Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Product Review: Safeway brand Greek Yogurt

     Safeway introduced their "house brand" of Greek yogurt recently to little fanfare. It just showed up in the grocery store - and was significantly cheaper than the other "pricier" brands: Oikos, Chobani, etc. I looked at the ingredients: Border food! Added starches, and definitely more ingredients than the other brands. However, the price was right.( This was ignored warning sign #1... ) Fat free, though - not bad...I chose a few of the honey flavor kind, as they had no vanilla ( which is what I prefer )...( Warning sign #2... )
They were on sale - special promo price of .89 each, and if I bought 3, I had a coupon to get 1 free.
I bought 4 ( of a yogurt I had never tried before...warning sign #3 )

Here is what the packaging looks like ( this one is plain ):



I brought said yogurt to work with me yesterday, and at my appointed breakfast time, peeled back the lid. Peeled it back to find a very unappetizing yogurt in front of me. Thin - almost watery. I stirred it, hoping the appearance would improve. It did - but only slightly. I added the morning's fruit - blueberries. I took a spoonful a few blueberries, a few teaspoons full of yogurt. The taste? Sickeningly sweet with an odd chemical taste. Do not want! I checked the expiration date quickly- had I purchased expired yogurt? No, it was fine.
I didn't finish it. I opted to eat the blueberries alone.


Mindful that the Bizarre Foods tv show guy always eats everything twice to confirm to himself he doesn't like something... I took a 2nd container with me to work this morning to try it again. Yes, dear readers: warning sign #4. Still bad.

I cannot in good conscience recommend to you Safeway brand Greek yogurt. It is borderline food, to begin with. I found the taste unappealing and the thin consistency was a real turn off in comparison to the more expensive brands.

I think I'll stick with my slightly more expensive, but ultimately nutritious Chobani, Oikos, or Dannon. Yogurt is not a nutritious, nor is it a bargain if it is thrown away after a few bites...