4 Ways to add POWER to your morning Yogurt!
#Breakfast #Yogurt #HealthyEating #Diabetes #HealthySnack
First let's talk about YOGURT CHOICES!!
Not all yogurts are created equal!
Many are loaded with processed sugar and/or dairy fat plus they may not even have active yogurt cultures in them! ( that's the reason we eat yogurt to begin with, because it puts the good bacteria back in our stomachs, but that's a topic for another day!)
First, read the label! Does it say "made with live or active yogurt cultures like Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus? If you don't see it on the front of the container, read the ingredients list on the back!
Next check the Nutrition Facts label..... your yogurt should be less than 5% saturated fat and ideally it should be 0% fat! Choose nonfat or low-fat varieties to achieve this!
Lastly, how much sugar is in your yogurt? Now this is a confusing one, because ALL DAIRY products contain naturally occurring milk sugar called lactose so you don't want any ADDED SUGARS! If the total sugars on the NUTRITION FACTS label is less than 5% then you've got a good one!
And one portion of yogurt is 8 ounces or 1 cup! Try using a measuring cup the first few times you portion it out and visually make note of how it appears in your favorite bowl so you can keep the portion control going forward without all the fuss of measuring!
#1 Berries!
Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries ....... whatever is in season is always the best choice for freshness and price but frozen with no sugar added is always a healthy option. Keep your portion size under control, less than 1 cup of berries ! And just a note, stay away from raisins and craisins, they are very concentrated high CARB sugar laiden additions....
#2 Nuts!
Packed with plant based protein as well as some carb and healthy fats, any kind of UNSALTED nuts make a great addition to your yogurt! Caution over portioning on nuts, it's easy to do! Keep it to 1 small handful or 1/4 cup
#3 Seeds!!
Mix it up, try raw unsalted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds, pepitas, chia seeds or even hemp seeds! Keep the portion to 1 and 1/2 tablespoons for CARB control!
#4 Granola!
The market shelves are full of options when it comes to granola, but here's the thing..... K.IS.S!
That's right....
KEEP
IT
SIMPLE
SILLY!
Plain oats and honey granola is best! No added nuts or raisins or wheatberries or other crunchy sweet things are needed! If you like a little something crunchy, ADD YOUR OWN and STAY IN CONTROL of the sugar and fat you're adding to that yogurt!
Follow these tips and enjoy!
Questions/Concerns? Schedule YOUR free Coaching session!
Laura Estan, RD,LDN,CDE