Grab & go breakfast

Start your day with a Greek yogurt parfait

Hallmark staff
Yogurt Parfait Recipe @hallmarkstores @hallmarkstoresIdeas

Between back-to-school schedules and the frenzy of fall activities, who has time for a healthy breakfast? Now you do! These quick and easy Greek yogurt parfaits will keep your family healthy, happy and fueled up for fall.

The parfaits keep well in the refrigerator, so why not mix up a half dozen on the weekend? Layer them in 8-ounce juice glasses, cover, then store in the fridge. Or, for a grab-and-go breakfast, use 8-ounce paper cups so you can take one with you when you leave the house.

Yogurt Parfaits These fruit-and-yogurt parfaits are very lightly sweetened, because it’s a good idea to limit the sugar you have for breakfast. However, if it helps entice your family, increase the amount of honey in the yogurt.

1 ripe mango, cubed

2 ripe bananas, cut up

2 tsp. plus 3 Tbsp. honey

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 cups 2% Greek yogurt

Cubed mango for garnish (optional)

  1. In a food processor or blender, puree the mango, bananas, 2 teaspoons of the honey and 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla.
  2. In a bowl, stir together the yogurt and remaining 3 tablespoons honey and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.
  3. Spoon 1/4 cup of the yogurt mixture into each of six 8-ounce glasses (juice glasses work well). Dividing evenly, top with the banana-mango mixture and then a final layer of yogurt.
  4. Eat right away or chill until serving time. Garnish with a few mango cubes if desired.

Makes 6 servings Total time: 15 minutes Per serving: 173 calories, 2.5 g fat, 30 g carbohydrates (1.7 g fiber), 10 g protein, 39 mg sodium

Did you know?

  • Greek yogurt, once found only in Greek communities, has made its way into supermarkets nationwide. What makes it different from regular yogurt is that it’s strained, which means it has been drained of excess liquid until it’s the consistency of really thick sour cream.
  • Though these parfaits are delicious made with real Greek yogurt, you can create a reasonable substitute by draining regular yogurt: Spoon 6 cups of plain low-fat yogurt into a strainer lined with a double thickness of cheesecloth or paper towels and let drain for 5 hours to get 3 cups.
  • If you eat yogurt regularly, you can congratulate yourself for having a healthy treat—as long as the words “live cultures” or “active cultures” appear on the label. These contain friendly bacteria that keep our digestive tracts working properly, and they’ve recently acquired the trendy name “probiotics.” They occur naturally, but eating yogurt helps you keep a steady supply in your system.
  • Our Banana-Mango Breakfast Parfaits add fructan (in the bananas) to the mix. Fructan is a class of nutrient called a prebiotic, and it’s what probiotic bacteria love to eat. It makes them happy, and that will make you happy. Perfect.