To many, Siggi's yogurt is viewed as one of Whole Foods many health-nut products, or that "overpriced Greek yogurt with a weird name". Before we go about judging, it does not hurt to know the backstory of what is now an environmentally friendly, natural, and traditional start-up company.
The Siggi's brand originated from a man of Icelandic decent who was just not all that satisfied with American-brand yogurts (and lets be honest, we aren't either). "Skyr", for the lack of better terms is basically the Scandinavian version of Greek yogurt, but far better. It is a thick, creamy, high in protein yogurt native to Iceland, and like much of the simple fare in that region of the world, lacks artificial preservatives, colors, or additional sugars. So, in 2004 Siggi Hilmarsson set on his way to creating what we now know as Siggi's Dairy.
Five reasons to love Siggi's skyr:
1. Their flavors beat all others by a landslide.
With flavors ranging from blackberry to seasonal pumpkin & spice, you really cannot go wrong when choosing what tickles your taste buds. I for one have never been a huge fan of the super sweet Greek yogurt flavors, and have always drifted more towards plain, but their flavors are subtle enough that you'll be left defeated when it's gone. A favorite of mine is coconut, as it's almost as if I am indulging in a decadent piña colada on the beach.
2. If it's not for the environment, what's the point?
Siggi's capitalizes on making strides to reduce their carbon footprint, as well as making sure their customers are, too. Each cup of skyr is made of #5 recyclable plastic, and have labels with perforated edges, so to be conveniently recycled separately. Not only is the packaging eco-friendly, their cows are all fed a 100% vegetarian diet consisting of grass, alfalfa, and human-grade grains.
3. The possibilities are endless.
When it comes to food, my creativity booms, and fortunately enough Siggi's plays a large role in that. Having discovered Siggi's about two years ago, I have created numerous combinations of fruit and granola, toast toppings, and more. Here are some of my favorites:
Coconut skyr, topped with farm-fresh blueberries, peaches, and banana.
A toasted slice of whole grain seed bread, topped with coconut skyr, farm-fresh plum slices, and Trader Joe's ancient grain & seed blend.
Coconut skyr topped with farm-fresh blueberries, lightly chopped hazelnuts, and Trader Joe's ancient grain & seed blend.
A toasted slice of multi-grain bread, topped with plain skyr, warmed and muddled raspberries, Trader Joe's organic almond butter, and ancient grain & seed blend.
A toasted slice of multi-grain seed bread, topped with coconut skyr, persimmon slices, and ancient grain & seed blend (perfect in the winter months).
4. Simple is the name of the game.
Siggi's prides itself on producing all-natural yogurt with a limited amount of ingredients, fully utilizing the phrase "less is more". Each cup has a list of five to seven ingredients that are both legible and known as everyday consumable foods. Not to mention, a bulk of what is listed as ingredients are the actual flavor of the cup. If you're going for the mixed berry & acaí, the first four ingredients are blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and acaí berries. Simple, satisfying, Siggi's.
5. The all-new Simple Sides outshines all other yogurt/snack combos.
As we all know, most yogurt brands make a snazzy yogurt & snack combo that satisfy both your flavor and hunger needs, with that added-in ease of the two being attached. Many revert right back to their childhood and think of the infamous Oreo crumble YoCrunch. This was never in my fridge growing up (Mom does know best), but there was always that one friend who's fridge gleamed with YoCrunch, making for the perfect after school play-date snack. Unfortunately, artificial sugars and additives outweigh any nutritional value of the nostalgic snack, and that is where Siggi's Simple Sides takes first prize.
They market four different flavor combinations inclusive of vanilla yogurt with almonds & dried cherries, vanilla yogurt with dried coconut & cacao nibs, honey yogurt with dried figs and walnuts, and plain yogurt with muesli & currants.
Siggi's Dairy is a company that is fully dedicated to their customers and devoted to producing a simple product that is both wholesome, and true to tradition. So the next time you are scanning the dairy section of the grocery store for a hearty breakfast, or even a mid-day snack, Siggi's is the way to go.