[rockinrobin]

WARNING: LOOOONG RANT AHEAD

It is a sad day for me today. Very, very sad.

Went to buy my beloved Danon Light and Fit yogurts about a week ago or so. Right away I panicked as I get closer to the yogurt aisle and see something amiss. Yup, they changed the design on the container. Soooo.... you know what that means? Yup, it's got a "great new taste" and 20 more calories. TWENTY MORE. Okay, you say 20 calories isn't so bad. But you see, the thing is, I eat a minimum of 3 a day. Very often 4 of them and every now and then even FIVE. 2 were for breakfast and the others for snacks. If you multiply 3 yogurts, that's just 3, times the 20 calories, that's 60 calories a day, 420 calories a week, or 21,840 calories a year. Now that's a whole lotta calories. Comes to 6.25 lbs over the course of year and that's only eating 3 a day. Keep in mind, I sometimes eat 4 or 5.

Okay, so I stockpile all the "old" ones, going from store to store, wanting to gather up as many 60 calorie ones as I can. Well, today they ran out and I had to cave and eat an 80 calorie one. AND IT MOST CERTAINLY DID NOT TASTE BETTER. It tasted worse in fact, much worse. Way too sweet and artificial. I check the label, it's gone up from 7 gms of sugar to 11.

Why oh why did they have to mess with a good, no make that a GREAT thing?

Oh and I called the company. Ha. They wanted to give it a sweeter taste. What are they kidding? Do they not know that nowadays people are trying to AVOID sugar???? Wasn't 7 grams more then enough? They are very sorry for any inconvience this may have caused me. I told them I've lost over 160 lbs eating their yogurt and maintained that loss for over a year. Sooo, they're sending me some coupons. Like THAT can make up for it. I think NOT!!!

I am at a loss. I have to rethink my entire daily menu. I always thought there was a possibility that one day, far, far, far down the road I would have to. But I thought it would be because *I* (G-d forbid) got tired of them. Not that they would change up the recipe - for the worse.

So now they're 20 calories more a piece and I don't even care for them. What's a calorie counting, Danon Light and Fit lovin' girl going to do????

[mandalinn82]

Robin - I'm irritated too. I can't have aspartame, and they took their delicious, Splenda-sweetened yogurt and added in BOTH aspartame AND sugar! Meaning 20 more calories that I couldn't even CHOOSE to eat, because the only major Splenda-sweetened brand of yogurt on the market has now piled on every conceivable sweetener in the world into that tiny container. At least I checked the label after they changed it and saw the "aspartame" there, or I might have been really ill!

You can do what I do sometimes and will now have to do exclusively...1/2 a cup of nonfat greek yogurt and a pump of any manner/variety of sugar free syrups (made by DaVinci or Torani). You can make many flavors...pineapple, coconut, (or combine and make pina colada!) lemon, peach, vanilla, mango, strawberry, raspberry, and you end up with the same 60 calories, and more protein. They have Fage greek nonfat yogurt at Costco, even, and the syrups can be mail-ordered or purchased at BevMo. If you need portability, you can even make them all up for the week in little storage containers, then grab one on the way out the door.

Hey, at least with the sugar free syrup combinations, you're less likely to get bored, right?

[CountingDown]

My solution was to drag out my yogurt maker, buy one container of Stonyfield as starter, and start making my own. I have actually enjoyed experimenting with soy yogurt too. It has been a blessing in disquise for me.

But yeah - I'm still mad at them for changing!

[rockinrobin]

Oh Amanda, I knew somebody here would be able to relate to me.

Yes, I forgot to mention, they added in all kinds of yucky tasting artificial sweetners. Grrrr. What WERE they thinking????

I've tried the Greek yogurt. It's not for me. Waaay to much like sour cream, a rare caloric food that I despise.

I've actually seen the syrups around and thought of you. But I really have no use for them, so I haven't bought them.

I've tried a couple of other brands of 80 & even 90 calorie yogurt and just don't love them. And when you eat as many as I do, or even one, you need to love them.

Well, I didn't come this far to just throw in the towel. I suppose somehow, someway I will come up with something. Won't I?

I know it sounds like I'm being a big baby, but really, I can't tell you guys just how much I relied on these yogurts.

[rockinrobin]

Originally Posted by CountingDown

My solution was to drag out my yogurt maker, buy one container of Stonyfield as starter, and start making my own. I have actually enjoyed experimenting with soy yogurt too. It has been a blessing in disquise for me.

But yeah - I'm still mad at them for changing!

Counting down, we posted at the same time. Do tell. Do tell. How's the yogurt making going?

And maybe, just maybe if we all called Danon and logged complaints we could get them to change it back . So, please, give them a call. I don't want to post the phone # here, not sure if that would be against the rules. If you don't have a container, you can call the toll free directory for it

[mandalinn82]

Robin - you could do the same with plain nonfat yogurt, which is about the same texture-wise as the Dannon, and the sugar free syrups. They're still about 60 cals for the half cup and you wouldn't have the texture issue.

[CountingDown]

I use skim, dry non-fat, soy (which I make from scratch with a Soyabella maker), or a combination of these. Different combinations actually yield different "firmness" and tartness. Sometimes I add more milk powder to boost the protein content (though it does boost the calorie count too)

I use agave or Splenda or stevia for sweetening, depending upon my mood and my use for the yogurt.

I then add fruit, jams, cereal, vanilla, SF syrups, whatever I feel like at the time.

I have a little individual cup Salton maker that I have had for 20 years. I ordered a 2 qt maker that should arrive this week I will let you know how I like it.

There was a pretty good yogurt-making discussion a few months back.

[SkinnyDogMom]

I was hooked on the Dannon light and fit too. I can't have aspartame either. Activia light has Splenda only in it. They are smaller, but taste close to the light and fit. They have 70 cals each and 4 oz each. I am pretty picky about yogurt. Typically I just eat the vanilla flavor.
There was a Blue Bunny brand of yogurt that I used to eat when we lived in Kansas City area, but I can't get it here. My fav flavor was Pear Vanilla.

[Glory87]

I definitely know how you feel, I bitterly protested to Starbucks about the removal of sugar free mocha syrup (I loved sugar free mochas!), I didn't even get coupons

[BlueToBlue]

Oh Robin, I feel for you. I completely understand your distress. I'm not a Dannon yogurt fan, but I've had other products that I depended on be discontinued. (I still mourn the loss of Trader Joe's light chevre. I've put up a small tribute in the aisle where it used to be--similar to the tributes that you see on roadsides--and say a short prayer at it every time I'm in there). It really sucks when a key component of your diet is no longer available to you. There are many foods that I eat daily that I live in fear of this happening with. Heck, I consider it a major disaster if Trader Joe's or Safeway even just runs out of a product I use regularly.

You might give the Greek yogurt a try with the SF Torani. Adding the syrup changes the texture quite a bit--it gets a lot more liquidy and a lot less like sour cream.

[alinnell]

Although I've tried the light and fit by Dannon, it wasn't my favorite. I can understand the too sweet thing...I can't eat Yoplait any more as it is just too sweet. While I really, really like Trader Joe's plain Greek yogurt (mix in my own fruit) I do eat Activia light quite often. I'm not sure of the calorie count on them--each flavor seems to be a bit different (60 to 70 each I think).

[JulieJ08]

Originally Posted by BlueToBlue

Heck, I consider it a major disaster if Trader Joe's or Safeway even just runs out of a product I use regularly.

LOLOLOL. I feel like having a little temper tantrum right there in the store when that happens . Oh well, it's character building.

[Lovely]

Ahhh! I wish I had great advice.

Though not the same, I know the panic of planning my breakfast for a week, going to the store, and then realizing they're out of what I need. There's hyperventilation, there are tissues, there's dread. "WHAT AM I GOING TO EAT?!"

May you find a swift & wonderful solution to this challenge!!!

[rockinrobin]

Originally Posted by CountingDown

I use skim, dry non-fat, soy (which I make from scratch with a Soyabella maker), or a combination of these. Different combinations actually yield different "firmness" and tartness. Sometimes I add more milk powder to boost the protein content (though it does boost the calorie count too)

I use agave or Splenda or stevia for sweetening, depending upon my mood and my use for the yogurt.

I then add fruit, jams, cereal, vanilla, SF syrups, whatever I feel like at the time.

I have a little individual cup Salton maker that I have had for 20 years. I ordered a 2 qt maker that should arrive this week I will let you know how I like it.

There was a pretty good yogurt-making discussion a few months back.

Ya know, of all the things that I eat, besides my Morning Star Farms Chick Patties, which I haven't eaten in quite some time now, tis was my most processed and therefore easiest food to eat. I must tell you, I really liked not having to cook it or chop it or anything it. The most I did to it was put it in the freezer. The thought of having to start "making" my own yogurt, now that I've thought about it, really doesn't appeal to me. Though I thank you for the info. I will keep it in mind.

Originally Posted by SkinnyDogMom

I was hooked on the Dannon light and fit too. I can't have aspartame either. Activia light has Splenda only in it. They are smaller, but taste close to the light and fit. They have 70 cals each and 4 oz each. I am pretty picky about yogurt. Typically I just eat the vanilla flavor.
.

Yes, I've seen the Activia. But it bothers me to no end, how they're smaller, by an entire third - 4 ozs to 6 ozs and still 10 more calories. I don't think they will be as filling. Certainly not as satisfying. Those 4 ozs will be over in a blink of an eye.

Amanda, I just might have to try the non-fat yogurt with the syrups.

Barbara, just not sure how those Greek yogurts would sit with me, even with the syrup, that's just how much I disliked them.

Today, I had a Breyer's light yogurt. 80 cals, 7 gms of sugar - and still very, very sweet and artificial tasting. Not good. I'm thinking of reintroducing oatmeal and an egg white omlette for breakfast. Just means more cooking. More pots and pans and zero transportability.

For my afternoon snack, I have a lemon and a vanilla Danon planned. We'll see how that goes - for now.

Thanks all for the sympathy and the suggestions. I knew you would all understand.

I didn't even mention it to my family, they'd all think I was more then a bit loon-y. Of course, they'd be right, but nevertheless..........

[alinnell]

Originally Posted by rockinrobin

Barbara, just not sure how those Greek yogurts would sit with me, even with the syrup, that's just how much I disliked them.

Robin~I used to buy the Fage Greek yogurt which is really "tangy". Someone suggested I try the Trader Joe's brand, and I'll tell ya, it's like nothing else! Not tangy--great consistency--smooth--thick. The "best" mix in (for me) is frozen bananas (I wait until they're quite ripe, peel, slice and freeze them and then let them thaw for a while and mush them up in the yogurt--no sweetener needed). If you have a Trader Joe's by you, I think you ought to try this out.