The perfect healthy snack, yogurt trumps its sugar-loaded twin – ice cream – with its good balance of protein, carbs and fat. Yogurts with live, active cultures also contain probiotics to boost gut health and help with gastrointestinal conditions.
The perfect healthy snack, yogurt trumps its sugar-loaded twin – ice cream – with its good balance of protein, carbs and fat. Yogurts with live, active cultures also contain probiotics to boost gut health and help with gastrointestinal conditions.
But if you thought Greek yogurt, strained to remove most liquid whey, lactose and sugar, was the healthiest of them all, we’ve got news for you: “Regular versions of Greek yogurt can be high in fat. Even the low-fat version isn’t necessarily the healthiest,” says Jaclyn Reutens, clinical dietitian at Aptima Nutrition & Sports Consultants.
“Low-fat Greek-style yogurt, natural plain low-fat or non-fat fruit (flavoured) have roughly the same nutrition scores.” Don’t head to the flavoured yogurts section just yet, though. We challenged ourselves to find the best-tasting yogurts that were less than 100 calories per 100g, and with absolutely no additives.
1 Pauls All Natural Yoghurt ($3.05 for 200g) Taste test Review This yummy yogurt is perfect as an extra dose of creaminess for overnight oats. Plus, it has the lowest calorie count of the lot!
2 Chobani Yogurt ($4.05 for 170g) Taste test Review With a whopping 9.7g protein per 100g serving, this tangy made-in-America yogurt trumps the rest in this aspect.
3 Fage Natural Fat Free Greek Yogurt ($5.50 for 170g) Taste test Review Possibly the best choice for weight watchers, this surprisingly flavour some yogurt is fat-free and low on both calories and carbs.
4 Meiji Bulgaria ($3.95 for a pack of two 110g) Taste test Review Smooth with just the right amount of tart, this yogurt comes in individual tubs so you can resist the urge to overindulge.
5 Yoplait Yoplus Natural Yoghurt ($7.95 for 1kg) Taste test Review While the consistency is thinner than most, the full flavour more than makes up for it. We’re not sure if it’s due to the higher sugar content, but we dig that this ranks top on the calcium count and is the most value-for-money option.
6 Farmers Union Natural Pot Set Yogurt ($2.75 for 200g) Taste test Review This brand’s Greek-style yogurts might be easier to find in stores, but give this all-natural one a chance. It has no additives.
7 Mundella Yoghurt ($6.15 for 500g) Taste test Review We loved the thick, smooth consistency. Yummy as a spread on toast with fruits for a great breakfast treat.
8 Five:am Organic Yoghurt ($12.95 for 700g) Taste test Review Love at first lick! Absolutely smooth and creamy – making it good enough to eat on its own or be blended into a smoothie. It had the highest fat count, which was a bit of a bummer, but that’s still less than others with additives in the mix.
9 Danone Activia Pure Natural Greek Style Yoghurt ($15.45 for 900g) Taste test Review We really like the smooth texture. Plus, it’s not too tart. Other than the usual probiotics, this also has the BL Regularis active culture, which helps those with (ahem) constipation.
All products available at Cold Storage. Read more about each at www.bit.ly/best-yogurt-singapore.
EASY, HEALTHY, SLIMMING
Master basic recipes – plus tricks to vary them – and you’ll always be just minutes from a nutritious meal. Full of lean protein and produce, these dishes will help you drop kilos deliciously. And you’ll still have time to hit the gym. (Recipes and variations at the end of story.)
Edamame Stir-fry With Miso
This veggie dish is loaded with healthy plant-based carbs for steady, long-lasting energy. Thanks to the edamame, it’s also packed with protein to keep you feeling full and satisfied.
A quick sear locks in juices so the chicken breast is perfectly tender and moist.
Tarragon-Lemon Chicken And Mushrooms
The protein in this meal will help you repair and build lean muscle to keep your metabolism revved. The creamy mushroom sauce gives depth and richness to the chicken without adding many calories.
Grain salads taste great – warm or cold. Pack any leftovers for a healthy next-day lunch.
Farro With Greens, Beets, Walnuts And Feta
This sweet and savoury grain-based dish has a whopping 11g of fibre to fill you up. Unlike most grains, farro is high in protein and easy to digest so the body can better absorb its nutrients.
Edamame Stir-fry With Miso
SERVES: 4 ACTIVE TIME: 15 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 15 MINUTES
225g buckwheat noodles ,½ small purple cabbage,2 large carrots ,1 yellow pepper , 8 large radishes ,4 scallions , 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar , 1 tbsp soya sauce , 1 tbsp white or yellow miso paste , 2 tbsp plus 1 tsp toasted sesame oil , 1 garlic clove, minced , 1 tsp grated fresh ginger , 1 cup frozen shelled edamame, defrosted , ¼ cup cilantro leaves.
1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain well, rinse with cool water and set aside.
2. While water for noodles is heating, prep the vegetables: Thinly slice cabbage. Using vegetable peeler, shave carrots into long ribbons. Cut yellow pepper into 5cm matchsticks. Thinly slice radishes and scallions, including green parts.
3. Prepare dressing: In small cup, stir together vinegar, soya sauce, miso, one teaspoon sesame oil, garlic, and ginger.
4. In large skillet or wok, heat remaining sesame oil over high heat. Add cabbage and cook, stirring constantly, for one and a half minutes. Add carrots and pepper, and continue to stir-fry for another minute.
Add edamame, radishes and scallions, and continue to stir-fry for one minute more. Turn heat off , pour soya-miso mixture over vegetables and, using tongs, gently toss to combine. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve over noodles.
Nutrition score per serving 380 calories, 12g fat (1.5g saturated), 57g carbs, 14g protein, 6g fibre, 625mg sodium.
Mix things up
Replace the base. Substitute wholewheat spaghetti or your favourite grain for buckwheat noodles.
Make it Chinese. Swop the vegetables: broccoli, snow peas, water chestnuts, and shiitake mushrooms instead of the cabbage, carrots, yellow pepper, and edamame. And switch cilantro to peanuts.
Turn up the heat. For a spicier stir-fry, use sriracha instead of miso paste.
Tarragon-Lemon Chicken And Mushrooms
SERVES: 4 ACTIVE TIME: 20 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES
450g boneless, skinless chicken breasts , ¼ tsp kosher salt, plus more for seasoning , Freshly ground black pepper ,1 tbsp plus 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil , 450g mixed mushrooms, such as shiitake, cremini, portobello, and button mushrooms , 1 lemon , 2 tsp Dijon mustard , ¾ cup chicken stock ,1 garlic clove, minced , 1 tbsp fresh tarragon leaves, plus more for garnish , 1 tbsp heavy cream.
1. Place chicken between two sheets of parchment or wax paper, and use meat mallet or heavy pan to pound chicken until about 1cm thick. Season on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. In 30cm skillet over mediumhigh, heat two teaspoons oil. Add chicken, cook for one to two minutes, flip and cook for another one to two minutes. Flip again, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Do not lift lid. Remove covered skillet from heat and let chicken rest for eight minutes more before serving.
3. While chicken cooks, slice mushrooms and halve lemon. Juice one lemon half and cut the other half into thin rounds. In small bowl, whisk together mustard and stock. In 23cm skillet , heat remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook for two minutes, stirring constantly. Add lemon juice and cook for another three minutes. Add garlic, a few pinches of salt and stir. Reduce heat to medium low and let mushrooms cook undisturbed for five minutes. Add mustard-stock mixture and raise heat to high. Bring to boil and cook for five minutes.
4. Transfer chicken to plates and pour pan juices into boiling mushroom mixture. Continue to cook for about three minutes more or until slightly thickened. Stir in one tablespoon tarragon, cream, quarter teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Spoon over chicken and garnish with lemon slices and tarragon.
Nutrition score per serving 234 calories, 10g fat (2.4g saturated), 7g carbs, 30g protein, 3g fibre, 515mg sodium.
Mix things up
Give it a South-western twist. Instead of mushrooms, toss in onions, green chillies and black beans. Replace the lemon with a lime and tarragon with cilantro. Eliminate the mustard, stock and cream.
Make a salad. Skip the mushroom sauce. Slice the cooked chicken breast and place it on shredded red cabbage and Swiss chard with thinly sliced apples and scallions. Serve with maple syrup dressing (two tablespoons balsamic vinegar, two tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, two teaspoons maple syrup, two teaspoons Dijon mustard, one-eighth teaspoon kosher salt, and black pepper to taste).
Turn it into soup. Cut out the mushroom sauce. Once the chicken breasts are cooked, chop them up and add to a pot of vegetable or chicken broth along with chopped bok choy, microgreens and sliced mushrooms.
Always pack on the produce for meals that satisfy with fewer calories.
Farro With Greens, Beets, Walnuts And Feta
SERVES: 4 ACTIVE TIME: 25 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES
1 cup farro ,2 cups chicken broth , ½ tsp kosher salt, plus more for seasoning , 450g brussels sprouts ,¾ bunch curly kale leaves (about 170g), thick stems removed , 2 large shallots , 2 small beets (about 170g), peeled, 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil , 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, ½ cup walnuts , 1 tbsp maple syrup , 55g feta ,Freshly ground black pepper (optional).
1. In small pot, bring farro, chicken broth and quarter teaspoon salt to boil. Reduce heat and cook according to package directions.
2. While farro cooks, trim and thinly slice brussels sprouts. Set aside. Roughly chop kale and thinly slice shallots. Cut beets into matchsticks.
3. In medium-size skillet over medium-high, heat oil. Add sliced sprouts and remaining quarter teaspoon salt. Saute for five minutes, stirring frequently. Add shallots and continue to saute and stir for further three minutes. Add kale, one tablespoon vinegar and pinch of salt, and cook until kale wilts. Transfer greens to serving dish.
4. To same pan over medium heat, add walnuts and cook for two minutes, stirring constantly. Add maple syrup and remaining tablespoon balsamic vinegar, and stir to coat, cooking for about 30 seconds more. Layer farro over greens and top with walnuts, beets and feta. Season with black pepper (optional).
Nutrition score per serving 486 calories, 20g fat (4.1g saturated), 61g carbs, 18g protein, 11g fibre, 980mg sodium.
Mix things up
Change the grain. Swop the farro for the same amount of quinoa, freekeh (cereal made from green wheat), black rice, buckwheat or millet.
Go Mediterranean. Replace the brussels sprouts and kale with raw spinach, shallots, and oil-soaked, sun-dried tomatoes. Also substitute black olives for the beets.
Eliminate the maple syrup. Garnish with fresh basil leaves. Add a little sweetness: Replace the brussels sprouts and kale with shaved carrots and thinly sliced fennel and radicchio. And fresh orange segments instead of beets.
