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Two times of the day that can be a little hairy at our house are breakfast and after school. The kiddos are hungry and they are looking for whatever isn’t nailed down to eat. If not careful, they will eat their body weight in junk and empty calories. One trick I have is to make sure to have healthy, tasty alternatives ready at hand. One of my secret weapons is a super rich and extra creamy yogurt cups with granola, berries and drizzled with a bit of agave. I keep these tasty little cups on hand in the fridge for the kiddos to easily grab for a healthy, satisfying breakfast or after-school snack.
I know this isn’t a new concept at all but what makes it a little different and super economical is the way I make the yogurt extra special. Instead of buying the more expensive individual cups or even the creamy and a little more decadent Greek yogurt, I buy the cheaper low-fat or fat-free vanilla yogurt that you can purchase in large containers. This is then where the magic a happens…
Here is what you will need…
- Large container of your favorite yogurt
- Fresh or frozen berries
- Granola
- Agave nectar or honey
- Small containers in which to store individual portions of the tasty treat {optional}
I pour all of the yogurt in to a mesh strainer lined with a paper towel and let that sit in the fridge for a few hours.
This drains some of the excess liquid from the yogurt and makes it extra decadent and creamy. My kids LOVE it! I top it with berries, granola and then drizzle a little Agave nectar over it and they couldn’t be happier. I store the creamy yogurt in small jars in the fridge so that the kiddos can run and grab one anytime they like!
What are some of your healthy treat options for your kiddos? What tricks do you employ to get them to crave healthy foods?
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Bonnie @ Uncommon says These just look delicious!! Thank you for sharing! They are very pretty too! We are big yogurt fans and I have to try this one! Bonnie 😉
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- Amanda says
Looks delish! Thanks for sharing!
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How cool! The creamier the better when it comes to yogurt so I love this idea!!
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- nitasha says
Yum! love this idea and love your little containers….where can i get those?
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Hi Heather! This looks so good and your pictures are fabulous! I love your blog…so full of wonderful inspiration! I don’t always comment, but I am here everyday! I, too, love mason jars! Last week I made a layered salad and shared it on my blog! Have a wonderful day! Angie xo
- Haley K says
Brilliant! i love my yogurt extra creamy 🙂 And this could help make the low calorie kind a little more rich…thanks for the idea! xo
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- crissy k says
Hey Heather do you mix the fruit and granola in before you put it into the fridge? sounds so yummy
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This is awesome…oh I am so pinning this!! 🙂 Cath
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- Mrs EJ says
Looks lovely! Actually, this is a very simple way of making Greek yogurt. What makes that so creamy anyway is the absence of whey. So when you strain it from your regular yogurt, you’re left with creamy goodness.
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This looks scrumptious. We love yogurt at our house…thanks for the tip.
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- Kelley Wilson says
oh my gosh this looks so good, I don’t know if you have but would you PLEASE do a post on your beautiful photography and how to do it?
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- Heather says
I LOVE this idea – will have to try with our homemade yogurt (not as thick but delicious)
Gorgeous pictures!
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- Camille says
Beautiful photography. Looks delicious!
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- Tammy says
What a great idea! We all love yogurt at our house. I’ll have to try this.
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- Melinda Redmann says
Great idea to pre-package a good snack! Your jars are darling! Can I ask where you found them? Thank you for the great idea!
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- Stephanie says
Your pics are great. My kids eat this regularly and call it “yougurt surprise” because they never know what type of fruit or crunch (granola, nuts, cereal) that they will be getting. I like your idea of serving it up in single portion cups ready to go. Makes it much easier on the kids, for sure.
Also, the liquid from you yougurt is whey and it’s super nutritious and valuable. The Prairie Homestead recently posted a piece about different ways to use your whey.
http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2011/06/16-ways-to-use-your-whey.htmlThanks for sharing!
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- Theresa says
I’ll have to try this! Looks yummy!
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- Heather says
DELICIOUS! Thanks for sharing!
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- sarah says
I am going to use this idea for a bridal shower! thanks!
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- Leona says
This looks awesome, I love yogurt and berries so I’ll be making this. thanks for a great tip.
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- Csue says
You can make your own yogurt with a crockpot and it is so simple. I use my 6 quart crock pot and heat up 5 quarts of milk for 2 hours on low. Unplug the crock pot and let the milk cool to 110 degrees, add 1 1/4 cups of greek style plain yogurt you bought at the store and whisk it in really good. Put the lid back on, wrap the crock pot up in a nice warm blanket and let it incubate for 8-15 hours. The longer it incubates the thicker and creamier the end product is. The whey needs to be drained just like in this post. Line a colander with cheese cloth and pour the yogurt in. Gather the ends together and let the whey drip out as it hangs from a cabinet, faucet etc. Let drain about 2 hours unless you want it creamier. Now you have plain yogurt and you can mix in whatever you want. You can also use and immersion blender to make it nice and smooth. Our favorite sweetener is honey and vanilla extract. My kids LOVE this!!
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- Tartine says
Hi heather, I just started following your blog, really love it! That’s a great idea! My kids love yogurt, but a lot of brands have added stuff in it that I don’t want. I love Csue yogurt recipe, and will it a try too!
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- katherine says
this looks so unique, i second the question; where did you purchase the containers?
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- katherine says
just found the jars, they are ball 4 oz quilted pattern.
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- Florencia Lovardo says
You can have the same Greek yoghurtwith less work following this isntructions. I prepare in different glass jars small porcions of fruit salad. Add some honey or sweetener and on top and nuts,almonds or what ever (even dried fruit) The natural healthy bacterias that the yoghurt has will develop and you will get an excellent Greek yogurt with no other work. I do it at night and have it ready for breakfast or even my son takes to school as a snack. Sometimes he adds granola at the moment he will eat it. I just prepare once some ammount of jars and is always a new taste for I add to the same plain yogurt vainilla flavour, some strawberries, bananas,kiwis, dried prunes, and sometimes even home made mermalade. Thank You for sharing. Sharing is caring.
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- Jen says
You are brilliant! Greek yogurt is SO much more expensive! And, the only difference is that it's just more solid (less liquid). So, by straining the "cheaper" stuff, you're saving yourself tons of money! =)
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- Kim says
This sounds great Does any one know where I can get the carbs,protein, fat etc…….I had heard there is a site that you type in all ingredients for a receipe and it will tell you all the nutrition info…….can any one help me please?
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