Chef Abbie Gellman RD

Published on September 29, 2018

Updated on April 1, 2020

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Kids love making their own food creations, so how about trying a Berry Yogurt Parfait for their next afternoon snack or breakfast? It is full of protein, antioxidants, and your kids can get creative and add what they like!

How To Make Berry Yogurt Parfait

This recipe is so simple. All you need to do is put some plain Greek yogurt in a bowl and mash together with the berries of your choice. This is much healthier than buying flavored yogurt in the store! Next layer your berry yogurt mixture in 4 cups with any toppings you like! In this recipe I used graham crackers, raspberries, and chocolate chips.

Make Your Own Flavored Yogurt

There are so many flavored yogurts in the grocery store today. You may wonder, why would I buy the flavorless plain yogurt? If you look on the back of the flavored yogurt in the store, you will see a long list of preservatives and added sugars. Plain Greek yogurt contains about 5g of naturally occurring sugars. Some of the flavored varieties have up to 26g of sugar! Your healthy morning breakfast can turn into a high sugar dessert without you even realizing it.

You don’t need to worry though; there is a simple solution! You can buy the plain Greek yogurt and add in your own flavorings. You get all the yummy flavor and for a fraction of the sugars. To do this, simply mash up your own fruit into the Greek yogurt. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or a combination are all delicious options. Cinnamon is also a yummy addition. You can also add your own vanilla extract to make a vanilla yogurt. Tell me in the comments below your favorite additions to flavor your Berry Yogurt Parfait!

Greek Yogurt Nutrition

I use Greek Yogurt in my Berry Yogurt Parfait. Greek yogurt is very popular right now, but have you ever wondered what makes it different than regular yogurt? The process for making Greek and regular yogurt start the same. You heat milk, then cool to about 110 degrees and add a bacterial culture. The mixture then ferments and turns the milk proteins into yogurt. To make Greek yogurt, the mixture is then strained to remove liquid whey and lactose. This results in a thicker, creamier, tarter product known as Greek yogurt!

Did Greek yogurt originate in Greece? Actually, we started calling this type of yogurt Greek Yogurt because that is what the founder of Chobani labeled his yogurt as. This type of yogurt is actually called “Straggisto” in Greece, which means strained yogurt.

Greek yogurt is packed full of good nutrition. It has about 15g of protein per serving. This is double the protein of regular yogurt! It also contains a little bit less lactose than regular yogurt. It is a good source calcium, B12, and probiotics. Probiotics are healthy bacteria that populate your gut lining. They contribute to your immune system and help keep your stools regular. Try using Greek Yogurt in your Berry Yogurt Parfait and see what you think!