Do you know how much sugar there is in strawberry yogurt?

Check it out:

26 grams! To put that in visual terms, there are about 4 grams of sugar in a teaspoon, so one 6 oz Yoplait yogurt has over 6 teaspoons of sugar in it! By comparison, a cup of Froot Loops has 12 grams, or 3 teaspoons, of sugar. That’s less than half of Yoplait’s sugar content! I didn’t always realize how sugar laden flavored yogurt can be, but I set my mind to flavoring my own after finding out.

I like to use plain Fage Greek Yogurt because it’s creamier than regular yogurt. This brand of Greek yogurt is strained to give it it’s texture and high protein content. Some brands of Greek, such as Dannon, do not make their thick “Greek” yogurt by the traditional method of straining. They take a shortcut and add thickening agents. This results in more filler ingredients and less protein. Fage has fewer calories and more than quadruple the protein of Yoplait Light!

I buy the big container because it’s less expensive per serving than individual cups. You can usually get it for under $5 at Costco. You’ll notice it does contain some sugar. These 9 grams are lactose sugar, the less sweet milk sugar inherently found in dairy products.

I use stevia to add sweetness to my yogurt because it’s a calorie-free plant extract. If you’re ok with using a bit of caloric sweetener, try a spoon of local honey or unrefined sugar in your yogurt instead.

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Here is all you need to make your plain Greek yogurt vanilla flavored:

Ingredients:
8 oz plain Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Liquid stevia to taste (about 3/4 dropper)

Stir the vanilla extract and stevia into the plain yogurt and mix well. Liquid stevia can be hard to find, so you can substitute 1-2 packets of powdered stevia. I buy my liquid stevia on amazon.com for about $10 per bottle. This lasts me between 3-6 months.

For more fun flavors, top your vanilla yogurt with fresh fruit. Try strawberries, blueberries, or peaches. Frozen fruit works well too!