Dairy and eggs
Skyr on a GLP-1: protein, portions and how to actually eat it
About 11 g of protein per 100 g (3.5 oz), plain, fat free, for around 65 calories. One pot, about 170 g (6.0 oz), gives roughly 19 g of protein for 110 calories.
To reach 30 g of protein from skyr alone you would need about 273 g (9.6 oz). On a small appetite that is often more than one sitting allows, which is why we pair it rather than chase the whole target from one food.
How skyr sits on a GLP-1
Skyr is the Icelandic strained dairy that sits between yoghurt and soft cheese: thicker than Greek yoghurt, a little more protein at about 11 g per 100 g (3.5 oz), and almost no fat, so it is light on a slow stomach. The thickness is the thing to know about. It is dense enough that a pot takes time to get through, and on a day when the first three spoonfuls are all you want, that density works against you unless you loosen it.
When your appetite is small
Loosen it with milk. Two tablespoons, about 30 ml (1 fl oz), of milk stirred into a pot turns it from something you chew into something you drink, and the milk adds a gram of protein rather than taking any away. A 170 g (6 oz) pot handled this way is about 20 g and goes down in a few minutes.
Three ways to prepare it
Stirred loose with milk and a little honey
Milk to loosen, honey to take the edge off the sourness. The whole pot is about 20 g and it eats like a thick smoothie.
As the base of a savoury dip
Skyr, lemon, dill and salt with cold prawns or cucumber. It holds its shape better than yoghurt, so it works on a cracker without running.
Blended with frozen berries
One pot, a handful of frozen berries and a splash of milk in a blender. Cold, smooth, about 20 g, and no spoon required.
What to eat it with
Berries, honey, oats or granola for breakfast; cucumber, dill and smoked fish for something savoury. Because it is fat free, a spoon of nut butter or a few nuts makes it far more satisfying without changing the volume much.
How it compares
| Food | Protein per 100 g | Energy per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skyr | about 11 g | 65 kcal | this page |
| Greek yoghurt | about 9 g | 95 kcal | See the page |
| Quark | about 12 g | 70 kcal | See the page |
| High protein yoghurt | about 10 g | 65 kcal | See the page |
All figures are typical values for the food as eaten, plain, fat free, not laboratory figures for a particular brand.
Australian, US and UK names
Skyr is sold under that name in all three countries. Arla and Icelandic brands are common in the UK, Siggi's and Icelandic Provisions in the US, and Isey Skyr in Australian supermarkets. Plain is the one with the protein; the fruit flavours run lower and sweeter.
Questions people ask
Is skyr higher in protein than Greek yoghurt?
Slightly. Plain skyr is about 11 g per 100 g (3.5 oz) against about 9 g for strained Greek yoghurt, with less fat and fewer calories. The difference over a pot is 3 or 4 g, which matters less than which one you will actually finish.
Your number comes first
Knowing what is in a food only helps once you know how much you are aiming for. The target is 1.2 to 1.6 g of protein per kg of your goal weight, not your current weight, which for most people is 90 to 140 g a day.
Work out your protein targetMore on eating well when your appetite is small: high protein foods for a small appetite, how much protein on a GLP-1, and every food we have written up. The whole system in five documents is the Keep Muscle Kit, A$47 / US$29 / £23.
EverStrong provides nutrition and strength coaching and education. It is not medical advice and does not replace your prescribing doctor.