. When the liquid whey is strained from regular yogurt, the volume of the yogurt reduces by half. That means it's more concentrated and results in some nutritional changes.

let's check out the differences:

Protein - Greek yogurt has twice the protein of regular yogurt, because the protein is concentrated in the yogurt after it's strained.

Carbohydrates - Greek yogurt has fewer carbohydrates, because the liquid that is strained out of it is high in carbs.

Sodium - Greek yogurt has half the sodium of regular yogurt, because the liquid that is strained out of it is high in sodium.

Calcium - Both yogurts are considered a good source of calcium, but regular yogurt has 3 times more calcium than Greek yogurt, because the liquid that is strained out of Greek yogurt is high in Calcium.

Strained (Greek) yogurt is a healthy substitute for sour cream, cream cheese, and mayonnaise. It's creamier, thicker consistency makes it a better substitution in dips and dressings. Strained yogurt is also better for cooking because it doesn't curdle when it's heated; regular yogurt can curdle when heated.

Greek yogurt does tend to be more expensive, so lucky for us we can make our own very easily.

Ingredients:
regular yogurt - whole, low, or no fat
metal mesh strainer or colander
large bowl
cheese cloth, or paper coffee filters

Directions:
Line strainer (or colander) with cheese cloth ( paper coffee filters). Place strainer over a large bowl, making sure there is space between the bottom of the strainer and the bottom of the bowl to catch drips. Pour yogurt into strainer. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator until liquid has dripped out to desired consistency.
--drain for 1 hour to remove 20% of the liquid.
--drain for 3-4 hours to remove half of the liquid.
--drain overnight (8 hours or so) to remove all of the liquid. (closest to consistency of sour cream)

Use strained yogurt to substitute for sour cream, cream cheese, and mayonnaise. And...because Greek yogurt is more expensive to buy, why not make your own and add your favorite fruit to it.