Yogurt

Yogurt is a great way to add probiotics to your diet and is available, without having to make it yourself, both in the US and where I live in Germany. But during my trip to the US I noticed a significant difference in the yogurt there. The "plain" yogurt (Stoneyfield full-fat plain) had added sugar - in the form of pectin. Since I've been trying to cut back on sugar, I usually just add a little jam or eat my yogurt plain. I've come to like the sour taste of yogurt, and after eating the pectin-sweetened yogurt here I decided it mostly tasted bland to me. Rather than having tart and fruit-complementing taste, it doesn't taste like much of anything.

Yogurt has become increasingly popular in the US as a health food. But low-fat, high-sugar yogurt with artificial flavoring is pretty far from healthy. Low-fat is an especially problematic misconception; much of the nutritional value of yogurt is tied up in fat-soluble vitamins A and E, which are not available when the fat is removed. Additionally, more sugar is usually needed to make the fat-free yogurt actually taste good, further decreasing the nutritional value.

Here are the things I look for when choosing yogurt:

• Full-fat 
• Active probiotics (many yogurts are heated, which destroys the probiotic value, so don't assume anything unless it's labeled)
• No added sugar (Just add some maple syrup, jam or fruit to taste)
• No added ingredients (i.e. synthetic vitamin D. If you want to supplement, consider cod liver oil)
• Good-quality milk source (ideally grass-fed and organic, but most importantly no BST)
• I would buy raw-milk yogurt if I had a good source, but so far I haven't found any.

As far as I know, regular or Greek yogurt are equally nutritious, choose whichever you prefer. If you like greek yogurt, you can also buy regular and strain it yourself, setting aside the whey for fermenting vegetables or soaking grains.

Some ways I like to eat yogurt:

• With chopped fruit
• With granola or oatmeal
• Made into yogurt sauce (tzatziki, or see recipes below) and served with anything with a Mediterranean or middle eastern flair (vegetables, meat, beans)

Fresh Yogurt Sauce

• 1 cup yogurt (use strained greek yogurt for a thicker sauce)
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 small clove garlic, finely minced
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
•  (optional)

Mix all ingredients together. Ideally let sit for a few hours at room temperature before serving

Dry Yogurt Sauce Mix

• 6 Tbsp parsley
• 2 Tbsp salt
• 2 Tbsp freshly ground white pepper
• 1/2 Tbsp garlic

Mix together all ingredients and store in a glass jar. To make sauce, stir 1/2 to 1 tsp of mixture into 1/2 cup yogurt (regular or greek-style strained).

Sugar Guidelines

I've started really trying to cut back on my sugar consumption. I find the more I educate myself on nutrition and the affects of sugar in particular, the less interested I am in consuming it. When I think about eating something sweet, I also consider how it often makes me feel (drowsy and unfocused) and the possible long-term consequences (increased susceptibility to illness, cancer, heart disease).
 

In general I try not to be legalistic about how I eat, but here are some general guidelines I try to follow.
 

• One sweet or dessert item per day, but still being conscientious about what I choose in most cases. Examples are a piece of dark chocolate, a small serving of homemade ice cream, or a naturally sweetened homemade cake or cookie. Desserts pre-made or prepared by others are only eaten occasionally, as the usually contain more sugar than things I make myself.
• Small amounts of natural sweetener can be added to foods where appropriate. For example, maple syrup on pancakes, honey in muffins, or rapadura-sweetened jam in oatmeal.
• Little to no juice, as it typically contains almost all of the sugar of more fruit then I would eat in one sitting, but none of the fiber and other nutrients.
• Avoid all added sugar in non-dessert dishes such as sauces and meats. Small quantities of natural sweetener added to homemade condiments such ketchup and chutneys.
• Fermented drinks such as Kombucha, made with white sugar, are fine, as the sugar is a necessary part of the fermentation process and does not result in a sugary beverage.

I'll be the first to admit I don't always follow my own guidelines, especially in social situations or when traveling. But this is a blog about the journey, and the above are a guide I've recently been working to follow.