Product Review: Stonyfield Oikos Organic
May 4, 2009
I used to loathe yogurt. L O A T H E D it. Even the super sweet, yucky fruit on the bottom kind. I remember my brother would eat it as a kid and my mom would say it was good for us because it was "alive." That always freaked me out. I didn’t understand. How was it a living thing and WHY would you want to eat it?
Of course as I got older I learned more about yogurt and what it is but I still didn’t like it. It wasn’t until I was pregnant that it started to sound appealing. Strange, I know. I literally never bought a container of yogurt until perusing my local grocery story about 3 months pregnant. All of sudden, it sounded good and I’ve been eating yogurt ever since. Go figure. lol
I started just buying the small cups of Dannon or Yoplait, which ever one was on sale Then I moved to the large tubs of fat free plain and started using it in recipes (everything from smoothies to salad dressings.) It’s such an awesome way to add a creaminess without any fat. Soon people where urging me to try Greek yogurt but I didn’t get it. I mean yogurt’s yogurt. Right?
Then I tried Fage. Boy was I wrong. Greek yogurt really is different. It’s thicker, tastier and well, just different! I enjoyed it even more. The problem is it’s not readily available where I shop. I’ve seen it in Trader Joe’s, of course, but my local store doesn’t carry it. So when Stonyfield asked me to try their new organic Greek style yogurt, OIkos, I was psyched! Stonyfield is a pretty popular brand and I know my store already carries their regular organic yogurt.
They shipped me plain, vanilla, honey and my favorite, blueberry. All were delicious. I even used the honey for a quick smoothie idea using mango and banana. I haven’t had Fage in awhile but from what I can remember it has a very similar taste and texture.
If you never tried a Greek Style here’s a bit of info from Stonyfield…
Oikos Organic is the only nationally distributed organic Greek yogurt on the market today.
Called “yiaourti” in Greece, Greek yogurt is thicker than regular yogurt. Authentic Greek yogurt like Oikos Organic owes its lavish texture to a centuries-old straining process that removes the whey (liquid) from the yogurt.
For hundreds of years, Greeks have prized strained yogurt for its richness and creaminess. Before the time of mechanical refrigeration, Greeks also knew that yogurt stayed fresh longer with the liquid strained off. Today we know that straining makes Greek yogurt naturally richer in protein than regular yogurt, and lower in carbohydrates.
Oikos Organic Greek yogurt reflects that tradition as a tangy, incredibly lush yogurt with twice the calcium of the leading Greek yogurt.
Other benefits of 0% Fat Oikos Organic Greek yogurt:
- It’s diet friendly with 120 calories or less, 0g fat and up to 15g of protein per 5.3 oz. serving.
- It includes five live and active cultures, including L. acidophilus, Bifidus and L. Casei.
- It’s certified organic, made with milk from farms that don’t use toxic persistent chemicals and fertilizers, antibiotics or synthetic growth hormones.
- An excellent source of hunger-satisfying protein, Oikos Organic Greek yogurt has no artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners — no aspartame or sucralose, ever!
I also got word that they will be introducing a new strawberry flavor next month. Which I’m psyched for as I’ve always been a strawberry fiend myself. :)
Has anyone seen these at their local stores yet? Have you given it a try? Let me know!
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On May 4th, 2009 at 3:25 pm Patty said:
Yes I’ve tried this and it was creamy and good. I still buy the “regular” style yogurt though, I’m a whatever is on sale type of shopper!
On May 4th, 2009 at 3:32 pm roni said:
Glad I’m not the only one. ;)
On May 4th, 2009 at 3:33 pm Amanda said:
Roni,
I buy this brand regularly, in the Vanilla and also the Plain flavor. I love them both, very delicious and creamy! I will keep an eye out for the Strawberry!
On May 4th, 2009 at 3:41 pm shawna said:
Yes, this has been in my local store for a while now, and I LOVE it! I prefer the plain and to add my own honey. It’s a bit pricey, but truth be told, I’d take an oikos with some berries and honey over ice cream - it’s that good!
On May 4th, 2009 at 4:43 pm Jo said:
Over here in the UK the only brand I ever see is Fage. I wish there were some other brands to try. Strawberry sounds amazing!
On May 4th, 2009 at 4:47 pm valerie said:
I am not a fan of yogurt at all… that is until I tried Fage. I love the individual size with the fruit or honey. I don’t think they are especially low in fat but I really enjoy them. I wanted to get some of the Trader Joe’s brand greek yogurt this weekend but it was hot out and we still had several stops to make so it might have gotten all yucky and gross.
On May 4th, 2009 at 4:56 pm lunzy said:
yes yes yes!! I finally found Greek yogurt after looking for a while. It’s at our nicer market, Martins (Food Giant, I think). I think I’ve tried three different types now!
My favorite is actually just vanilla or plain with honey, add some granola sometimes for breakfast. I looooooooooooooove it. It IS a bit pricey, but I had a coupon and now I’m hooked. Nothing is really tasting as good to me know. I guess I’m a yogurt snob now! ;)
Lisa
http://www.lunzygras.com
On May 4th, 2009 at 5:01 pm Thursday's Child said:
I actually just bought three of these from my local Kroger’s - I’d been wanting to try Greek yogurt and they were on mega-sale. The taste is a little stronger than regular yogurt but the texture is far creamier and with some fruit or granola thrown in, I have to say, I much prefer it to regular yogurt!
On May 4th, 2009 at 5:34 pm Arlene said:
I had the blueberry once. Picked it up at Wal-Mart, of all places, and ate it after WI at a WW meeting. I’d definitely get it again.
On May 4th, 2009 at 5:56 pm Christine said:
Giant just started selling Chobani greek yogurt. I like it. I am in College Park, MD–do you have Giant up by you?
On May 4th, 2009 at 5:57 pm Heather said:
I LOVE Greek Yogurt, but I haven’t seen Stonyfield’s Organic Greek yogurt here yet, so I continue to make my own (http://whatscookininheatherskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/04/greek-style-yogurt-or-yogurt-cheese.html).
On May 4th, 2009 at 6:04 pm Tanya said:
I only eat non-dairy yogurt these days, but Oikos is probably my fave Greek yogurt!!
On May 4th, 2009 at 6:12 pm Andi said:
The Chobani strawberry yogurt is the best! It’s on sale often at Giant.
On May 4th, 2009 at 8:17 pm Elaine said:
I adore this yogurt. So good, so rich, so creamy. It doesn’t like a “good for you food,” ya know? The only problem it is $1.46 per container. I try to limit my food costs….so I buy this a “treat.” I even like it more than ice cream now (GASP!!!). I really like Horizon plain fat-free yogurt in the big tubs…it’s $3.12 and has 6 servings. I put in a packet of Truvia (sweetener) and it’s delicious. Gone are the days of Yoplait, WW yogurt, and Walmart yogurt….I’m a Greek convert.
Great post, Roni!!
On May 4th, 2009 at 9:50 pm Donna said:
I’m fortunate, “my” Giant in PA carries, Fage, Chobani and Oikos! I usually buy a few Chobani and a few of the blueberry Oikos, which I love. The Fage is just too expensive at $1.99 for a single serve container. Chobani is usually on sale for $1.06 and the Oikos comes in around $1.75 with an occasional sale. While I still do eat WW and Dannon, I tend to eat the Greek more often than not.
On May 4th, 2009 at 10:07 pm amy said:
I haven’t seen these at our super target, but I will definitely look elsewhere. I would love to eat more yogurt!
On May 5th, 2009 at 1:53 am Jill said:
So. Good. Best Greek Yogurt. I like plain with frozen fruit aded to it.
On May 5th, 2009 at 5:28 am TheStrugglingDieter said:
“Ditto”, some plain yoghurts can be so bitter, you just have to keep trying different ones to get that fresh creamy (but low fat) taste!
On May 5th, 2009 at 7:03 am Sandy said:
I just bought one of these at Walmart! I don’t like yogurt but had been reading about how good these were and good for you. I am afraid to open it and try it because I don’t think I like yogurt. Would you just try it plain or top it with blueberries or strawberries? I am going to give it a go today!
On May 5th, 2009 at 8:08 am Suzyn said:
It’s good, but I would still say Fage is better. Fage reminds me of the yogurt we used to get when I was a kid (in Denmark and Australia). I still buy the on sale stuff, most often nowadays fat free unflavored so that I can do my own thing to it, but I get Fage as a treat from time to time.
On May 5th, 2009 at 9:03 am Joanne said:
I love Greek Yogurt as well and have seen the Oikos in stores, but it’s usually the more expensive of all the varieties. I usually just go with Trader Joe’s brand, but blueberry is my favorite flavor as well!
On May 5th, 2009 at 9:03 am Alison said:
Fage always tastes too sour to me.
Does this line have a fat free version do you know?
On May 5th, 2009 at 10:11 am Leslie said:
Trader Joe’s brand of Greek style yogurt is great and a lot more reasonable than Fage. They also have a choice between 2%, non-fat, and full fat types, which is nice. I swear the nonfat variety is as thicky and creamy and flavorful as the higher fat content ones, so I use it almost exclusively. I love Fage, Oikos and Chobani, but they are pretty pricey.
On May 5th, 2009 at 10:12 am Leslie said:
I just saw Alison’s post before my first one. Yes…Fage has nonfat, 2 %, 5% and whole. All are good. The whole is about like sour cream in taste and texture.
On May 5th, 2009 at 2:17 pm Katy said:
I love to mix dry cereal in with the vanilla Oikos - it’s easier to eat at work than a bowl of cereal with milk and the protien in the yogurt fills me up for longer. I also use the plain as a sour cream substitute when putting sour cream on top of soups (like chili, black bean soup, etc). I have tried both the Oikos and the Fage brands and much prefer the Oikos! Yum yum!
On May 5th, 2009 at 2:17 pm Kelly said:
LOVE Greek style 0% fat yogurt! I get the Fage but have had Oikos and I think they are about the same. I agree that Trader Joe’s nonfat is a less spendy sub, but I am light years from the nearest Whole Foods, let alone Joes!
I live in the middle of nowhere, but a small local store orders the 0% Fage for me by the case. It freezes well, changes the texture a bit- but no worries if you are using it in recipes or smoothies! Add a little vanilla extract, splenda (if you do that), and cinnamon for a quick, great fruit topping or dip.
On May 5th, 2009 at 2:56 pm McLauren84 said:
I, too, have become a yogurt snob after trying Fage’s heavenly deliciousness. After spending a summer in Boston, I came back to Indianapolis and was sad to discover I couldn’t find Fage in any grocery stores. My boyfriend has 6 giant tubs shipped to me for my birthday–unfortunately, it was Fage Total, which has over 20 grams of fat a serving!! Thankfully, the Fage nonfat is just as delicious.
I’ll definitely have to try Oikos and Trader Joe’s. Thanks for the tips!
On May 5th, 2009 at 2:58 pm Nancy said:
Kelly, I stopped freezing my yogurt after I found out that freezing yogurt kills the live, active cultures. Thawing it doesn’t breathe life back into the live cultures……sorry for the bad news!
On May 7th, 2009 at 1:18 pm Ares said:
I, too, find it hard to eat yogurt for the ‘alive’ factor. Maybe this brand makes good enough yogurt to make me think of something else. I am determined to try more new things in my life, so I think I will make this one of them!
On May 8th, 2009 at 12:15 pm MR said:
Greek yogurt is good stuff! But I find it somewhat overpriced (and consequently unaffordable for most people) considering that it is relatively easy to make, although time-consuming. To make your own strained yogurt: Line a colander with cheesecloth or a couple of strong paper towels. Empty a tub of your favourite brand of plain yogurt (Mountain High is great for those who don’t like their yogurt too sour) onto the paper towels and allow the liquid whey to drain. It might take a couple of hours or longer. Scrape the strained yogurt off the paper towels after it’s thickened to your liking and enjoy your own homemade greek yogurt!
On May 13th, 2009 at 10:38 am Michelle said:
I love greek yogurt. In addition to just eating it with some honey and fruit for breakfast I’ve been using it as a replacement for sour cream on tacos, quesadillas, baked potatos, etc. You’d never know the difference. It’s also good for making dips. I usually use the 0% Fage but will try the Stoneyfield. Thx!
On May 13th, 2009 at 12:32 pm Laura said:
Wegman’s carries both Oikos and Fage - same price for each - $1.79 for the single servings, $4.49 for the larger 17.6 oz containers.
On May 13th, 2009 at 7:36 pm jen boda said:
This is good yogurt, however the flavored kind still has too much sugar. To me, it doesn’t make sense when I can add fruit or juice sweetened preserves to the plain yogurt and have the same effect for much less sugar.
Love this brand, however.
jen
Boda weight loss Blog
On May 16th, 2009 at 11:15 pm Rachel said:
Oikos is fantastic. I have been eating Greek yogurt for a couple of years, and I love it. I wish it wasn’t so pricy, but I understand why after having made my own a few times. It takes a LOT of milk to make one of those little tubs of yogurt.
On May 20th, 2009 at 9:17 am chris brown said:
I love this greek yogert. It’s more expensive but so worth it. The vanilla is my fav but honey is second. Can’t wait for the strawberry. I’ve been adding yogert to the wild berry ww shakes with milk for an awesome smoothie but I think this strawberry would be GREAT. What do we do to get coupons from you?
thanks!
Chris
On May 22nd, 2009 at 11:10 pm roni said:
Put a link up for the coupons in this post.. http://ronisweigh.com/2009/05/thursday-thoughts-a-palooza.html
:)
-Roni
On May 23rd, 2009 at 9:11 am chris brown said:
Thanks Roni. That worked like a charm. Good stuff!
On July 31st, 2009 at 3:53 pm Donna said:
Just found/tried the strawberry flavor–YUM–I am a huge fan of the blueberry flavor–it’s a tie between strawberry and blueberry-Stoneyfield got both of these flavors perfect!