YOGURT AND FRESH BERRY PARFAIT

I've always adhered to the mantra that "breakfast is the most important meal of the day."  My mom made for me (and still makes me when I go home to visit) a giant bowl of oatmeal for breakfast layered with raisins, flax seed, walnuts, and whole milk.  She taught me that a hearty breakfast and a healthy lunch will power you through the day, while a lighter dinner like a salad is all your body needs as it is about to go into rest. Her salads are no mean "light," containing a mix of greens, carrots, peppers, cucumbers, and Braggs nutritional yeast.  But, it makes sense to feed your body fuel when you need it and go lighter when it doesn't.

So, every morning for breakfast I scoop either oatmeal or yogurt into a mason jar for an easy, but hearty, grab and go on the way to work.  Summer weather has me gravitating towards the yogurt for obvious reasons (and the plethora of fresh berries at the grocery store make it a no-brainer as well).


I start with either organic whole milk plain yogurt or whole milk greek yogurt, then sprinkle some chopped walnuts on top.


Add some fresh raspberries, blueberries, or sliced bananas and drizzle with honey.


Repeat a second time and you've got a quick and delicious portable breakfast!


Many people (or most people I would garner to say) are nervous to choose whole over non-fat when staring at the cooler in the grocery store.  However, many studies have found consuming whole milk actually has numerous benefits compared to its lesser fat counterparts.  "At the simplest level, people eating more high fat dairy products will have enough calories so they won't feel hungry enough to need additional calories from sugary foods." (1)  "When people reduce the amount of fat they eat, they tend to increase their intake of refined carbohydrates and sugar, the driving forces behind the bulk of our nation's chronic health problems." (2)

Choosing regular vs greek yogurt is primarily based on taste and texture preference since they are deniably different.  However, greek yogurt does have an edge with protein and sugar.  "In roughly the same amount of calories, it (greek yogurt) can pack up to double the protein, while cutting sugar content in half." (3)

I have yet to try overnight oats despite not being a picky eater, I am wary that I would not like the texture.  Do you have any favorite overnight oats recipes that might overcome my hesitations?  What are some of your favorite things to make for breakfast on-the-go?

(1) Source: Time magazine
(2) Source: US News
(3) Source: US News 

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