Quick Impressions

Yogurts

Wallaby Yogurt: The least favorite of all the yogurts I have eaten and reviewed thus far, Wallaby is merely OK at best. I tried the organic nonfat Strawberry Guava flavor, which was pre-mixed. It was not too sweet, but oddly gelatinous. In so many ways, it reminded me of Yoplait, from the pre-mixed to the consistency, and maybe even the taste a little bit. There was something weirdly artificial about it, although it is an all-natural yogurt. It is way healthier than Yoplait, though, and I'd definitely select Wallaby over Yoplait, Dannon, or any non-organic yogurt. Maybe my impressions were skewed by the fact that I ate it on a Greyhound bus. I think it is only fair to try another flavor at some point.

Redwood Hill Farm Goat Milk Yogurt: In a previous review, I revealed my love for the apricot mango flavor of Redwood Hill Farm Goat Milk Yogurt, and this time I indulged in cranberry-orange. It was just as delicious, rich, and perfectly sweet as the apricot-mango. Plus it had that undertaste of goat cheese that is weird, but also just right. I wish it more calcium and fiber, though.

Puddings

Rice to Riches: Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting up with fellow Live Active Cultures contributor Count Mockula's mom and step-dad in New York City. We went to Rice to Riches, which is a rice pudding restaurant. This place sets the bar high for rice pudding. All rice pudding is made with sushi quality rice, and they come in a variety of wild flavors. I had the marscapone with cherries, Count Mockula's mom had the hazelnut chocolate, and her step-dad had a small portion of chocolate chip. The portions are huge and about $5, and by the time I finished mine, I was a little nauseated. Customers looking for more basic flavors, like chocolate chip or cinnamon raisin, can get smaller portions for about half price. It's amazingly decadent, and I love Rice to Riches.

Redwood Hill Farm Apricot Mango Goat Milk Yogurt

Redwood Hill Farm's Apricot Mango Goat Milk Yogurt is the best yogurt I have ever eaten. Ever. Hands down, no competition. The goat milk adds a rich, thick complex taste to yogurt. The apricot mango on the bottom was sweet, but also light. I cannot wait to try the other flavors.

While the flavor is unparalleled, how does this yogurt stack up nutritionally? It's overall very healthy! Only 3 grams of fat (although two of those are saturated), and a mere 135 are in the six ounce container. However - and this is a big sticking point for me - it only provides 15% of the RDA for calcium. For people at risk for osteoporosis like me, that may not be enough. A lot of other yogurts offer 25% or 30% of the RDA for calcium, also without a lot of fat or calories, so even though this is the yummiest yogurt ever, it's a big trade off.

The low level of calcium is one thing that will prevent me from making this my daily yogurt. The other is the price. At $1.89, it is not nearly as expensive as some of the other gourmet yogurts on the market. (It's on par with Fage, and much less than Old Chatham Farms Sheep's Milk Yogurt.) Still, it's a lot to spend on yogurt when Stonyfield Farm is decent and only 89 cents, plus has 30% of the RDA for calcium. But I will definitely be eating a Redhill Farms Goat Milk Yogurt once a week as my daily yogurt, or even (in addition to my daily yogurt) as a dessert. It's that good that I would consider this a dessert!!!