I definitely love yogurt, but sometimes I wonder if yogurt really loves me back. It makes for a great snack, and it even comes in alternative forms that can cure your sugar cravings, such as ice cream. But, it can be so difficult to find a yogurt that's delicious and isn't filled with insane amounts of sugar. This is a problem for me, especially because plain Skyr yogurt just isn't my cup of tea.
When I was still in grade school, my mom used to buy an Icelandic, Skyr yogurt from our local grocery store, and I became obsessed with it. When they stopped carrying that yogurt, we began hunting for an alternative, and we never found one. One alternative we found was Siggi's, but Siggi's yogurt just wasn't the same. Now, I've noticed that Icelandic Provisions Skyr yogurt has been popping up in local grocery stores as well as national grocery stores like Whole Foods. Using vanilla as the baseline flavor, I just had to compare the two yogurts for myself.
What is Skyr?
Skyr has a long history in Iceland. It is said that the Vikings brought Skyr to Iceland from Norway, all the way back during the ninth century. In fact, there are three jars supposedly containing Skyr residue from the Viking era on display at the National Museum. In 2016, protestors in Iceland even threw Skyr at the Parliament building.
Skyr is actually a type of cheese. Skyr is distinct from other yogurts because of the process behind its production. The skim milk in Skyr is heated with a starter, resulting in the formation of curds. Then, the whey is drained, and Skyr is formed. Skyr is also distinct because of the cultures in the yogurt itself. It's a pretty dense yogurt, jam-packed with three to four times more dairy than the average yogurt and, therefore, with more protein and calcium.
Siggi's: Nutrition Facts and Taste Test
One 5.3 ounce container of Siggi's vanilla yogurt contains 120 calories, nine grams of sugar, and 15 grams of protein. On the other hand, a 5.3 ounce container of vanilla-flavored Chobani Greek yogurt contains 150 calories, 13 grams of sugar, and 13 grams of protein. In my opinion, that extra sugar content can really make a difference, transforming a yogurt from pleasantly sweet to too sweet.
As far as taste goes, I definitely love that Siggi's vanilla yogurt doesn't taste artificial. The vanilla flavor is also definitely evident, but it doesn't overpower the yogurt itself. My one personal complaint with Siggi's is just that it's so thick. If you don't switch it up, or even incorporate Siggi's into other recipes, then it can be difficult to consume. At the same time, Skyr yogurt is supposed to be thick, and your taste buds just have to be able to handle the balancing act.
Icelandic Provisions: Nutrition Facts and Taste Test
A 5.3 ounce container of the vanilla Skyr yogurt from Icelandic Provisions contains 120 calories, 10 grams of sugar, and 15 grams of protein. With 1 gram of sugar differentiating the two, the nutrition information is essentially the same as that of Siggi's.
However, I think the two yogurts taste completely different. The Icelandic Provisions yogurt has more of a vanilla bean flavor than just a plain vanilla flavor, which I definitely find preferable. While still thick, the yogurt is slightly less thick than Siggi's, which I think can make Icelandic Provisions easier to eat straight-up on its own. Like Siggi's, it's not identical to the Skyr yogurt that my mom once bought from our local grocery store, but it's slightly closer. I'll admit that maybe this nostalgia-factor makes me somewhat biased.
Overall, the nutrition facts for the Skyr yogurts produced by both Siggi's and Icelandic Provisions are impressive. Although I may prefer Icelandic Provisions over Siggi's, it really just depends on your tastebuds and on your flavor preferences. Next time you're at the grocery store, try it out for yourself to see which yogurt you think is best.