Milk is a food that is very present in our daily diet and rich in essential nutrients to get the best start to the day. Of course, one of the most appreciated variations for breakfast is yogurt, especially Greek yoghurt, which has taken its place in our refrigerator, becoming a staple in many people’s diets. Today we want to talk about skyr, a food similar to yogurt which is light and that could be a good alternative as a healthy, nutritious and energetic breakfast choice.
Have you ever heard about the skyr?
Skyr has been known and used in Iceland for centuries, although its origins probably date back to a cold Scandinavian 9th century. You can find traces of this product in some texts of Icelandic medieval literature, dating back more than a thousand years. Consumed by both the Vikings and the Gaelic population, it was also known in other variations throughout Scandinavia. Today, the production of skyr varies from region to region, giving the cheese different organoleptic properties depending on its preparation.
Although it resembles yoghurt in many ways, it is actually a real soft cheese made from lean milk and its characteristics make it very interesting from a nutritional point of view. Skyr, in fact, is becoming increasingly popular both for its richness in nutrients and for its interesting flavour. It has a high protein content, a low sugar content and the almost total absence of fat, elements that make it an ideal product for the needs of the whole family.
Nutrition information
Skyr is produced using milk which is one of the most complete and balanced foods in terms of macronutrients. It should not be forgotten that milk proteins are also considered to be of higher quality than other proteins contained in foods such as meat, soya or wheat. This means that they are rich in essential amino acids, the essential ones that our body cannot synthesize on its own.
Dairy products as well as yoghurt and cheese, in fact, are a substantial source of nutrients: minerals, especially calcium in a form easily absorbed by our body and properly balanced with phosphorus, but also proteins, highly digestible and with an ideal supply of essential amino acids. Depending on the technique used to process the milk into cheese, the final product may be more or less fat and therefore contain more or less cholesterol. Generally one portion of milk (150 ml) or yoghurt (125 ml) is recommended each morning and no more than two portions of cheese per week (50g/seasoned 100g lean).
Skyr in the kitchen
Tasty, versatile and nutritious, in the kitchen you can combine skyr with many types of dishes, sweet and savoury or simply eat it as a protein snack. Surely at breakfast it is ideal with fruit (berries in particular) and cereals or with pancakes. It can be used, especially in summer, as a sauce to enrich salads or instead of milk to make smoothies with fruit.
For those who have more imagination in the kitchen, the skyr allows you to get very tasty combinations even with hot dishes: you can add it to dishes to make a velvety extra touch of flavour, or use it as a marinade for meat, such as with chicken, or as a sauce for fish. Or it could be used as a nice dessert instead of using mascarpone to make a cold cheesecake or a tiramisu or simply in place of yogurt for a ring-shaped cake or plum-cake.
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