We Latinos suffer from a few not-so-great ailments, one of which is uncontrolled blood pressure. In fact, we have it worse than anyone else–which is the news that yogurt has been proven to lower blood pressure is a GREAT thing for us.
New research presented at the American Heart Association's High Blood Pressure Research 2012 Scientific Sessions has determined that adding more yogurt to your diet (without adding to calories, though) may help lower your risk of high blood pressure. Plain old yogurt is kind of boring though, isn't it? That's why I'm telling you the EASY and delicious way you can indulge in more yogurt. Trust me, you'll love these!
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1. Substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream: One of my absolute FAVORITE tips, that I actually learned from food blogger Alejandra Ramos of Always Order Dessert, is to use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. This cuts the fat (Greek yogurt has 5g of fat while sour cream has 20g of fat, per 100g) and adds more protein with less calories but retains all of the flavor and, to be honest, you'll NEVER notice the difference!
2. Use it for a sweet batido (smoothie): Love making batidos in the morning? Well, why not try adding in plain yogurt instead of milk? It makes it creamier and smoother, plus some more of those healthy proteins. I love loading it up with plenty of fruits, like bananas, strawberries, coconut, and pineapple for a delicious treat any time of day.
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3. It's great for a flavorful breakfast: I'm actually quite addicted to plain Greek yogurt. I always buy plain because the flavored varieties have WAY too much sugar to make it worth it, but I like to spice things up by adding some extras: cinnamon and honey, raspberries and nuts, or, a new favorite, roasted pepitas and allspice. The extra flavor makes the yogurt a winner every single time.
4. Have it as your mid-afternoon sweet treat: You know what I crave in the afternoon? Chocolate! And you know what's even BETTER than chocolate? Yogurt with chocolate! Take some plain yogurt, add in some cocoa powder, some coconut flakes, a couple of raspberries, a drizzle of honey, and a dash of cinnamon–and you have THE most delicious dessert snack, ever!
5. Make a really easy & healthy party dip: A few companies have recently released dry seasoning mixes. They're typically used to make salad dressings with sour cream but I really love adding them into my Greek yogurt for a heart-healthy party dip. My current favorite? Hidden Valley Ranch's Spicy Ranch Mix. Now when's Goya going to make some?!
Image via ehpien/flickr
