It's All Greek to Me

I love Greek-style yogurt. It’s thick and creamy and much more satisfying (thanks to all the extra protein) than your run of the mill variety.  Which is why it is the backbone of my new work lunch routine. But not all brands are created equal and I thought I would share my thoughts on some of the major brands with those of you who may be interested.  Here's how what I looked for—texture, flavor, and overall enjoyment.

First up—Oikos by Stoneyfield. Oikos was the first of the Greek-style yogurts I tried out and it continues to be my overall favorite. It’s definitely thicker and creamier than regular yogurt but perhaps not as smooth and rich as Fage (which we’ll get to next). It comes in a lot of flavors—I’ve tried the vanilla, honey, blueberry, and strawberry. The flavoring (which sits on the bottom of the cup) seems pretty natural and is easy to stir into the yogurt itself. My favorite is the honey—sweet but not overly so—but all the fruit flavors are good too. Overall a solid performer and the one that most often finds its way into my lunch bag.

Next: Fage (pronounced fa-yeh). Fage is the most authentic brand in that it actually originated in Greece! It is by far the best in terms of texture—so thick and creamy there is something almost luxurious about it.  It took me a long time to give this one a try and I’m not exactly sure why. I think it is because the flavoring comes in a little separate compartment of the container and I wasn’t sure how the logistics of getting it into the yogurt would actually work. Easy enough, it turns out; just flip it over and squeeze as much or as little of it into the tub as you would like. I have tried the strawberry and honey flavors to date. The flavorings couldn’t be more natural. According to the package, the strawberry goo is mostly strawberries, sugar, water and corn starch. Really tasty. The honey flavor was not my favorite, however.  Something about it tasted off. If I am going to have honey flavor, I’m gonna go with Oikos.  But otherwise, Fage is fantastic and slowly taking over my lunch bag.

Picture courtesy of erincooks.com

The third brand I’ve tried is the variety made by Dannon. It’s only so-so. The texture is pretty good—definitely thick but not as creamy/smooth as the others (it’s almost hard to stir up). And the flavors (I’ve tried blueberry) are fine but just don’t taste as fresh as the others. I buy it when my grocery store is out of the flavors I like of Oikos and Fage. Overall it’s fine but not as good as the others.

Picture courtesy of befitbefull.com

The fourth and final brand I’ve tried is Yoplait. Normally Yoplait is my go-to when it comes to yogurt brands. But when it comes to Greek-style yogurt, it falls short. The texture is really not that much different from regular yogurt and the taste just doesn’t hold a candle to the rest (in my opinion, anyway). I’d honestly rather skip it.

Picture courtesy of visionsofsugarplum.com

So there you have it—Fage and Oikos are my top picks for Greek-style yogurt. Are there any other brands I should try out?

Brown Bagging It

My new job has also meant the start of new routines. New morning routines. New evening routines. New commuting routines. And new lunch routines. As I mentioned a week or so ago, I have started taking my lunch to work most days. While this isn’t all that different to eating at home everyday (back when I was telecommuting for my old job), it does require a little more planning and a few new accessories.

New lunch accessory #1—reusable lunch bag.

 I guess technically this means I am green bagging it!

In order to be green and save a few bucks, I have invested in this insulated, reusable lunch bag. It is the perfect size for my current lunch menu and at $4.99 at The Container Store, a total bargain. Truth be told, I originally had my eye on this adorable neoprene lunch tote (in polka dot), also from The Container Store:

But at more than $20 I decided it wasn’t worth it. I settled for the cheap but peppy green bag instead.

As for what’s inside my lunch bag? I am definitely a creature of habit and my daily lunches have already turned into routine. Every day pretty much the same thing: yogurt (I like the new Greek-style yogurt which is thicker and has more protein than your run-of-the-mill yogurt), a nectarine, a mini-bag of Smartfood white cheddar popcorn (only 100 calories!), and a Kashi peanut butter granola bar. Occasionally I throw in some carrots when I am feeling a need for some veggies. I find this to be a pretty healthy lunch that keeps me full most of the day.

I did worry about keeping my yogurt cold until lunch time since I work in a huge building with few refrigerators available for easy lunch storage. Which brings us to….

New lunch accessory #2—mini ice pack.

This was another Container Store find and was only, I think, $1. It is about the size of a pack of cards and works like a charm, keeping my yogurt the perfect temperature throughout the morning until I have time to eat. You just have to be careful how you arrange everything else in the bag—the first time I used it, my granola bar got too close to it and was so hard I could hardly break a piece off let alone take a bite!

All in all my new lunch routine seems to be working out well. What do your lunch routines look like?