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Like milk, yogurt has a naturally low GL (after all, yogurt is nothing more than fermented milk). The unidentified natural component in milk that experts think may help prevent insulin resistance is there in yogurt, too. Since it’s fermented by bacteria, yogurt also contains acids, and you’ve already read that acids can help lower blood sugar.
You can drink your yogurt in a smoothie or eat it with fresh fruit. Another reason we like yogurt: It’s a calcium-rich and lower-fat substitute for some or all of the mayonnaise in creamy salads and the sour cream in baked goods, soups, and chip dips.
Compared to milk, yogurt is usually better tolerated by people who are lactose intolerant. Even though yogurt contains lactose, or milk sugar, the bacterial cultures used to make it help to digest the lactose.
When it comes to yogurt types, low-fat and fat-free are, of course, your best choices. Skip “fruit on the bottom” brands, if they are loaded with added sugar. You can always add your own fresh fruit.
You can count yogurt as a calcium-rich bone builder. It provides the same 300 milligrams per 8 ounces (250 ml) as milk. And it counts as a dairy food in the famously healthy DASH diet, proven to help control high blood pressure.
Yogurt contains “good” bacteria, the kind that offer numerous health benefits, including boosting the immune system, alleviating diarrhea caused by some infections or treatment with antibiotics, relieving constipation, and even reducing the risk of developing colon cancer. Some people like to eat yogurt whenever they’re taking antibiotics to replace the beneficial bacteria in the gut that the drugs obliterate.
As far as yogurt’s immune benefits go, more than 70 percent of the body’s natural immune defenses are located in the digestive tract. Building up the population of good bacteria there may help boost production of important immune system compounds, making you more resistant to viruses.
There’s also evidence that women who regularly eat yogurt with live Lactobacillus acidophilus cultures get fewer yeast infections.
Only yogurts labeled “contains live, active cultures” have bacteria that are still active (unless they were pasteurized after the bacterial cultures were added, which destroys the bacteria; these yogurts should be labeled “heat-treated after culturing”).
To get the most bacterial benefit from yogurt, use it by the expiration date on the carton. The “friendly” bacteria begin dying when the yogurt is no longer fresh. Cooking destroys the beneficial bacteria, but even cooked yogurt is a low-GL food.
Cooking with yogurt on top of the stove can be tricky since it usually curdles when boiled. When adding it to hot dishes, stabilize it first by mixing in 1 teaspoon of cornstarch per cup of yogurt. Add it toward the end of the cooking time.
Substitute yogurt for sour cream in baked goods.
Make your favorite chip or vegetable dip using low-fat plain yogurt instead of sour cream.
Replace half the mayonnaise in creamy salad dressings with yogurt.
Use yogurt as a restaurant-worthy garnish for pureed vegetable soups, such as a squash or carrot soup. First, thin the yogurt with low-fat milk to make it the same consistency as the soup. Drop dollops of the mixture into the soup, then draw the tip of a knife or toothpick through it to create swirls.
Use a dollop on chili instead of sour cream.
Make cool, creamy fruit soup with low-fat plain yogurt, sliced peaches, strawberries, orange juice, and honey. Process in the blender, then garnish with fresh mint leaves.
Serve a cucumber salad made with grated cucumbers and carrots, diced onion, chopped dill, low-fat plain yogurt, and salt and pepper to taste.
Top sliced fruit with yogurt or create a beautiful breakfast parfait. In a tall, chilled parfait glass, layer low-fat plain yogurt with fresh blueberries and oat and nut granola.
Dip Granny Smith apples into yogurt for a refreshing snack.
Make a refreshing yogurt cooler (ayran, a traditional Turkish beverage) by combining equal parts yogurt and cold water and a pinch of salt in a blender. Serve over crushed ice.
To make yogurt creamier and richer tasting, make yogurt “cheese.” Spoon yogurt into a cheesecloth-lined sieve, set over a bowl, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. Discard the liquid (whey) that has accumulated in the bowl. Use the “cheese” as a substitute for cream cheese or sour cream. Stir in chopped fresh herbs, scallions, and garlic to make a delicious low-fat herbed cheese spread.
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