Wednesday, April 28, 2010

My New Favorite Food... OIKOS

What I can eat is limited, and for the past few years my food choices have not been the healthiest or wisest. So, at the urging of my pain management Dr. I went and saw a dietitian a few weeks ago. We talked about alot of things, but the number one thing was adding more protein to my diet, for 2 main reasons. Having protein stored in your body makes it easier for your body to recover from surgery easier ( I just had major surgery last Thursday) and 2: eating high protein foods fills you up faster and makes one less hungry throughout the day. Less hungry = less eating/food = less weight to gain !!!

So, we talked about foods, that I could eat, and like to eat. First off eggs. Eggs (the whites) are high in protein. One large egg has about 12.6 grams of protein. (Side note: adult women should have about 45 grams of protein a day). I started off the first week eating 2-3 eggs for breakfast every morning. But then I started having troubles with the eggs going down (having trouble swallowing them).

Secondly we talked about yogurt. I like yogurt, and always have. But the one thing I have just recently noticed about most yogurts ( and the only brand that I would eat - Yoplait - is that there was so much sugar in them. One 6oz container had 27grams of sugar. And their yogurt was made using High Fructose Corn Syrup. Something that is very bad to eat, but is in almost everything there is to eat. Yoplait also only has 5 grams / 11% of protein.
My dietitian recommended that I try and eat Greek Yogurt. She said that is is thicker and more healthy than the regular yogurts out there. I have to admit that I was a bit thrown off my this. I have a harder time swallowing thicker foods, and it just sounded different. But, she recommended 2 different brands and  reviewed the nutritional qualities in both of them vs the reg. yogurt and they were much healthier.
The first kind I tried was Brown Cow All Natural Greek Yogurt.
It was pretty good. I got the blueberry flavor and the only thing I didn't like about it was that it had a bit of a tangy taste, other than that I could taste no difference between it and regular yogurt.
A 5.3oz cup of the Brown Cow had 130 cal., 17 grams of sugar, 13 grams/26% of protein and no high fructose corn syrup.
The second kind I tried was Stonyfield Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt.
It has quickly become my favorite. I only get the blueberry, but it is delicious. I can't taste a difference in thickness at all. In all truthfulness, it tastes so much better than any of the Yoplait ever did. It tastes fresher and healthier. I guess because it is organic, and it is the only organic food I've ever eaten.
This yogurt is even more nuturious than the Brown cow was.
A 4oz cup of the Oikos had only 90 cal and was fat free. It had 11 grams of sugar, 10 grams/20% of protein and no high fructose corn syrup.

The one bad thing about greek yogurt is that it is more expensive that the reg. yogurt. I am guessing because it is made from more natural ingredients, which are a bit more expensive. But, I think it is worth paying a bit more for better and more tastier food.

If you haven't discovered greek yogurt yet, I highly suggest you try it. It comes in different flavors, and there are many different brands also, not just the 2 I mentioned. You can buy them almost everywhere: your local grocery store, Whole Foods, Central Market, Wal-Mart, etc. Or you can click on the websites above and find locations specific to your area.

If you try it and it's your first time, let me know what you think. If you've been eating it for a while let me know what other brands and flavors you like.

1 comment:

Jodi said...

Thanks for the yogurt tips. I'm going to have to try the greek yogurt that you suggested. I try to stay away from sugar and high fructose corn syrup. Also, please keep me on your prayer list. I'm bad about commenting, but I like to know how you are doing. :)