11 Reasons You Should Eat Greek Yogurt for Dinner

Sure, Greek yogurt is an excellent (if obvious) choice for a healthy breakfast. The protein-rich, low-sugar favorite is certain to keep you full until lunchtime, and checks off a number of the day’s nutritional requirements. But have you considered eating or cooking with Greek yogurt for dinner, instead? Its thick texture and inherent creaminess make it an ideal stand-in for other dairy products, instantly upping a dish’s nutritional ante and cutting its calories and fat. If you need further convincing, read on for 11 enticing reasons you should eat Greek yogurt tonight.

1. It gives a bed of orzo and peas guilt-free creaminess.
Together with oil, garlic and lemon juice, yogurt gives this Creamy Lemon Pepper Orzo with Grilled Chicken its dish-defining moisture (and pleasant tang).

2. It makes your salad dressing seem more sinful than it is.
In this Greek Meatball Salad, beef meatballs, tomatoes, mint and pita chips are combined with a simple dressing of oil, vinegar and yogurt for a true Mediterranean affair.

3. It’s better on fajitas than sour cream.
Chicken Fajitas are served with the usual accoutrements, plus one very important stand-in: Greek yogurt that has been blended with freshly toasted cumin and coriander.

4. It’s the perfect counterpoint to a spicy slow-cooker curry.
This set-and-forget Slow-Cooker Chicken Curry possesses plenty of spice, and like other Indian dishes, benefits from the cooling power of a dollop of yogurt.

5. Because you’d never miss the heavy cream it replaces in sauces for pasta and such.
Though this Penne a la Vodka is lightened up, you’d never know it. The dish seems just as indulgent as its heavy cream-wielding counterparts, and packs more protein, to boot.

6. It balances out the mayo in chicken salad (or any deli-style salad).
Even though the bad rap mayo got in years past has subsided, subbing Greek yogurt for half of it in this Herbal Chicken Salad recipe adds nutritional value and more substantial creaminess to the sandwich.

7. Chicken fingers were meant to be dipped into a garlicky pepper-basil-yogurt sauce.
Honestly, why bother with sugary ketchup or barbecue sauce when you have this herby, veggie-filled sauce to liven up Homemade Frozen Chicken Fingers?

8. It makes leaner burger patties surprisingly moist and flavorful.
Turkey Burgers gain oomph from the jerk seasoning-spiked yogurt sauce that helps bind and marinate the patties. Serve them on sweet potato rounds for a lower-carb, nutrient-dense meal.

9. It makes risotto even creamier than you’d anticipate.
Yogurt and grated Parmesan thicken this verdant Risotto with Yogurt and Peas just before serving.

10. It’s an ideal taco topping. (Can you feel the light bulb switching off?)
These 5-star Tofu Tacos owe their high rating to the zesty lime-and-yogurt sauce that brings together the crisp tofu pieces, coleslaw, cilantro, radish and scallion mixture.

11. It makes a killer sandwich spread.
The layers of a classic club sandwich like this Veggie Lover’s version are bound and flavored by a simple yogurt-avocado mixture.

from Healthy Eats – Food Network Healthy Living Blog http://ift.tt/1GuTn06