For the month of June, I want to explore the world of yogurt. So many people love yogurt – plain, Greek, flavored, frozen – that I figured it deserved a place in this year’s challenge.
(Thanks to “Mom the Barbarian” on Flickr for the photo)
So what IS yogurt? Well, it’s a fermented dairy product (usually from cow’s milk around here) which is made with bacterial cultures. It’s been around for a long time (try since the 11th century, at least) and became popular in the US in the early 1900s. Yogurt is used in a variety of cultures across the world, originating somewhere in the Middle East or Asia. It’s a staple in many ethnicity’s foods, and is made into dishes for every meal. There are many types of yogurt, depending on where you’re from – kefir, Greek yogurt, Dahi, Zabadi, the list goes on.
In the US, lots of people eat yogurt for breakfast with granola or fruit, but don’t always know how to use it as an ingredient rather than a meal! Corelyn is a fan of using it as a substitute for cream or sour cream, and I love to use it to thicken soups or smoothies.
In addition to being delicious, yogurt is VERY good for you! It’s high in protein (good for people who don’t eat meat and need to find protein in interesting places) and also high in calcium and several vitamin Bs. It also has immune boosting abilities by way of the bacteria! It also has been shown to lower bad cholesterol…the list goes on! Here is some more information because this is just so cool!
This month, I plan on showing you how to incorporate yogurt into every meal, as a main ingredient, complement, and by replacing higher fat items (while not compromising on flavor!) Let me know if you have something you’d like to see made, and I’ll add it to the list!
[addtoany] Yum