EDMONTON – Over the past year, dairy aisles at grocery stores have experienced what could be called the Greek invasion.
Even though it’s often a little pricier, Greek yogurt is increasingly becoming a refrigerator staple as consumers seek out healthier foods. Marketers have been pushing both men and women to jump on the trend, as well. And it seems to be working.
George Wickham, the store manager at Save on Foods, says he’s seen a tenfold jump in Greek yogurt sales within the last 12 months, and he expects the popularity to only keep growing.
“It’s nice to see that there’s an interest for things that are better for people,” he says.
So what exactly is the difference between Greek and regular yogurt? Other than Greek yogurt’s slightly more bitter taste and thicker consistency, it also has more protein, which makes a person feel full and can be a great way to start the day.
“When they strain off the whey, what they strain off is a little bit of the carbohydrate and what’s left is just a thicker mass and that’s where the protein is found,” explains Karol Sekulic, a registered dietician with Alberta Health Services.
She adds that Greek yogurt has up to two and a half times the amount of protein as regular plain yogurt. So three-quarters of a cup of Greek yogurt can amount to as much protein as in a serving of meat.
“If you don’t eat eggs for breakfast or if you don’t have some type of meat source or vegetarian source for protein, it’s a very convenient way to do it and get some calcium as well.”
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Compared to regular yogurt, though, the calcium content will be a little lower for the Greek kind. Sekulic recommends looking for a calcium content of at least 20 percent.
And watch out for high fat content.
“There are some that run up to nine percent milk fat,” she says. “Look for something that’s two percent, or two and a half percent milk fat.”
She also remind people to check the label for how much extra sugar you’re getting. Some have 18 grams, which is the equivalent of almost three teaspoons of sugar.
A better alternative, Sekulic suggests, would be to sweeten your yogurt naturally through fruit.
With files from Su-Ling Goh, Global News and the Associated Press
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