YOGURT BOWL VARIATIONS >> a satisfying snack to power you through the afternoon

Planning a snack in your day can be an excellent way stay energized and alert. Building snacks with a blend of protein, energizing carbs, and healthy fats will fuel your body and keep your blood sugar levels steady. 

With a little experimentation, you can create an arsenal of snack ideas that satisfy your taste buds and preferences whether that be for something sweet, salty, crunchy, or all of the above. My favorite snacks are the ones that are easy to make and have enough protein to help me stay alert, energized, and satisfied until my next meal!

My go-to snack for the past 5+ years is plain Greek or Skyr yogurt with some type of frozen berries and seeds. When I was in University, I'd pack my yogurt in my back pack to enjoy in the afternoon. The frozen berries were like a built in cooler to keep the yogurt cold until I was ready to enjoy it! Additionally, the frozen berries start to melt and release their colorful juices. This sweetens up the plain yogurt and adds a bright purple hue to the yogurt!

In the recipe below I have a blend of wild frozen blueberries, plain Skyr yogurt, and pumpkin seeds but you can mix it up & make it your own with:

• Like it sweeter? Try mixing the plain Greek yogurt with a vanilla yogurt (or your favorite flavour!). By mixing the plain and flavoured yogurt, you'll cut the added sugar down by half but maintain a subtle sweetness that takes the edge of the otherwise tart, plain yogurt. You can also try vanilla Skyr yogurt instead of vanilla Greek yogurt. The flavoured Skyr varieties tend to have about half the added sugars that Greek options do!
• Protein boost! You can try mixing 1/3-1/2 a scoop of your favorite protein powder in with the plain yogurt. This boosts the protein and lends a welcomed sweetness to the tart plain yogurt. Some creative ideas:
  • Black Forest Cake: mix chocolate protein powder with the plain yogurt and top it with frozen cherries and cacao nibs.
  • Birthday Cake: mix cake batter protein powder with the plain yogurt and top it with frozen raspberries and chopped cashews.
  • Strawberry Cheesecake: mix vanilla protein powder with the plain yogurt and add a squeeze of lemon juice. Top it with fresh or frozen strawberries and slivered almonds!
• Need a crunch? I love adding a boost of fibre-filled carbs from a cereal for crunch and an energy boost. I often add the cereal if I am enjoying the yogurt parfait for a meal rather than a snack. I love the Kashi Toasted Cinnamon cereal or Kashi Crunch cereal as it is low in fat and high in fibre. This allows you to add in your own whole food fats from nuts or seeds.