What Are Greek Yogurt Smoothies?

Greek yogurt smoothies are both delicious and healthy, offering calcium from the yogurt as well as fiber and vitamins from the fruit. They are a cinch to make. Whipping Greek yogurt and one or more fruits in the blender is all it takes to make a delicious, quick breakfast, midafternoon pick-me-up, or healthy prebedtime snack.

Thicker than other types, Greek yogurt makes a smoothie that clings to a spoon and has both a richer taste and more velvety mouth feel. It is readily available in most supermarkets. The wise cook, however, knows it can easily be made by straining regular yogurt through cheesecloth to drain off the watery whey.

A sinfully delectable smoothie can be created by including a frozen banana. The banana flavor is minimal, and the smoothie gains the texture of slightly melted ice cream without the calories. The banana should be peeled before freezing, though, because trying to get a peel off a frozen banana is nearly impossible.

Berry lovers will find that they are more than welcome in a breakfast smoothie. Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, either alone or in combination, sweeten up Greek yogurt smoothies. When in season, pitted cherries are a special smoothie treat.

Some cooks purchase fresh berries and other fruit when they are on sale and freeze them in a single layer. Once frozen, the fruit can be stored in zip-type freezer bags for wonderfully fresh-tasting smoothies even when the price of fruit zooms sky-high. Frozen berries are also usually available in groceries, but they are likely to cost more.

Tropical Greek yogurt smoothies are easy to whip up. Drained pineapple, either fresh or canned, creates a taste foundation upon which to build. Fresh bananas offer more taste and less thickening texture than frozen ones. Peeled and sliced mango adds a nicely textured note. For fans of coconut, adding a little fresh or dried coconut just makes sense.

To create protein-rich Greek yogurt smoothies, some cooks like to add a dollop of peanut butter, cashew butter, or almond butter. This works especially well with banana-based smoothies. This one tastes best with just a single fruit, such as raspberries or strawberries.

Too-tart Greek smoothies can be mellowed with a little honey, brown sugar, or sugar. Most smoothie artists, however, are content to let nature’s own sweetness come out in the fruit alone. For anyone on a diet, low-fat or fat-free Greek yogurt will cut calories.