# Plain yogurt is so gross!



## Ldavis24 (Feb 19, 2009)

That is the unfortunate conclusion that DH and DD and I have come to.

After reading the posts about stonyfield yo baby yogurt and how much sugar there is in them (something I never noticed and have been giving DD for ages) we decided to try the plain yobaby yogurt as it has no sugar...

Well it was disgustingly sour. Yikes!! Is that how it is supposed to taste?

We also got some TJ's plain whole milk yogurt too and that was even more sour. So sour we just threw it away immediately because NONE of us was going to touch it..

Is that how plain yogurt is supposed to be? And how do you eat it? I can barely put it on my tongue without wanting to use a shoe horn to scrape my tongue clean..

DD was not impressed when I shoved some plain yobaby in her mouth lwith mashed blueberries and bananas in it...She was very unhappy about the taste.

Is homemade plain yogurt better tasting? I want to eat the plain but I just can't get past the taste!


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## BetsyS (Nov 8, 2004)

You can put sugar in it. Or honey. Or whatever sweetener you like.

I think going from pre-sweetened yogurt to plain is quite a jump. Sort of like going from frou-frou Starbucks drinks to black coffee. Too extreme for me. I'd take baby steps.

FWIW, I eat yogurt with honey and granola mostly. My kids eat it with a spoonful of jam stirred in.


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## beebalmmama (Jul 21, 2005)

Honestly it is an acquired taste if you've been eating a lot of sweetened yogurt. I mix ds's yogurt with pureed prunes and it tastes pretty sweet to me (usually 1/2 prunes and 1/2 yogurt). I've found that once we switched to yogurt with less sugar (usually vanilla flavor) that the plain yogurt doesn't taste so sour to me anymore. Ds 5.5yrs will eat plain yogurt if I sprinkle a little sugar in it.

Maybe try mixing it with a sweeter or more concentrated fruit than banana.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Ldavis24*
> 
> That is the unfortunate conclusion that DH and DD and I have come to.
> 
> ...


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## Arduinna (May 30, 2002)

I love plain yogurt, buy small containers of healthy full fat whole milk yogurt and find a brand you like. We love Nancy's and Fage. There are quite a few horrid tasting yogurts in the health food stores and Whole Foods, you have to find the one you like. Of course it helps if you aren't already used to the sickening sweet stuff.


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## ammiga (Jan 22, 2009)

We mix it with honey and/or granola and/or pure fruit puree.


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## Arduinna (May 30, 2002)

Personally, I'd just quit with the sweetened fruit yogurt ( and I'm not anti sugar in general). Start serving it as a savory and coolant. Outside the US yogurt is not traditionally served all sweetened up. It's awesome as raita with veggies like beets or cucumber in it as a side dish. It's also used in a variety of savory dips with mint or dill and garlic. It makes a great smoothie base a la lassi. At this point their taste buds equate yogurt with sugary fruit flavors, widen the repertoire.


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## Addie (Dec 19, 2009)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *BetsyS*
> 
> I think going from pre-sweetened yogurt to plain is quite a jump. Sort of like going from frou-frou Starbucks drinks to black coffee. Too extreme for me. I'd take baby steps.


I think this is very true. We all eat plain whole milk yogurt, usually from Trader Joe's. It's the only kind of yogurt DS (15 mo) has ever had, he eats it many mornings and often as a mid-day snack.









Like PPs said, you could sweeten it with honey, maple syrup, or fresh fruit and you'd still come out ahead of pre-sweetened yogurt. Sometimes we'll blend it with frozen mangoes or blueberries (also from TJ's) or banana as a treat for DS, he loves it.


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## oiseau (Mar 30, 2008)

When I got a blender and started making smoothies last year, it took me a long time to find a plain yogurt I liked. I'm used to pretty sweet stuff too and I was trying to cut back on sugar in the smoothie (I actually don't add any sweeteners, so I just wanted to get rid of the sugar in the yogurt). It took lots of tries to find a plain yogurt that I didn't think was horrific. I've found that the plain Fage is really yummy but plain Stonyfield or TJ's brand (those are actually the same I think) were both icky to me. In the end, I found a local brand that they sell at my health food store that I can eat plain without making a face! You might want to try a few different brands to see if you can find another one you like better. There's a pretty wide variation in flavors of plain yogurt.

Stirring in granola, fruit or some type of sweetener helps too! In my experience, homemade plain yogurt is less sour to me though I still have to stir something in to really enjoy it. At least that way I can control how much sugar I'm stirring in.


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## Sol_y_Paz (Feb 6, 2009)

I also do not care for the taste and texture, greek yogurt has a different texture that is more tolerable to me. But I still buy plain, only I can't eat it straight. You can use spices and make a dip to dip veggies or pita chips in. Instead of butter or milk use yogurt for noodles like mac and cheese. Put a small amount in a bowl and add some honey, fresh fruits and granola with spices like cinnamon or a drop of vanilla. It tastes great as a thickener in smoothies.


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## JudiAU (Jun 29, 2008)

This thread made me laugh. YoBaby plain is actually a really mild culture and I buy it because both kids like it plain. But they've always been eating it...

Yes, the other yobaby has added sugar but it LESS than adult yogurt. My kids get totally excited when they get the flavors. (We always have yogurt in the bath.)

But don't get me started on the switch to homogenized. Still really irritated about it.

Sugar content is yogurt varies a lot. Vanilla almost always has the most sugar. If your family is used to commericially sweetened, it will be hard to duplicate it at home. Instead, consider "watering down" flavored yogurt. I like Wallaby and TJ's like-Wallaby and mix in full fat greek. The thick greek helps the texture from getting too thin and cuts the sugar but retains quite a lot of flavor. I like the extra fat for the kids and finding full fat flavored is fine.


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## Ldavis24 (Feb 19, 2009)

Yay! Thank you for all the ideas.

I have a confession...I LOVE YOBABY. I like it more than regular yogurts especially because you can NEVER find whole milk yogurt anymore and that is all I like anway. The other stuff is just beyond nasty...How can you have yogurt with ZERO fat...so gross...

Anyway yes we have been sweetened yogurt people since before DD was born. I actually never thought about it even though I am usually obsessed with everything we eat.

I love yobaby just vanilla, sooo yummy. I also put granola in it all the time (homemade maple almond yum!) and that is often a breakfast with me. Usually with some banana or blueberries that DD didn't eat.

I like the idea of buying the sweet still but cutting it with plain to slowly introduce just plain yogurt.

Also I will try the sweetening ideas of honey or maybe even maple syrup (my favorite)...

I seriously just thought we got a bad batch of yogurt! DH was shocked as well.

I bet you would find most people would be shocked ,its all I grew up with...yoplait blurgh


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## Ann15 (Apr 15, 2008)

I also like using frozen fruit because it gives off more juice to flavor the yogurt. The wild organic frozen blueberries from TJ's are really small and easy for little ones to eat once they get past needing them mashed. My DC like the yobaby or TJ's kids' yogurt that is similar, but it's more of a treat if we are traveling and need something more convenient. Like when we go to the IL's and the "strawberry" yogurt MIL buys is just pink without any actual fruit in it.


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## HollyBearsMom (May 13, 2002)

Why not start by adding a some jam and then slowly reducing the amount you add. I use a pure fruit jam that has no added sugar-its just the fruit and fruit juice for sweetener. You can either swirl it in or puree it for a smoother consistency that is more like Yo baby.

Your local HF store should have no sugar added jam or if in your US you could try Whole Foods or Trader Joes. If you don't have those stores Polaner is an OK name brand one you can find in any US grocery store,


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## Llyra (Jan 16, 2005)

A spoonful of jam in a cup of yogurt is our solution... Another idea would be to go gradually-- when I "weaned" DD1 onto plain, I started by mixing it. I'd give her a bowl of sweetened, with a small amount of plain, and then gradually increase the amount of plain.


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## mommy212 (Mar 2, 2010)

Almost every morning, i feed DS (16 months) a bowl of sliced banana, blueberries, whatever other soft fruits I have with just enough plain yogurt to coat it, and I also mix in some oats and flax oil or flax seeds. He loves it and has since i started making it a few months ago. You will get used to it if you try it - i don't even like sweetened yogurt anymore and I am a sugar-holic. Also I don't know if you have tried organic whole milk yogurt but i find it tastes sweeter than non-organic. I also mix a spoonful into applesauce with oats and flax oil for breakfast sometimes too and he enjoys that as well.


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## staceychev (Mar 5, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Ldavis24*
> The other stuff is just beyond nasty...How can you have yogurt with ZERO fat...so gross...
> 
> Anyway yes we have been sweetened yogurt people since before DD was born. I actually never thought about it even though I am usually obsessed with everything we eat.


Oh, gosh--is the plain yogurt you bought NON-FAT? GROSS! I agree with PPs that the sour taste is definitely something you need to acclimate to. That, to me, is worth trying. But non-fat? Never!


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## Llyra (Jan 16, 2005)

In general, the higher the fat content of your yogurt, the sweeter its natural taste would be. Plain fat-free yogurt tastes, to me, like stinky feet.

I've made yogurt from Jersey milk before, with very high milkfat content-- 7 or even 9%-- and it's wonderfully sweet. One solution to commercial whole-milk yogurt (which is about 3.5% milkfat) is to add extra cream to it.


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## erratum (May 26, 2008)

I'm not usually a big fan of stevia, but I find that sour things can really stand up to the "fake" after taste and you don't notice it. Plain yogurt works GREAT with stevia (especially this stuff: http://www.amazon.com/Stevia-Clear-Liquid-Vanilla-Creme/dp/B000ELQNRO ) . It makes a good lemonade, too.


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## Ldavis24 (Feb 19, 2009)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *staceychev*
> 
> Oh, gosh--is the plain yogurt you bought NON-FAT? GROSS! I agree with PPs that the sour taste is definitely something you need to acclimate to. That, to me, is worth trying. But non-fat? Never!


Ohh no. Never non fat yogurt in this house. ONLY whole milk yogurt. I was referencing non fat in regard to growing up being fed non fat yoplait (blech). My mom still tries to give DD that when we visit and I end up buying some whole milk stuff for her. We generally only do organic dairy products as well. Being a huge dairy fiend myself (I can easily drink a half gallon of milk in a day if I don't keep an eye on it) I can easily taste the difference between most dairy that is either organic or non organic.

DH actually bought some plain Stonyfield yogurt today and he mixed honey in it. It was really good! Totally edible and we both had some. DD was still not impressed but this kid HATES the taste of honey as much as I wish she'd like it.


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## Elizabeth2008 (Nov 26, 2008)

if you're used to Yo Baby, you might have a hard time! Lol... that stuff is soooo sweet. I love plain yogurt, but it is an aquired taste, just like keifir or buttermilk. DS had nothing but plain yogurt until he was 2 and he loved it. You can put honey in it or use it in smoothies. Also, you can use it instead of sour cream in soups or mexican food. I get the whole milk kind for sure, it's much better. I use it to go with corn tamales and in tomato soup. yum. With fruit and a little honey it's also delicious. Then again, it just may not be your cup of tea


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## moondiapers (Apr 14, 2002)

We love plain greek yogurt, but we don't expect it to taste sweet. I eat it when sourcream would be appropriate.


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## Hedgehog Mtn (Jan 14, 2008)

I much prefer butterworks farm because they use jersey milk but if you aren't near VT you might not have that option. They sweeten with real maple syrup too

Anywhoooo..... What we've always done is mix 1 qt whole milk plain and 1 qt whole milk maple. OR if I'm buying stoneyfield which I sometimes do because we are driving distance from them I'll do 1 plain and 1 wm vanilla.

I guess this works for us because we have 7 people so a half gallon of mixed yogurt still doesn't last long  but you could do it with one each of serving sized.

Also just FYI TJs is Stonyfield and manufactured in the plant here in NH and stonyfield 40% is owned by Group Danone, I believe they also own Dannon, Dannon and SF are always referred to as "sister brands" which I'm assuming means they are own by the same "parent group".


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## Ldavis24 (Feb 19, 2009)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Hedgehog Mtn*
> 
> I much prefer butterworks farm because they use jersey milk but if you aren't near VT you might not have that option. They sweeten with real maple syrup too
> 
> ...


Interesting info, thanks for that.

I wish we closer to VT but here on the Cape in MA we are hours away unfortunately. Never seen the brand you mentioned in stores around here. I will check WF next time we wander over there for some specialty item.

I knew that when wal-mart started carrying Stonyfield products they were going to have to seriously up production and I figured that it would mean a buy-out I just didn't know about the info..So depressing.


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## Ellp (Nov 18, 2004)

I make our own yoghurt from 2% (fat) milk, powdered milk and yogurt starter (from a previous batch) and it turns out great.

We almost always have a batch in the fridge and we use it in a variety of things. Mostly though we have it with home made jam. For easier mixing, warm up the jam a little before adding the yoghurt and mixing. Its less clumpy that way.

Our other uses for yogurt are: a dollop in pancake batter, spread on pancakes (sweeten first), used plain in beef stroganoff (or in any other recipe which calls for sour cream), smoothies, and as a base for icing/frosting (just beat in icing sugar). The kids love to have yoghurt sundaes. Just add whatever cereal topping, dried fruit, jam you have on top of plain yoghurt.

After having our home made yoghurt for so long, commercial stuff just tastes strange. Way too sweet and jello like.


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## Owen'nZoe (Sep 7, 2005)

Someone else mentioned this, but you might want to give Fage a try if you can find it where you live. The culture they use seems really mild compared to a lot of brands, and the texture is really nice. We drizzle it with a little honey and top with crushed walnuts and my kids love it.

I know others have also mentioned using it as a savory side, but I'll add a few ideas here, too. You can use it straight out of the carton pretty much anywhere you'd use sour cream. If you want to make a delicious dip or sandwich spread, add a little garlic, salt and finely chopped cucumber or mint. And if you want a really yummy complete meal, try making Fattee: http://www.foodbuzz.com/recipes/120035-lebanese-fatteh-blahmeh. This recipe is for lamb and looks delicious, but we make it with a layer of rice, a layer of stewed chicken, a layer of fried pita bread and toasted pine nuts, a little broth, topped with a layer of garlicky yogurt.

ETA: Just found a chicken version that looks close to the one I make: http://www.grouprecipes.com/42834/chicken-fattee.html. I'm veg, so I replace the chicken with chickpeas and the chicken broth with veg broth for my portion, and it really is heavenly! The yogurt sauce plays a really important role, but there are so many flavors, it might help you get used to the yogurt taste without being overwhelmed by it.


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## libbylovely (Sep 13, 2009)

My new fave way to sweeten my plain yogurt has been to add a 1/4 cup or so of orange juice. It tastes like a creamsicle. pure deliciousness, i assure you. My old fave is a spoonful of honey or maple syrup.


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## Holiztic (Oct 10, 2005)

I agree with previous posters that you should use whole fat for sure, and use your own sweetener and WEAN THEM slowly. It is simply an acquired taste, it will continue to taste sweet to them as you wean slowly. And eventually they will come to like the sour taste,

I started DS on plain yogurt at 10 months and he still (at almost 4) eats plenty of sour foods (lots of fermented food!)

I don't think of yogurt as a sweet food at all, I wouldn't want my sour cream to be sweet either! But I do occasionally put the tiniest drizzle of maple or raw honey for a little treat. I don't stir it in either, I love that contrast of a mostly sour bite with a spot of sweet.

Try the European (red container) yogurt at trader joe's--stir that delicious cream in! So good!


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## oceanbaby (Nov 19, 2001)

We eat plain yogurt with a bit of maple syrup mixed in.


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## redvlagrl (Dec 2, 2009)

I was never plain yoghurt fan until I found a brand I like (Astro Balkan style in Canada). It's not at all sour. I hate the sour stuff.

Try sweetening it with honey and some sesame seeds. We had the Fage greej yog when we were in NYC last month and we all loved it. Both my kids will eat plain yog but with DD we started her with some maple syrup in it and then gradually reduced it. Poor DS has had plain from the get go. Poor second child, LOL


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## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

I like plain yogurt (and I wouldn't even choke down the sweetened stuff until I was almost 20). But, my kids are iffy on it. DD1 will eat it in smoothies, but that's about it. DS2 will eat it, but doesn't really like it, unless I add a dab of maple syrup. I put in probably about a quarter to a half teaspoon, and that's good as far as he's concerned.

Since dd1 does eat sweetened yogurt sometimes, dd2 is now asking for it. I give her about a tablespoon of sweetened/fruit yogurt in a dish (about a half cup, I'd say) of unsweetened yogurt, and she loves that.

We haven't got the sweetened yogurt out of the house, though. I have too much demand for it. We just try to keep the quantity down.


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## weliveintheforest (Sep 3, 2005)

I find the more fat, the better the taste! You can try making your own with different types of culture, some are less sour. We prefer our yogurt sweetend, or with sliced up bananas or something. A favourite weekend breakfast is plain yogurt with a big spoonful of leftover fruit crumble.


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## meemee (Mar 30, 2005)

OP can you make the yoghurt yourself?

you will have to play around and experiment quite a bit (because local conditions matter and if you put it in the fridge at the right time).

it is DELICIOUS.

dd and i never add sweeteners. only salt and pepper.


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## 425lisamarie (Mar 4, 2005)

We eat a little yogurt, plain full fat whole milk with some fruit or honey/maple syrup and vanilla. But normally I make dips. My kids could eat VATS of tzatziki, and I'm not opposed to a sugar snack here and there. It's funny when at my mom's and i hear her say "oh, you shouldn't have that, here, have this *yoplait low fat sugar artificial colored yogurt* LOL. Honestly I'd rather them eat a small bowl of homemade ice cream than a commercial yogurt. Even the natural fruit ones are LOADED with sugar. If you're eating it as a sweet fine, but my kids STILL expect their dessert.


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