all about yogurt
Yogurt can be a healthy, high protein breakfast if you choose a good variety and enjoy a sensible portion. Check the chart below to see how your favorite yogurt fares in PointsPlus values.
Yogurt is made by fermenting milk using healthful bacteria. The fermentation process thickens the milk, gives it a creamy texture, and adds a tangy flavor. Yogurt is a great source of protein, calcium, and B vitamins.
Fat-free, low-fat (or “light”), and regular (or “whole milk”) yogurts are all available in plain and flavored varieties.
Greek yogurt is yogurt which has had the liquid whey strained off, making it thick and creamy. It is also available in fat-free, low-fat, and regular versions and comes plain and flavored.
To get more protein, choose Greek yogurt, since it has about twice the amount of protein as other yogurt. Enjoy it with fresh fruit and a sprinkle of low-fat granola for a healthy protein-packed breakfast.
Use protein-rich Greek yogurt where you would ordinarily use light sour cream: in baking cakes and muffins; for topping baked potatoes, nachos, or chili; for making chilled soups; or use it for half of the mayonnaise in creamy salad dressing recipes.
If you like flavored yogurt, choose varieties that are artificially sweetened to cut back on added sugars. Better yet, buy plain yogurt and stir in your own fresh fruit to add flavor and sweetness.
Add yogurt to breakfast smoothies, top pancakes or waffles with a dollop of fruity yogurt, or make a parfait with layers of yogurt and fresh fruit.
Although it’s a better deal to buy yogurt in large containers, the convenience of single-serving yogurt for on-the-go breakfasts and snacks make them worth the price.
| Type of yogurt (½ cup) | PointsPlus value |
| Plain low-fat yogurt | 2 |
| Plain fat-free yogurt | 2 |
| Artificially sweetened low-fat yogurt | 2 |
| Sugar-sweetened flavored (vanilla, coffee, lemon) fat-free yogurt | 2 |
| Sugar-sweetened fat-free fruit-flavored yogurt | 3 |
| Plain low-fat Greek yogurt | 2 |
| Plain fat-free Greek yogurt | 1 |
cinnamon-raisin granola with sunflower seeds
Serves 8 • Vegetarian
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup raw sunflower seeds
3 tablespoons wheat germ
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup honey
¼ cup pure maple syrup
¾ cup golden raisins
1 Preheat oven to 300°F. Spray 10×15-inch rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray.
2 Stir together oats, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, and cinnamon in large bowl. Add honey and maple syrup and stir to coat. Spoon mixture onto baking sheet and spread evenly.
3 Bake, stirring occasionally, until oats and sunflower seeds are golden brown, about 35 minutes. Cool completely and stir in raisins.
PER SERVING (about ½ cup): 276 Cal, 7 g Total Fat, 1 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 0 mg Chol, 6 mg Sod, 50 g Carb, 5 g Fib, 7 g Prot, 43 mg Calc.
PointsPlus value: 7.
cook’s note
If you and your family enjoy granola often—it’s fantastic sprinkled over fresh fruit or plain yogurt for an afternoon snack—make a double batch. The granola can be stored in an airtight container up to 1 month.
maple-spice fruit compote
Serves 8 • Vegetarian
2 navel oranges
2 cups apple cider or unsweetened apple juice
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1 whole star anise
1 (7-ounce) bag mixed dried fruit (such as apples, pears, apricots, and dried plums)
½ cup dried cranberries
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 With vegetable peeler, remove 4 strips of orange peel, each about 1 inch wide and 3 inches long. Set aside oranges. Combine orange peel, apple cider, maple syrup, cinnamon stick, and star anise in medium saucepan. Set over medium-high heat and bring to boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
2 Add mixed dried fruit and cranberries and simmer, covered, until fruit softens, about 5 minutes. Stir in vanilla extract. Pour fruit mixture into bowl and let cool to room temperature.
3 Remove and discard cinnamon stick and star anise. Cut oranges into sections; gently stir into fruit mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
PER SERVING (½ cup fruit with juices): 148 Cal, 0 g Total Fat, 0 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 0 mg Chol, 8 mg Sod, 38 g Carb, 3 g Fib, 1 g Prot, 36 mg Calc.
PointsPlus value: 4.
cook’s note
Enjoy this compote along with plain fat-free Greek yogurt for a healthful breakfast (½ cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt will increase the per-serving PointsPlus value by 1).
walnut-pear coffeecake
Serves 12 • Vegetarian
STREUSEL
⅓ cup walnuts, chopped
3 tablespoons white whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon canola oil
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
CAKE
2 cups white whole wheat flour
½ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1 (6-ounce) container plain fat-free yogurt
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large egg
1 ripe pear, peeled, cored, and diced
1 Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray.
2 To make streusel, stir together walnuts, flour, brown sugar, oil, and cinnamon in small bowl until blended.
3 To make cake, stir together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in large bowl. Whisk together yogurt, applesauce, butter, oil, and egg in medium bowl. Add yogurt mixture and pear to flour mixture; stir just until flour is moistened.
4 Spoon batter into pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle with streusel. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool in pan on wire rack. To serve, cut into 12 pieces.
PER SERVING (1⁄12 of coffeecake): 215 Cal, 8 g Total Fat, 2 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 23 mg Chol, 215 mg Sod, 33 g Carb, 3 g Fib, 5 g Prot, 92 mg Calc.
PointsPlus value: 6.
cook’s note
Walnuts truly are health nuts! One study found that they are second only to blueberries in the amount of antioxidants they contain. But, eat them in moderation—walnuts are high in PointsPlus value (1 tablespoon has 1 PointsPlus value).
maple–raisin bran muffins
Serves 12 • Vegetarian
1½ cups shredded bran cereal
½ cup raisins
½ cup boiling water
¼ cup canola oil
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
¼ cup pure maple syrup
1 large egg
1⅓ cups whole wheat pastry flour
1¼ teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup pecans, chopped
1 Stir together cereal, raisins, water, and oil in a large bowl until moistened; let cool slightly.
2 Add buttermilk, maple syrup, and egg; stir until mixed well. Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in small bowl. Add flour mixture and pecans to cereal mixture and stir just until flour mixture is moistened. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; let stand 15 minutes.
3 Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F. Line 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
4 Fill muffin cups evenly with batter. Bake until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, 20–25 minutes. Let cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and let cool completely on rack.
PER SERVING (1 muffin): 185 Cal, 9 g Total Fat, 1 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 18 mg Chol, 228 mg Sod, 26 g Carb, 5 g Fib, 5 g Prot, 73 mg Calc.
PointsPlus value: 5.
cook’s note
Using bran cereal boosts the fiber in these sweet, moist muffins. Freeze them in a resealable plastic bag up to 3 months, and pop one in the microwave for a healthy on-the-go breakfast.
Maple-Raisin Bran Muffins and Raspberry-Orange Corn Muffins
blueberry-lime loaf cake
Serves 12 • Vegetarian
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon grated lime zest
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1¼ cups sugar
⅔ cup fat-free egg substitute
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt, at room temperature
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 4½×8½-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.
2 Whisk together flour, lime zest, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter until creamy, in a large bowl, about 1 minute. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Gradually beat in egg substitute. Beat in vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and yogurt, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating just until blended. Gently fold in blueberries.
3 Scrape batter into pan; spread evenly. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan and let cool completely on rack.
PER SERVING (1⁄12 of cake): 232 Cal, 7 g Total Fat, 4 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 19 mg Chol, 223 mg Sod, 39 g Carb, 1 g Fib, 4 g Prot, 62 mg Calc.
PointsPlus value: 6
cook’s note
When buying citrus to zest, look for fruit that is unblemished and that shows no signs of shriveling. Most citrus has a coating of wax on the outside. To remove it, scrub the fruit with a vegetable brush and rinse well.
raspberry-orange corn muffins
Serves 12 • Vegetarian
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cornmeal
6 tablespoons sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 large egg
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1½ cups fresh or frozen raspberries
1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
2 Whisk together flour, cornmeal, 5 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Whisk together buttermilk, oil, egg, and orange zest in small bowl. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture and stir just until flour mixture is moistened. Gently stir in raspberries.
3 Fill muffin cups evenly with batter and sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake until muffins spring back when lightly pressed, 15–20 minutes. Let cool in pan on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and let cool on rack about 15 minutes longer. Serve warm.
PER SERVING (1 muffin): 159 Cal, 4 g Total Fat, 1 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 18 mg Chol, 190 mg Sod, 27 g Carb, 2 g Fib, 3 g Prot, 67 mg Calc.
PointsPlus value: 4.
cook’s note
Keep any leftover muffins in a heavy zip-close plastic bag. Store them at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.
coriander-lime roasted pineapple
Serves 4 • Vegetarian • Ready in 20 minutes or less
1 pineapple, peeled and cored
1½ teaspoons canola oil
1 teaspoon coriander
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 Preheat oven to 500°F. Spray large baking sheet with nonstick spray.
2 Cut pineapple into 16 slices. Lightly brush both sides of each slice with oil; sprinkle with coriander.
3 Place pineapple slices on baking sheet. Roast until tender, about 12 minutes. Remove slices from oven; increase oven temperature to broil. Brush slices with lime juice and broil 5 inches from heat until lightly browned on edges, 1–2 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Sprinkle with mint just before serving.
PER SERVING (4 slices): 75 Cal, 2 g Total Fat, 0 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 0 mg Chol, 1 mg Sod, 15 g Carb, 2 g Fib, 1 g Prot, 10 mg Calc.
PointsPlus value: 2.
cook’s note
To make it a meal, enjoy the pineapple with plain fat-free Greek yogurt (½ cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt per serving will increase the PointsPlus value by 1).
lemon–poppy seed flax muffins
Serves 24 • Vegetarian
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
¼ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup ground flaxseeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup fat-free milk
¼ cup canola oil
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
¼ cup lemon juice
1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray 24-cup mini-muffin pan with nonstick spray.
2 Whisk together all-purpose flour, ¾ cup sugar, whole wheat flour, flaxseeds, poppy seeds, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Whisk together milk, oil, egg, egg white, and lemon zest in small bowl. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until blended.
3 Fill muffin cups evenly with batter. Bake until tops spring back when lightly pressed, 10–15 minutes. Cool muffins in pan on rack.
4 Meanwhile, combine remaining ¼ cup sugar and lemon juice in small microwavable bowl. Microwave on High until bubbling, about 1 minute; stir until sugar dissolves. With a wooden skewer, poke a few holes in each muffin. Brush lemon juice mixture over muffins, brushing each a few times to allow juice to seep in. Serve muffins warm or at room temperature.
PER SERVING (1 muffin): 102 Cal, 4 g Total Fat, 1 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 9 mg Chol, 90 mg Sod, 17 g Carb, 1 g Fib, 2 g Prot, 28 mg Calc.
PointsPlus value: 3.
cook’s note
Flaxseeds are an excellent source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. When you eat them, grind the whole seeds in a coffee grinder, or buy them already ground (sometimes called flax meal). If you eat them whole, they pass through the digestive tract undigested and your body can’t reap the healthful benefits.