Trader Joe's Guava Passion Fruit Greek Whole Milk Yogurt

January isn't so much a "New Years resolution" time for me as it is a season where I revisit foods that I ideally would eat all the time but don't for whatever reason. Overnight oats (functional but still not something I love). Bananas (I've given up on liking bananas). Yogurt (which I love but really can't stomach the lactose and I haven't discovered a comparable dairy-free option). But a new fruity flavor that you don't really see much elsewhere? I gotchu, friend.

Points for the packaging - these tropical-esque colors are pleasant to the eye, especially in the midst of a dreary January.

Is this a health food? Sure why not? It's whole milk yogurt, which may be a great choice for some and not others. Yes there's 17g of sugar, which includes 13g of added sugars, probably from the fruit juice used for flavoring,but 11g of protein. Unless you're going to bust out your InstantPot and go through the process of making and flavoring your own yogurt, it's not that bad. So make an informed decision y'all based on your personal goals and needs.

I honestly bought this and promptly forgot about it until I scrambled to pack a lunch five minutes before I had to leave for work. It's the small victories- reaching for Greek yogurt instead of whatever junky snacks lying around- that accumulate over time people. Celebrate them accordingly.

Real time pic- unless you're Kate Middleton and your job is to slay all day, hospital lighting ain't flattering on nobody. Including this Greek yogurt. In person, this yogurt is a really nice pale apricot orange pink. And it smells tropical, fruity, and refreshing. Usually when you open a Greek yogurt, the first smell you get is that pungent sour smell, which I'm sure is still present in this Greek yogurt but it wasn't the first thing that I noticed. 

This yogurt bears an uncanny resemblance to a favorite dining hall juice of mine -Minute Maid orange guava passionfruit juice. Obviously no orange here, but the tropical sweetness is pretty darn similar. Perhaps because guava and passion fruit on its own are not typical fruits in the American diet, it's really hard to determine whether or not this yogurt has "authentic fruit flavor." Guava is pretty mild and therefore pairs well with passion fruit, which tends to be a bit punchier. The result? A tangy but sweet, "exotic tropical fruity" flavor in yogurt form. Plus, since it's made with whole milk, it's pretty satiating and can fool me into thinking that I'm treating myself with something delicious instead of forcing myself to eat something healthy that I don't necessarily like. Sugar helps. :P

As with the usual yogurts at TJ's, this runs $0.99 per serving. Probably going to be a super hit with kids, college kids, and really anyone who would choose orange guava passionfruit juice over average orange or apple any day. 

TL;DR: Trader Joe's Guava Passion Fruit Greek Whole Milk Yogurt. A yogurt interpretation of a nostalgic dining hall juice from college. 9 out of 10. Mantou Joe repurchase? High probability yes. I say this is worth the lactose.