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In case you weren’t feeling overwhelmed enough when examining the wall of yogurt related choices arrayed before you, most brands are now marketing “Greek” versions of their products, effectively doubling their offerings and making our purchasing decision even harder.
Greek yogurt is made with the same bacterial cultures as regular yogurt. There are a number of different strains of bacteria used, each imparting a different flavour to the finished, plain yogurt – sometimes making it taste more sour, acidic or sweet. Regardless of the bacteria used, or the flavourings added, the main difference between Greek and regular yogurt is the number of times the whey liquid is strained out of the finished product. Whey is a milk byproduct and is left over after the bacteria is done fermenting. Regular yogurt is strained twice to remove the liquid; whereas Greek yogurt is strained 3 times, making for a thicker finished product, and a richer and more concentrated flavour. Regular yogurt has a one to one milk to yogurt ratio, meaning one cup of milk is needed to make one cup of yogurt. Greek yogurt has a four to one milk to yogurt ratio; meaning 4 cups of milk is needed to make one cup of Greek yogurt; which explains why it is more expensive.
Greek yogurt is more nutrient dense; and has up to double the amount of protein than regular yogurt; it stand to reason, given that more water was removed in the straining process. Spoonful for spoonful, you will be eating less sugar and sodium, and more fat (3x or more), and more cholesterol; depending on the flavour you choose.
