During one of my weekly shopping trips at Whole Foods, I noticed Icelandic skyr with a funny name. I first heard of skyr from that Andrew Zimmern guy. I tried a few cartons to see what the fuss is about, and have been hooked ever since. I just recently bough a case of it at Whole Foods (and got my 10% case discount, thank you). So what is the big deal with this funny-named and expensive yogurt (about $2.60 a pop)?
Siggis skyr is made from skim milk and sweetened with agave syrup. However, the yogurt is actually very creamy, like a soft cheese and does not turn to liquid when warm. In fact, it supposedly keeps well at room temperature (but something about dairy prevents me from even trying this). This creamy snack keeps me satiated for quite some time and is perfect for a small treat between meals or as a late night nosh. I often use it for a quick breakfast, or a light dinner after my workout. Its nutritional breakdown is quite amazing.
Fat-free yogurt can run 110 calories and usually has more sugar and gelatin to give it the sexiness it needs from the loss of fat. Siggis skyr has 120 calories for the fruit-infused versions, 13 grams of carbs and a whopping 16 grams of protein!. All this with zero -- yes, zero -- calories from fat! For someone like me who has to watch his genetically high cholesterol, and eat well for my active lifestlye, this food is a godsend. It is healthy, tasty and satisfies the hunger gremlins.
Fruit-infused skyr are still not as sweet as your regular yogurt. If you have a sweet tooth you can do like the Icelanders do and add some fruit preserve to it.
Instead of spending the dollars at the vending machine, pick up a few of these and take them to work. Those of you trying to maintain healthy eating habits will quickly see the value of skyr.
