Yogurt is something I totally love, and I eat it pretty much every day. I usually buy coconut milk yogurt by So Delicious, and I definitely prefer two flavors in particular…plain and chocolate. I usually have the chocolate yogurt as a dessert or mix a spoonful of it into my plain yogurt for some extra deliciousness. The plain yogurt, however, is my go-to base for many breakfasts. The reason I like the plain flavor is because it has a lot less sugar than other flavors and other yogurts in general. It also offers me a clean palate to work with; I can add whatever fruits, nuts, or add-ins that I want and it almost always goes well together. I have used the Greek Plain Coconut Yogurt as well, but I don’t like the flavor as much; but it does offer less sugars than traditional plain yogurt. I should also tell you there are unsweetened yogurts available on the market and So Delicious now makes one too. If you can tolerate the complete lack of sugar, go for it! I personally need my yogurt to be a little bit sweeter than 0 grams of sugar.
Some other companies that are also on the market include: Kite Hill Almond Milk Yogurts, Forager Cashew Milk Yogurts, and Almond Dream. The Forager Vanilla is quite delicious, but a little bit higher in sugar. The Kite Hill Plain is very low in sugar and has a decent amount of protein for a non-dairy yogurt. I have never tried it, but I heard good things about the brand in general. Almond Dream is average on the amount of sugars for both coconut milk based and almond based yogurts that they offer, but the protein count is low for an almond based yogurt (compared to Kite Hill and Amande, even Forager offers about 3 grams per serving). If you cannot tolerate nuts at all and want to stay in the non-dairy category, soy is another option. Silk and Stonyfield make great non-dairy soy based yogurts. They offer decent amounts of protein and are available at most grocery stores. FYI, Stonyfield is much higher in sugar – maybe that’s why I loved it so much back when I used to eat soy?! I encourage you to find whatever yogurt works for you, whether it is nut based, soy based, or dairy based. There are endless options on the market today.
So, what do I put in my yogurt? Well, there are lots of things you can add and it should depend on what you want out of your breakfast. When I want a breakfast with a decent amount of protein and fiber, but limited amounts of sugar, I use a low sugar berry (such as blueberries or blackberries) to sweeten my plain yogurt. I will also add hemp protein powder, coconut shreds or chips, dates, raisins, or nut butter for extra protein so I feel full longer throughout the morning. In this recipe for blueberry yogurt, I keep things quick and simple! Frozen organic wild blueberries mixed with plain yogurt, nut butter, and flaxmeal. Sometimes I add in some cocoa powder too, but it is not needed to make this enjoyable.
For an extra special treat, I may add in pomegranate seeds or some diced, caramelized and roasted apple. If you like the feel of berries with texture, keep them in this slightly cooked form. However, it you’re like many people out there who want it to be creamier or less lumpy, place your berries in the blender and make it the texture you prefer. Either way, it still feels like you’re having fruit on the bottom yogurt without the extra ingredients and sugars. I love how the berries will get syrupy if you melt them a little in the microwave or on the stove top!
Although this is one way you can enjoy your yogurt, there are tons of other options too. Be creative and enjoy!
Blueberry Yogurt
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup frozen wild organic blueberries Fresh berries are fine too
- 3/4 cup plain non dairy yogurt
- 1 Tbsp flaxmeal
- 1 Tbsp nut or sunseed butter any nut butter works here, 2 Tbsps can be used
Instructions
- If you are using frozen blueberries, place them into a soup or salad sized bowl and microwave for approximately 30 seconds. You’ll know that the berries are the perfect texture when you see some blueberry juice or syrup in the bowl. They will also be defrosted.
- To this bowl, you will add all remaining ingredients. Mix all these ingredients in the bowl and then eat! Breakfast in 5 minutes.
- Optional: If you want to add in 1 Tbsp of hemp protein powder for additional fiber and protein, you can add that ingredient now as well. If you would like to add a chocolate flavor to your yogurt as well as some iron, add in your cocoa powder.
- Optional: other fruits such as blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries. Just be careful not to over do the fruit portions because it will add more sugar to your meal.