Monday, March 23, 2009

Chobani Yogurt: Protein Satiation


On my journey to a healthier lifestyle, one realization I had was that I wasn't getting enough lean protein into my diet. I would eat low-cal/low-point but would not be satisfied. According to the New York Times health guide: "You need protein in your diet to help your body repair cells and make new ones. Protein is also important for growth and development during childhood, adolescence, and pregnancy."

An easy way to get in protein is to up your yogurt intake. Yogurt is also beneficial for a number of other reasons, according to a Mayo Clinic article published at Medical News Today. However most of yogurts on the market are either high in fat and calories, or contains artificial sweeteners.

A friend of mine suggested that I try out Greek style yogurts, which are higher in protein and usually contain no artificial sugars. However I was sorely disappointed by the lack of flavor options and relied on mix-ins... which made traveling more difficult. Until I found Chobani yogurt!

Chobani comes in 6 different flavors, and in nonfat/lowfat/regular options. It is a single serving container that can toss easily into a purse (I carried one to work in my purse today!) and contains no artificial sweeteners!

Today I wanted to tell you about two of the fruitalicious varieties I have tried. Both of which, I will continue to buy.


The first flavor that I have been enjoying is the blueberry. With fruit at the bottom, this yogurt is creamy and thick and has whole berries you can enjoy! The yogurt is tart, but less so than most yogurts. It is also very smooth. I could imagine enjoying this as a dessert, or as a sweet mid afternoon snack. I most recently enjoyed it at the JFK airport after a long day of traipsing around NYC. It helped keep me satiated on the nonstop back to California.

Strawberry Chobani also contains fruit on the bottom, but the strawberries are not as sweet as the blueberry and the yogurt is a bit more tart. It made the perfect midmorning snack for me, as the 14 grams of protein will help keep me full, but the strawberries gave it just enough sweetness to also satisfy my morning sweet tooth. I could imagine mixing some toasted oatmeal into the yogurt for a filling and healthy breakfast.

Chobani is slightly high in calories than the "diet" yogurts. This is due to the fact that it doesn't contain artifial ingredients. And I am okay with paying 30-50 more calories to enjoy something that will keep me satisfied for longer while not harming my body for the sake of weight loss. If my body can't lose weight, it isn't the extra 30 calories from a healthy yogurt that is the issue. Consider this my rant on many of the artificial diet products out there that never left me truly satisfied. There is a rare moment when one of those finds rocks my socks off... but the truth is sometimes you have to go for the real thing. And Chobani is the real thing.

Ingredients for Blueberry Chobani: cultured pasteurized nonfat milk, sugar, blueberries, contains five live active cultures including s. thermaphilus, l. bulgaricus, acidophiluc, bifidus and l. casei.

Nutritional Information: 140 calories / 0 grams of fat / 1 gram of fiber / 14 grams of protein

Ingredients for Strawberry Chobani: cultured pasteurized nonfat milk, strawberries, sugar, natural flavor, beet juice concentrate (for color), contains five live active cultures including s. thermaphilus, l. bulgaricus, acidophiluc, bifidus and l. casei.

Nutritional Information: 140 calories / 0 fat / less than one gram fiber / 14 grams of protein

18 comments:

hsullivan66 said...

I need to try these out, they sound good.

C.G. the Foodie said...

You can find Chobani Greek yogurts through their store directory:

http://www.chobani.com/OurProducts/Wheretobuy/

Anonymous said...

Those flavored greek yogurts sound like a great find!

Anonymous said...

Yum! Can I ask where you're finding the Chobani in the San Jose-area? Would love to try some, myself. I also like the Greek-style yogurts at Trader Joe's. They also sell a couple fruit-flavored ones, though the one with a touch of honey is my fave so far.

C.G. the Foodie said...

I will have to check out TJs! The last time I was there they only had plain fat-free.

I found Chobani at the Whole Foods on Stevens Creek.

Unknown said...

I just started eating these and LOVE THEM!!!

Anonymous said...

I still say the honey is best!! And the vanilla is significantly lower in calories than the others.

jennifer said...

i wish i could find these closer! when i leave work, the whole foods in palo alto isn't open yet..

i do like the fage 0% i get from tj's, but once i add stuff to give it flavor, the calorie content goes up a lot... i need to keep my eyes peeled for this one.

C. said...

I love Chobani :) I buy it in 12-packs at Costco. Peach, strawberry, blueberry. $0.69 each this way, versus the $1.69 my Whole Foods charges.

I love mixing Kashi cereal in mine in the AM.

Mo Diva said...

I heart Chobani... I just bought some of the competition though (actually redeemed my freebies) for oikos stoneyfield organic greek yogurt.
I will report my findings

Anonymous said...

Hi there,

I see that you're a fan of Greek yogurt and I'd love to send you free coupons to give Stonyfield Oikos Organic a try. It's the only ORGANIC Greek yogurt on the market today - we think it's healthier for you and better for the planet too! Shoot me an email at Kdrociak@stonyfield.com if you're interested and let me know where to send them.

Take care!
Kristina
Stonyfield Farm

The Diva on a Diet said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
The Diva on a Diet said...

I love, love Chobani yogurt and eat a container of it every single day. Its a fabulous way to add extra protein to your diet.

Typically, I buy the plan, non-fat Chobani and add my own flavorings. I like to add a bit of pure vanilla extract, a dash of agave nectar and about a tsp. of unsweetened cocoa powder ... mix well to form a luscious chocolate yogurt. Its so thick and creamy it almost tastes like ice cream. :)

Usually I top that with a variety of nuts and seeds, and a handful of pomegranate seeds. Makes a fabulous breakfast or lunch - nice and filling too.

Cheers!

Anonymous said...

i looove chobani yogurt! even the original flavor is good if you add in some honey granola or something. delicious! i agree - it's so filling and satisfying. as a college student always on the move or in the library, i find that chobani is an awesome snack/source of brain fuel! and i love that it has tons of protein because my doctor always tells me i need more of it.

Anonymous said...

I absolutely love Chobani yogurts! I eat 2 a day. This product is sold at all grocery stores.

Anonymous said...

Absolutely a great product. They sell it a Costco now too (the one that I work at anyways). Try putting a tablespoon of flax in your Chobani. Now you get protein, fiber, lignans and many more vitamins and minerals.

Katie said...

I know I am quite late to respond to this, HOWEVER I have three comments:

1) Chobani is higher in calories than "diet" yogurt because it has more protein. If you compare a cup of fat-free greek yogurt to a cup of fat-free regular yogurt, the greek will have more calories due to the doubled protein content. The way they make greek yogurt is by straining regular yogurt to remove the whey. :-)

2) This type of yogurt (fruit at the bottom) is a PERFECT post-workout meal! It has protein, and simple sugars, and is not so high in calories that I feel I have "ruined" my workout.

3) If you haven't ever tried it, plain greek yogurt makes a wonderful substitute for sour cream on prepared food and in dips, and you can also use it to sub for cream in cooking recipes.

WONDERFUL, ENJOY!

Doug Dolde said...

Try half freezing it for like two hours or so, fantastic !

Disclaimer:

I get asked by readers if I am being paid to push products. The simple answer is no. In fact, most of the products I write about are ones I have found and purchased during my trips to the grocery store or on the road. Occasionally, a company will send a sample my way and if I believe the product will serve a need for my readers and I would buy the product myself, then I will share it with you. Sometimes I will write to a company after reading about it, if I believe it will help us lead healthier lifestyles. But even then, if the product doesn't pass my scrutiny, it won't make the screen of Uncovering Food. You can trust that every product or recipe posted here has passed through my lips, and that I wouldn't blog about it if it wasn't worthy of you... my favorite readers.