There is good news about the yogurt world, and it’s a little something called skyr. We all fell in love with Greek yogurt when it started hitting our grocery shelves with fun new flavors. The idea of thick and creamy, but low in fat hits anyone’s ears the right way. Skyr, however, an Icelandic dairy product, is taking yogurt to the next level. It has 0% fat and is thicker and creamier than any Greek yogurt I have ever had.

I first had skyr during my orientation at my job at Whole Foods. We get to “taste and rate” and try some different foods that are sold at our store. The flavor was “pumpkin spice” by an excellent skyr brand called Siggi’s.  It is a bit fluffier than custard, but still retains that consistency. It has a bit of sour taste, but I mean that in the best of ways! If you pair it with a sweet flavor, the taste is spot on. Not too sweet, and not funky at all.

After my first encounter with skyr, I did not look back. I get Siggi’s all the time! If I really want to doctor it up, I will throw some fruit and raw chocolate granola in there. “Hubba hubba! How you doin?” That’s what I have to say about that.  The only bad news is that Whole Foods only carries the small cups, not the big tubs. When I buy yogurt, I usually like to get the big tub to save on packaging (and money). I did hear from a little birdy, though, that the co-op in Shadyside might sell big tubs.

So, I have been talking about skyr like it is a yogurt, but it’s technically not; it’s a cheese. What this means is that it takes three times more milk to produce than regular yogurt products, which makes it denser in calcium. Still no fat, but more nutrient dense? I’ll take it! Another cool thing about skyr? It’s a Viking-age delicacy. So, if you all of a sudden feel the need to wear fur and questionable hats, don’t be surprised. It’s just your inner Viking coming out.

To finish this off in a health-oriented way, I want to give some examples of what we can substitute skyr for to make all of our favorite foods a little better for us. This honestly goes for Greek yogurt too, but that’s not the topic of the article! Plain skyr can be used as a sour cream substitute in anything at all–such as on top of tacos and baked potatoes, or for making your mashed potatoes a little creamier without all of the fat and calories.

I also like to use the plain flavor for making my veggie dips. Just add your favorite packet of dressing seasoning to skyr, and you have quite the popular dip. Also, adding this instead of yogurt to your smoothies will result in a much more satisfying snack. Stay trendy this February and dip that spoon into some skyr. And don’t forget pomegranate flavored stuff, and kale…and uh, quinoa. Ya know, the other trendy stuff. Thanks for reading everyone! Next week we’ll be thinking about a certain flirty holiday coming up, and the goodies that go along with it.