The Great Greek Granola Parfait

Recipe of the Week


Every week I am going to post a recipe/food idea with the goal of giving you something tasty that will serve to either fuel your workout or provide you with a great recovery meal.

I'm keeping it simple today - this is a great workout snack or meal, either pre or post. If you eat this pre-workout, I'd definitely make sure you eat at least an hour before your workout. If afterwards, shoot for 30-60 minutes post workout, to make sure your body gets what it needs to refuel.

The Great Greek Granola Parfait

All you need for a healthy start!

(This can be made with any brand, but I'm going to plug some of the cheaper brands available).


1 single serving size of Chobani Plain Fat-Free Greek Yogurt (check out this link for coupons!)
1-2 tsp. of honey (your choice)
1/2 - 1 cup of the fruit (fresh or frozen) of your choice
1/2 cup of Special K Low Fat Granola

Mix in a bowl and enjoy! It has healthy fat (mainly from the granola), fiber (both help in keeping you full and leaving you satisfied), and protein to help your muscles recover. It is a small, but filling power breakfast that deserves to be called Great!

Why these ingredients in particular?

Greek yogurt always comes out the winner with a whopping 18 grams (!!!) of protein, only 7 grams of sugar (in the plain), no fat, and only 100 calories. It's a perfect combination of milk and live cultures and that is it. No fillers, no added this or that. The plain is perfect for other uses, too. Sour cream substitute, mixing in fruit, making yogurt dipping sauce are just a few ideas.

Honey is a great, natural sweetener that allows you to control how much goes into your yogurt. Other yogurts have tons of sugar from the sweetened fruit that has been added. Add honey to your liking, but keep it within reason (1 tablespoon has 60 calories = 16 grams of sugar). A teaspoon or so is all you need, especially if you add the fruit.

Fruit delivers a kick of natural sweet as well, along with fiber and various vitamins depending on the fruit you select. This allows you to also change it up if you get bored with peaches....or blueberries...or mango...perhaps strawberries....I like to chop the fruit into bite sized pieces and leave the peel if edible (lots of nutrients there, too!).

Last, but not least, Special K Low Fat Granola has always been my go-to granola. Sure, there are lots of "healthy" organic brands that you will pay twice as much for (and they also are loaded with twice as much fat!). You can get this one with or without raisins (if you like a little chewy texture in there). It is also available at pretty much any grocery store (no special trip to Whole PayCheck...I mean Whole Foods). Yes, it sounds like a lot of calories (190 in 1/2 cup) but it packs a serious punch of whole grain, fiber and an extra 6 grams of protein! The crunch it adds to the parfait increases the "satisfaction" level of this meal as well.

Total calories of this breakfast ranges from 440-500. But hey, who's counting? That's old school, baby! Keep it in moderation and re-frame your mindset to think about what is going to fuel your body to be healthy, happy and strong.

Enjoy!

Anna Marie