Substitute For Yogurt-What Can I Use Instead?

When we talk about yogurt, think beyond those small containers you throw in your shopping basket to enjoy the following day’s breakfast. This creamy high protein low-fat dairy product is one of the all-round dairy products you can come across.

It is made by fermenting milk using some bacteria. From facial masks to making French toasts and treating bacterial infections, yoghurt has many uses, including food, health, and beauty.

But what if you are not a yogurt lover? Or you ran out of yogurt? Or what if you want a change from yogurt and try something else? Whatever the reason that compels you not to use yogurt, there are options you can substitute it with.

Sour cream has a similar taste to that of yogurt as well as cottage cheese. However, the latter has to be blended to bring out the best results. On the other hand, buttermilk is used directly, as it is, and Tofu is suitable for those that don’t like dairy products.

Yogurt- Taste, Texture, and Uses

Yogurt is a popular dairy product made from fermented milk. A bacteria called ‘yogurt cultures’ is used to ferment lactose, which is the natural sugar found in milk. Lactic acid is produced during this process, and this causes milk proteins to curdle.

The curdled milk is what we call yogurt, and this curdling gives yogurt its unique taste and texture. Yogurt manufacturers can decide to leave the yogurt as plain as after fermentation or add some sweet fruits to give different yogurt flavors.

We can say that yogurt has different tastes because of the other flavors added, but there is one taste for yogurt, which is found in the natural yogurt, the sour taste.

Some of the sweet fruits added are strawberry, vanilla, and lemon.

Yogurt is known to contain calcium, which is a mineral responsible for healthy bones and teeth. From it, we also get vitamin B12, which protects us from heart diseases and some neural tube congenital disabilities.

It is also high in proteins, which in turn supports metabolism and is a suitable regulator for appetite. The use of bacteria to make yogurt makes it relevant to help in digestion and protect you against antibiotic-associated diarrhea.

Uses of Yogurt

It is not only made for drinking. Some of the uses of yogurt are;

●For baking- whether it is bread, muffins, or a pound cake, don’t use fat entirely. Plain yogurt would be the best to give your food the slight tang and moisture. If you cannot find plain yogurt for this, use vanilla flavored.

●Salad dressings– a good salad is made using plain or Greek yogurt. You can blend it with buttermilk and seasoning for the tastiest salad. Instead of using sour cream in the recipe, substitute it with Greek yogurt, and don’t be sorry about it because of how delicious it will turn out.

●Pancakes– you have run short of buttermilk and still want to make pancakes? Try using plain yogurt. You might end up enjoying it even more than before. Unlike buttermilk, yogurt adds moisture and richness. Experiment with vanilla and fruit colored yogurt to see which one you will like most.

●Besides food, Indians use yoghurt in their foods to reduce heat because their cuisines are usually very spicy. The rationale for this is yogurt cuts down the heat and complements spicy flavors.

Substitutes for Yogurt

While the above uses of yogurt bring the best out of the food or snack being prepared, there are other products you can use in place of yogurt.

Maybe you don’t like yogurt anymore, or it reacts with your body giving you discomforts, or perhaps you ran short of it and still want to make your meal. Here are primary substitutes for yoghurt you may consider:

1. Sour cream

Like yogurt, sour cream is made by adding lactic acid culture to cream or milk to thicken and become sour. This cream has a taste and texture similar to yogurt, and you could never go wrong with it when cooking or baking.

From baking biscuits and making pancakes to soup and deviled eggs, sour cream will bring the best out of your food. Do not forget to use it for your muffin recipes. Other uses of sour cream include;

●Making pasta and potato salads- swap the mayonnaise with sour cream when making potato salads and see the deliciousness that comes out of them.

●Soup- a spoonful of sour cream is enough to give you a creamy vegetable soup.

●Scrambled eggs- whether they are for breakfast or dinner, add a spoonful of sour cream to the mixture as you stir.

2. Buttermilk

Buttermilk is still culture milk, but a by-product of churning most diaries with harmless lactic acid bacteria, making it buttermilk. It is usually thick, tangier, and is low-fat.

This product is commonly used in baking biscuits, muffins, and pancakes, and it can also be used as a creamy base in soups and potato salads.

The traditional buttermilk is the one described above, and the modern buttermilk has a lot of water, the milk sugar lactose, and the protein casein in it.

Unlike the traditional one, this one has been pasteurized and homogenized, and it has lactic acid-producing bacteria cultures added to it.

Lactic acid increases acidity, which gives it more shelf life days and makes the buttermilk sour. Buttermilk is thicker than milk. Other uses of buttermilk are;

●Bloated stomach- if your stomach still feels full five hours after eating, you probably are bloated. Take a glass of buttermilk to improve your digestion. It also washes down oils and fats in the inner walls of your stomach.

●Decrease body pressure-buttermilk has substances that have bioactive proteins that lower cholesterol and are antibacterial.

●It’s a natural therapy against ulcers- natural buttermilk is a natural therapy against ulcers because it helps neutralize acids in the stomach by coating the stomach lining. By doing so, it prevents heart-burns and burns in the walls of the stomach by the acids.

In case you don’t have buttermilk in your pantry, it is easy to make your own. You need one cup of regular milk and one tablespoon of lemon juice. Add the lemon juice to the milk and allow it to mix for five minutes. It will start cuddling. Now use it in your recipes in place of yogurt.

3. Cottage cheese

Cottage cheese is a soft, white, and creamy fresh cheese that does not undergo a ripening process to get the flavor. It is made from curds of specific levels of pasteurized cow milk, including the nonfat, reduced fat, and regular milk. You can also get it creamed, whipped, and lactose-free.

This cheese is inexpensive, easy to find, and convenient. Cottage cheese is one of the best sources of calcium; a mineral used to strengthen bones and teeth. Out of 100 grams of cottage cheese is a whopping 83 grams of calcium. That is a lot.

Besides calcium, it also helps in maintaining blood levels and keeping the heart in good health. Other recipes that require you to have cottage cheese are;

●Pecan cheesecake pudding- the sweetness of this dessert comes from bananas. You can add cottage cheese in place of yogurt in its recipe and serve it right after blending

●Creamy tomato lasagna Florentine- this vegetarian recipe is made yummier by plenty of melty cheeses and fresh spinach and tomato sauce.

●Savory crepe with blistered tomatoes is made by blending cottage cheese, egg whites and oats and then putting the crepe to cook while filling it with sweet tomatoes.

4. Tofu

Tofu is for vegetarians and people who avoid dairy products. In recipes requiring to add yogurt, you can put Tofu instead.

Tofu is a flavorless and soft food product made from soybeans. The soybeans are soaked in water, crushed, and then boiled.

This mixture is then separated into a solid pulp and soy milk. The soy milk is then poured into molds so that the carbohydrate-laden whey can drain off.

Dried Tofu does not require refrigeration.

It has protein and is high in calcium, iron, and potassium. Ginger or onions are added to Tofu for flavoring. It is also grilled, deep-fried, simmered, or steamed, and some people choose to eat it fresh.

Tofu can be used in place of yogurt. You will need to run it through your blender to get the best out of it. Since it has water, you can use a towel to sieve the excess water through. Other recipes that require you to use Tofu are;

●Bibimbap with veggies and Tofu bulgogi.

●Slow cooker Tofu Tikka masala.

●Tofu broccoli bowl.

Conclusion

Substitute for Yogurt-What can I use instead?

Yogurt- Taste, Texture, and Uses

Uses of Yogurt