We have a LOT of natural yoghurt in this household. We could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner, simply because we love it so much. And it is super healthful, so we probably COULD eat it all day, every day, and be all the better for it. In this article I will discuss the various benefits and uses of yoghurt.
Why I make SO MUCH Yoghurt
As I said in this post about Uses for Whey, I make a LOT of yoghurt – as much as 6 litres per week.
Why, you ask? Well, there’s one BIG reason, and lots of little ones.
The big reason might surprise you (or might not). Here it is: Milk is FULL of carbs. But yoghurt is not. So there.
The process of fermentation eats up all the carbs and sugars in the milk, and the resulting yoghurt is a probiotic-rich, high-protein substance that is a far superior to the milk. It is less fattening and more nutrient dense.
And the yield from milk is 100% – 1 litre of milk converts to 1 litre of yoghurt.
It’s like yoghurt is a born-again milk. Yay.
This simple difference means that yoghurt is WAY BETTER for you than milk, and so we feed our sons yoghurt on a daily basis. Yoghurt is our go-to when we don’t want a dinner battle, but still want to get nutrients into our boys.
It is an easy dessert, easy breakfast, and easy lunch.
I also LOVE Greek yoghurt. Thick and creamy, it is such a refreshing, clean-eating treat on a summer’s day.
Because we save so much money making it ourselves, we make LOTS of it, to replace other kinds of treats we just can’t afford on a weekly basis: yoghurt, icecream, cream cheese, cottage cheese.
Spending $18 on 9 litres of milk means we can have our versions of all these things, every week, all the time.
So, as you can see, there are many practical benefits for yoghurt. Next, we will dive into the health benefits.
Health Benefits of Yoghurt
Natural Yoghurt is a nutrient powerhouse.
Low-fat, protein-rich and high in probiotics, natural yoghurt is a food that will make your body sing with health. It supports your immune system, helps with weight management, and is powerful for your gut.
Yoghurt also contains many micro-nutrients: calcium, vitamins B6 and B12, riboflavin, potassium, and magnesium.
Because the process of fermentation has eaten up most of the lactose sugars, people with a lactose intolerance may be able to tolerate yoghurt.
Natural Yoghurt is great for growing children and adults alike. I once knew a man who ate yoghurt for breakfast, lunch and dinner. He was as thin as a rake and his eyes glowed with health.
And if you make it yourself (using this recipe), you will save so much money, plus there will be no added thickeners or sugars.
Since we are all about being Healthy on a Budget here at Simply Home and Health, homemade yoghurt plays a major role in achieving that.
How to Use Yoghurt
We’ve talked about the benefits of Yoghurt, now let’s get to the uses! Yoghurt can be enjoyed in many ways. It is not a hard thing at all to have to consume!
Plain and simple
This homemade yoghurt is just good, straight from the fridge. It is still thick and smooth and not over-tart. It doesn’t even need sweetener (although I do add some).
This plain, unstrained yoghurt is scrumptious with any topping, but it is particularly delicious with a dash of honey and cinnamon.
The cinnamon boasts of amazing vitamins, so a swirl of that through some honey-sweetened yoghurt is a great way to pack some nutrients into your children without the battle. Tick, mama!
Strained
If you strain this yoghurt through a fine-mesh tea-towel, you will get Greek-style Yoghurt. Greek-style yoghurt is just sublime. Smooth, thick, luscious and less tart, it is an amazing treat.
I usually top with fresh or stewed berries for a treat breakfast or dessert.
If you strain it for AGES, it becomes like the texture and taste of cream cheese. You could then use it on toast or bagels, or cake icings. Decadence without the damage to your body! I’m in for that!
Baking
You can use this homemade yoghurt instead of oil or milk in cake recipes to make them less fattening.
The yoghurt keeps baked goods moist and helps to bind them.
Note: simply swapping out yoghurt for fat won’t make the whole thing healthy, especially if it has sugar and flour in it. But it will be better for you, you know? Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water, as they say.
Smoothies
Use yoghurt as the liquid in your smoothies to inject more protein and probiotics into that concoction! Plus, the thickness of the yoghurt will make the smoothie a more luxurious texture than if you had simply used milk.
Or, put it in this strawberry icecream recipe. Homemade frozen yoghurt, instantly? This is such a delicious and refreshing recipe, but it is SO much healthier when yoghurt is used.
Final thoughts on Yoghurt
The ultimate purpose of Simply Home and Health is to show you how you can achieve health in simple, cost-effective ways.
Homemade yoghurt is one of the amazing ways we can achieve this. It is such a cheap thing to make. All you need is a bit of time, a bit of organisation, and a bit of milk.
The benefits and uses for yoghurt are abundant.
If you had to eat one thing for the rest of your life, you could probably eat natural yoghurt, and still be healthy. You would be having a high-protein, probiotic and vitamin-dense food. You could feed it to your children for every meal, and not worry about them lacking any good thing.
Plus it goes down so easily!
If you make it yourself, you will be saving truckloads of money!
Like being healthy on a budget? Check out these other Articles!
