My Big Fat Greek Yogurt

I love Mediterranean/Greek food especially the joys of Greek yogurt.  As a vegetarian, it can sometimes be difficult to find healthy, low fat, low calorie sources of protein and Greek yogurt provides an excellent option to get a large  percentage of my daily protein intake.  I have tried numerous types of Greek yogurt but  my absolute favorite is Chobani Greek yogurt especially the plain and vanilla flavors.  Chobani has the best flavors and is typically the cheapest Greek yogurt ($1.25 for 6oz at Giant Food opposed to $1.99 for 6oz of Oikos).

Here are the nutritional stats for 6oz No Fat Plain Chobani: 100 calories and 18g protein!  6 oz No Fat Vanilla Chobani: 120 calories and 16g protein.  Both are low calorie, fat free sources of protein (excellent for vegetarians).  I've tried all the flavored Chobani yogurts and my favorites (beside the plain and vanilla) are the peach, honey, and strawberry.  The flavored yogurts typically have higher calories and lower amounts of protein but are still excellent additions to any meal or snack.  The Chobani website has all of the nutritional values for all of their products.

Here are a few ways that I like to use Greek yogurt:

Greek yogurt and cereal:
Mix 6oz of your choice of Greek yogurt with a serving (or two) of your favorite cold cereal.  I love mixing the plain Chobani with a serving of Kashi Honey Sunshine cereal.  Another of my favorite mixtures is the vanilla Chobani with a serving (or two) of Nature's Path Kamut Puffs (more in another post about my love of Kamut puffs).

Greek yogurt and veggies:
Mix a couple tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and some garlic (I love garlic).  Toss with a variety of veggies.  Stuff mixture into a whole wheat pita or tortilla shell.  For you non vegetarians this would be really good with a serving of grilled chicken.

Greek yogurt and baking:
You can use Greek yogurt as a replacement in baking.  The Chobani website has a ton of recipes!  I've made this banana bread recipe for my father and brothers except I used Ener-G egg replacer, whole wheat pastry flour instead of a mixture of all purpose and whole wheat flour, Splenda instead of sugar, and another half banana to replace the butter.  My Dad and brothers who are very picky junk food eaters loved the bread and devoured it without realizing the lack of fat and extra calories.

You can also use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream or mayonnaise on sandwiches, potatoes, and tacos.  Or  you can just eat it plain as part of your meal (or a super healthy snack).

Have you ever tried Greek yogurt?  If so what's your favorite brand?