Greek Yogurt Vs Skyr: Which Has More Protein?

Protein is the one macro everyone seems to focus on these days. No calorie counts or carb tracking — instead, people are doing anything they can to get more protein, and it's given ingredients like cottage cheese and Greek yogurt the chance to be stars of so many dishes. You're likely familiar with Greek yogurt, but you might know less about its nearly-twin sibling, skyr. These two are similar yet different types of yogurt, so it's worth knowing how they're unique, including which one has more protein.

Plain Greek yogurt has a noticeably tangy, borderline sour flavor profile that is often sweetened with pantry staples. Its thick, smooth texture and rich taste come from the way it's strained and processed. It's strained more than regular yogurt, which removes more whey, ultimately concentrating the milk solids, its protein content, and that tangy aftertaste. Skyr, on the other hand, is a dairy product from Iceland that looks similar to Greek yogurt, but it uses a slightly different process and different bacterial cultures than the ones used to make Greek yogurt. Both of these factors ultimately make it thicker and ultra-smooth. The difference in its production also gives skyr more protein. One standard 5.3-ounce serving of skyr has 17 grams of protein, while the same amount of plain Greek yogurt has around 16 grams. (Though the exact amount of protein in each could vary slightly depending on the brand.)

The difference in protein content is due to how skyr is made. Technically, skyr is categorized as cheese in Iceland, so while it closely resembles yogurt and can be enjoyed in the same way, Icelanders wouldn't call it that. It's strained to an even denser concentration than Greek yogurt, which is how it qualifies as cheese and explains how it has more protein per ounce; you might also notice it's somewhat thicker as a result. Skyr cultures are added to skim milk, heated, then strained profusely to remove as much whey as possible and concentrate the milk into this fermented dairy product.

You can generally use both skyr and Greek yogurt interchangeably, but skyr has a little less tang. To balance it in something like a creamy pasta salad or salad dressing, try combining it with a small amount of mayonnaise. Mayo's rich, fatty flavor cuts into that mild tartness, so while the base will be mostly skyr or Greek yogurt, it won't taste as sour. If you want a sweet balance instead of savory, serve either with a drizzle of honey.