Tropical Parfait
When you pick up a yogurt parfait at your local coffee shop, you probably think you're choosing a healthy breakfast. The truth is, while parfaits may look nutritious, there's a lot of sugar lurking in that convenient cup. The combination of fruit in a sugary syrup and clusters of sweetened granola can send your blood sugar soaring, which means you'll be starving again before lunchtime. But healthy parfaits are easy to make at home and take along in your own reusable plastic container. For a less fancy approach, skip the pretty layers and simply mix together the yogurt and fruit and top with low-fat granola and coconut.
MAKES 4 PARFAITS:
2 cups cut fresh tropical fruit, such as pineapple, mango, papaya, or kiwi, or a mixture
2 cups nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt
2 cups Dried Fruit and Almond Granola (see recipe below)
½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut, toasted
Using 4 juice glasses or mason jars, spoon ¼ cup of fruit into each glass, evening it out with the back of a tablespoon. Top with ¼ cup of the yogurt and ¼ cup of granola. Repeat the layering process one more time with the remaining fruit, yogurt, and granola. Top each parfait with 2 tablespoons of coconut before serving.
Per serving (1 parfait): 407 calories, 11 g total fat (6 g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 63 mg sodium, 20 g protein, 8 g fiber, 60 g carb.