In its second entry into the premium yogurt business (the first was Oui By Yoplait, last year), Yoplait has just launched YQ by Yoplait.

It’s the “Smarter, Not Sweeter” Yogurt.

The flavored yogurt has just 9 grams of sugar per 5.3-ounce cup. Compare that to the up to 32 grams of sugar per 6 ounces in other flavored yogurts!

The sweetener is cane sugar: no HFCS. There are no artificial ingredients. The line is also gluten-free and 99% lactose free.

The plain yogurt has 1 gram of sugar, compared to regular (non-Greek) yogurt with 15-16 grams of natural milk sugar (lactose*) per 8 ounces.

The flavored yogurts are available in Blueberry, Coconut, Lime, Mango, Peach, Strawberry and Vanilla.

Of course, this is not magic. The yogurts are, understandably, not anywhere as sweet.

This will be welcome to those who want a less-sweet flavored yogurt.

If you find yourself wanting more sweetness, there’s an easy work-around: Add a non-caloric sweetener.

You can also try a teaspoon of agave, honey or maple syrup†.
 
 
15 GRAMS OF PROTEIN

Yoplait has created a protein-packed yogurt with a thick, extra-creamy texture, unique in our experience: almost as thick as Greek yogurt, but much creamier (and without the tang).

YQ By Yoplait has 7 flavors plus plain (photos courtesy Yoplait).

The result is 17 grams of protein per serving for the plain variety; 15 grams of protein for the flavors.

Low in sugar, packed with protein: the recipe for a great snack.

The ultra-filtered milk is then combined with active cultures and goes through a proprietary churning technique.

YQ will be in stores nationwide by the end of the month. The suggested retail price for all 5.3 oz. cups is $1.49, while the 26 oz. tubs are $4.99.

________________

*Lactose is a naturally occurring sugar that adds virtually no sweetness. If you’ve ever wondered why the milk carton shows 12g of sugar per 8-ounce glass of milk, that’s why.

†Agave nectar has a glycemic index (GI) of 32, half that of sugar. Honey has a GI of 58, due to its higher ratio of glucose to fructose; agave is about 90% fructose (note that some honeys are lower glycemic than others). Table sugar has a GI value of 60-65. Pure maple syrup has a GI of 54. A teaspoon of agave is 20 calories, a teaspoon of table sugar is 16 calories (honey has 22 calories). But since agave is 1.4 to 1.5 times sweeter than sugar, you don’t need as much.
  

[2] Patting the blend onto the steak.

[3] Morton Coarse Kosher Salt.

[4] Morton Fine Sea Salt.

[5] Grilling to perfection (photo courtesy Aldi).

For instance, did you know that kosher salt seasons more evenly, and sea salt melts more slowly?

Here are some tips and tricks from the undeniable salt expert, Morton Salt.
 
SALT PAIRING GUIDE
 
Meat

When grilling beef, lamb, or chicken, salting 24 hours in advance enhances the juiciness of the meat noticeably.
 
Season with kosher salt in the amount of .75% weight of the meat (1 teaspoon per pound). For fattier cuts of meat, use salt in amount of 1% weight of the meat.

 
Fish

Do not marinate before grilling, as it can make the fish fall apart on the grill. Instead, start by grilling fish with a light brush of oil. Then, apply the marinade at the last minute for a brush of flavor.
 
Alternatively, if you are keeping the seasonings simple with salt and pepper, season with coarse sea salt and freshly cracked pepper on the cooked side, when you first flip the fish. Repeat with the other side.
 
Coarse sea salt melts slower and deepens the flavor of fish. More mellow compared to the taste of kosher salt or fine sea salt, coarse sea salt is perfect for enhancing the flavor of a fish that does not have much additional seasoning.

 
Vegetables

Give vegetables a light, even shower of kosher salt at least 30 minutes in advance, along with some freshly cracked pepper. Season as liberally as you would with meat.
 
The most important thing is that the vegetables are seasoned evenly. Right before putting them on the grill, lightly brush the vegetables with oil. Without sufficient oil and salt, they will have less interaction with the fire, and will be less flavorful.

 
SEASONING 101: GRILLING WITH SALT

More tips for grilling:

 
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SALT

Check out more than 70 types of culinary salt. It’s a real eye opener!

The term is used as an analog to sommelier, the wine expert who makes recommendations. A selmelier can consult with chefs on the best pairings of foods and salts. Some restaurants even offer diners a choice of salts, with pairing recommendations from the selmelier.

The term was coined by food writer Mark Bitterman, who authored the book Salted and three other books on cooking with salt.

He has a blog, Salt News, which features more recipes.

Chicken, Cornish hen, duck, goose, guinea hen, partridge, pheasant, poussin, turkey, quail…

We love poultry!

Here’s an idea from Chef Daniel Humm, co-owner of Eleven Madison Park in New York City.

Chef Humm’s decoration is accessible to anyone who roasts a bird: Fill the opening of the cavity with a bouquet before bringing it to the table.

As you carve, you can garnish each plate with some herbs from an herb bouquet.

If you have an herb garden, you’re in luck: It’s easy to pick a mini bouquet and bind it with kitchen twine.

If your garden has blossoms but no herbs—and you forgot to buy herbs at the market—gather a small bouquet with leaves.

Just make sure the varieties you pick have no toxicity. Here’s a list of the 12 most toxic garden plants.

That lovely lily of the valley? Nix!

Our favorite bouquet: basil, sage, rosemary. Parsley or cilantro blend well.

Blooming chives are a home run, as are purple basil and lemon thyme—all provide a hit of color. Lavender is always lovely.

A duck with a floral bouquet. You can substitute herbs; in fact, it’s better for distributing stems of the bouquet as plate garnishes (photo courtesy Chef Daniel Humm).

[2] Iced tea for dessert? (Photo courtesy The Maple Guild.)

It’s a scorching day today, so we’re alternating glasses of ice water with glasses of iced tea.

If you brew your own tea, you can give iced tea the “sangria treatment” by adding fresh fruit to the pitcher (photo #1).

It can be black, green, herbal or white tea.

You can add any fruits; just be sure they’ll fit in the glass when you pour the tea. A large orange slice might not, for example, but you can cut it in half.

Here are popular fruits; three varieties (more if you like) is a good mix.

 
The key to fresh fruit flavor is to infuse the fruits in the tea for several hours, preferably overnight.
 
Preparation

You can make the tea up to two days in advance.

1. BREW the tea (here’s how to brew iced tea).

If you sweeten your tea, now is the time to add the sweetener. But the fruits add sweetness, so use less sweetener. We don’t use any, but provide different sweeteners for individual tastes: agave, honey, maple syrup, superfine sugar or simple syrup.

3. CUT the fruits. How much fruit do you need? We use 1/8 cup fruit per cup of tea. But you can turn the infusion into an infused fruit salad by packing a glass or Mason jar with fruit (photo #2), and using the tea as the “fruit juice.”

4. ADD the fruits to the pitcher while the tea is still warm, for the best infusion. Refrigerate, covered, overnight or until you’re ready to serve.

Consider making iced tea ice cubes for serving: They keep the tea extra-cold without diluting it.

5. SERVE: Add ice to the glass. Scoop in some fruit. Add the iced tea. Serve with straws or iced tea spoons for eating the fruit.

To make a non-alcoholic sangria, top off the glass with ginger ale.
 
 
ICED TEA TIPS

________________

*The fruit needs a cut surface so the flavor will infuse.

We traditionally serve cheese on a platter; sometimes on a cutting board, especially one that looks great because we’ve never used it for cutting.

(The rustic look, using a well-worn cutting board like the one in the photo, doesn’t look right with our fancy decor.)

Our crudités have always been arranged on a large plate, platter or bowl.

But when we saw this cheese and veggie arrangement from Vermont Creamery, we said: whoa! Colorful crudités look great on a cutting board.

Today’s tip may be obvious but we’d simply never done it.

So we dug out one of our more attractive cutting boards and shopped the market for colorful veggies.
 
SELECT VIVID VEGGIES

Don’t the striped chioggia beets and watermelon radishes look great next to the sugar snap peas and asparagus?

Add some carrots and scatter a box of multi-colored cherry or grape tomatoes, and you’ve got a nutritious explosion of color—so much so that even the white radishes look colorful!

Grab the cutting board and the crudités (photo courtesy Vermont Creamery).

If you don’t want to make a dip, buy one. In our home, hummus is the better dip option: protein-packed, lactose-free, vegan and most importantly, popular.

Now, all we need is a Martini with a pick of olives.