Baby Berry Parfait

Yogurt. What a lifesaver for me.  I am a nutritionist who does NOT drink milk. Can't stand it. I've tried whole, 2%, 1%, skim, Almond milk, Lactaid milk, you name it. I can tolerate it in my cereal and use it in cooking, but the thought of sitting down with a glass of milk makes me gag. I didn't really care about this until I started to care about my nutrition in my early twenties.

Since I'm not a fan of milk, I'm not a fan of anything that tastes like it. So to the shelves I went, searching for the best tasting, non-milky yogurt. Read: sugary, fruity, yogurt blends.  My tastes and priorities are adjusting, and allowing me to try healthier versions (though I almost gagged when I heard Kelly Rippa talking about how she eats Plain, Non-Fat, Greek Yogurt with no toppings). No wonder she's a feather.

To save my daughter from this taste aversion, I started her on Greek yogurt from the beginning. Occasionally she will have the standard YoBaby organic, but today I'd like to share one of her favorite yogurt mini-meals.  I like to double the recipe and share this treat with her!

Baby Berry Parfait

4 oz Vanilla Greek Yogurt (Vanilla is less bitter than Plain, but if you want to try Plain, more power to ya!)
3 Tbs berries of your choice (I use frozen blueberries, raspberries, and finely chopped strawberries)
1 Tbs crushed Kashi Honey Sunshine cereal (or any favorite whole grain cereal)

Stir berries into yogurt (crushing them to really spread the juices). Layer fruited yogurt and cereal, and top with extra bite size berries.

Dairy: 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt

Grain: N/A (small amount in crushed cereal)

Vegetable: N/A

Fruit: Berries

Protein: Greek Yogurt (double benefits!)

*To save time, make about 3 cups of berried yogurt, and store in airtight container in the fridge. You will have the convenience of store-bought fruited yogurt without all the sugar.  Letting the crushed berries sit in the yogurt in the fridge really sets the flavors.

The difference between regular and Greek yogurt is plain and simple:  Greek yogurt has more protein, and less sugar.  This is important to me since my daughter isn't a huge meat eater. I'm always looking for ways to bump up her protein intake.  Using plain or vanilla is best, and add your own fruits for a fresh treat!

One day Kelly, I might be able to stomach the plain yogurt. But until then, I'll use this treat as a way to get in some antioxidants and Vitamin C!