5 Store-Bought Yogurts Chefs Always Keep in the Fridge

Professional chefs often don’t have time to cook themselves a big breakfast. That’s where store-bought yogurt comes in: It’s quick, reliable, and nutritious. 

It’s also a versatile blank canvas for everything from granola and berries to chile oil. But chefs will tell you that it helps to start with high-quality yogurt. Here are five they eat on the daily — plus ideas for topping yours.

Fage Total 0% Greek Yogurt

Not only is Fage Food & Wine’s favorite Greek yogurt brand — it’s also the go-to for 2007 F&W Best New Chef Gavin Kaysen, who eats the plain fat-free variety for a protein-packed breakfast. “I can crush a bowl with granola before or after a workout,” he says. “It sets the tone for a long, often physical day.” Fage is also the brand that Kaysen uses when he cooks for Minneapolis sports teams through KZ Provisioning, the catering business he cofounded with Andrew Zimmern.

Straus Family Creamery Organic Whole Milk Greek Yogurt

This California-based, family-run creamery uses sweet cream buttermilk in its plain Greek yogurt, giving it an extra-tangy complexity. Sara Brook, owner of the Dessert Gallery in Houston, appreciates this yogurt for its versatility. “It works well with sweet ingredients, like fresh berries, chocolate chips, and hot fudge; or savory, like brown rice or toasted nuts,” she says. “It’s also yummy on a baked potato.”

Bellwether Farms Plain Sheep Milk Yogurt

“I’m a big fan of Bellwether Farms sheep’s milk yogurt,” says 2017 F&W Best New Chef Sara Kramer. The full-fat yogurt is made in Sonoma County, California. “It’s the right balance of tart and rich, and the consistency is perfect — not too loose and not too thick. It’s also very, very versatile.” Combine this yogurt with lemon and chopped capers and serve it alongside cauliflower to make a copycat version of a dish at Kismet, one of Kramer’s Los Angeles restaurants, which she co-owns with 2017 F&W Best New Chef Sarah Hymanson.

Forager Project Plain Greek-Style Yogurt

For a nondairy alternative, 2025 F&W Best New Chef Mariela Camacho swears by Forager Project’s Greek-style yogurt made with coconut milk and cashews. “As I’ve gotten older, dairy has been a struggle for me, so finding something that has the body and the protein of a dairy yogurt has been awesome,” she says. “I love the texture, and the cashews and coconut are mellow enough to not dominate, but rather complement fruit.”

Painterland Sisters Vanilla Bean Organic Skyr Yogurt

Onika Brown, executive pastry chef of the Musket Room in New York City, swears by Painterland Sisters — specifically the vanilla bean flavor. “Not only is it women-owned, but it also has the best consistency of any yogurt I’ve ever had,” she says. Painterland makes skyr yogurt, an Icelandic-style yogurt that is strained more than Greek yogurt for a creamier, denser texture. The vanilla flavor, speckled with vanilla beans, is ideal for topping with fruit, scooping onto cake, or simply eating by the spoonful.