I’m not saying I’m 100% changed, but I might be changing my point of view on Greek yogurt.
Before you freak out, let me clarify. I might be changing how I view nonfat Greek yogurt. I decided to buy a couple individual servings the other day at the grocery store, along with my normal 32 oz tub of nonfat. I wanted to give the 2% Greek yogurt a try because I’d read somewhere that it has a little less tang to it then nonfat. Just to clarify, I am basing my information on plain yogurt, not the flavored kinds.
I was doing a little recipe development (aka making snacks) and I decided to use one of the plain 2% Greek yogurts instead of nonfat. I mixed a little vanilla protein powder in it and holy cow. I kid you not it was amazing! Super thick and creamy, plus really smooth. I was shocked that I noticed such a difference. I have read that 2% Greek yogurt helps you feel more satisfied after eating because of the extra fat. Yes, there are more calories so you have to back off elsewhere, but I’ve read it can be more filling in the long run. I dig it!
I think I will test it out next week for my mid-morning meal. I will buy the 2% Greek yogurt this weekend and make a yogurt parfait or something similar to take throughout the week. I will keep you posted on my thoughts.
Have you tried the 2% Greek yogurt? Did you find a difference?
How do I like to prepare my Greek yogurt parfaits? With peanut butter or almond butter of course. But also granola! I love the crunch that granola adds to yogurt. I even love granola enough to eat it simply with milk poured over the top.
You do need to be careful because store bought granolas can be very high in sugar and very high in fat (not the good kind of fats unfortunately). How to avoid that? Read ingredient labels and be aware of what is going into the granola you are purchasing. However, I prefer to make my own granola!
Most granolas are made by mixing the ingredients together and baking it to make it crispy. You generally have to stir it two to three times to get all of it nice and crisp.
Or you could skip all that baking time and make granola in a skillet! Yes, a skillet.
Everything else about the granola is similar – you add all the ingredients into a bowl and make sure that the wet ingredients are evenly distributed among the dry. However, once that step is done you simple heat the granola in a skillet, rather than in an oven. It takes the whole process down to ten minutes. TEN!
This same technique can be used for any flavor of granola you’d like. I chose to make a chocolate cherry granola because I had some dried cherries in cabinet that I was wanting to play around with!
Check out my other granola recipes including “Tart & Tangy” Granola, Maple Pecan Granola, or even my Coconut-Cashew Granola Bars.
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup millet**
- 2 Tbsp flax seed
- 1/2 cup dried cherries, diced
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 3 Tbsp cacao powder***
- 2 Tbsp cacao nibs
- 1/4 cup unrefined coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Combine the oats, millet, and flax seed in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Toast the mixture, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes or until oats start to turn a golden brown. Be careful not to burn.
- In a small bowl, combine the dried cherries, cacao powder, cacao nibs, and coconut sugar. Once the oat mixture is toasted, add the contents of the small bowl to the skillet and stir until evenly distributed (about 2 minutes).
- Turn off the heat, pour the melted coconut oil into the skillet and stir until the oats are evenly coated with oil (about 1 minute).
- Pour the granola onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, spreading the mixture out as evenly as possible. Gently press the granola down using the back of a spatula. Allow to cool for 30-60 minutes. Store granola in an airtight container.
- *1 serving = 1/4 cup granola
- **Millet should be uncooked for this recipe
- ***Can sub with unsweetened cocoa powder
