If you have been following me on social media, you likely know that I am working on my personal wellness. (If you don’t follow me yet, shameless plug here: check out my Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram today!)
I’ve been fairly open about my difficulties with the subject of personal wellness and health. A lot of my struggles have centered around body image and body positivity. In college, I went through an eating disorder. Then, after coming out the other side of that, I dealt with some weight gain and loss in patterns, often punctuated by emotional turmoil and stress in my personal life. After my divorce and once I settled into my rental home with my son, I started getting more aware of the positive body changes I was making and wanted to continue to make. I started reading up on at-home exercises. I made sure my daily diet always included protein, fruits, and veggies. I was at the lowest weight I’d seen since I got married in 2014, and I was really proud of myself for that positive and health progress.
Since then, I’ve grown even more active in my own wellness efforts. I’ve done wellness challenges with friends who are coaches, started tracking my calorie intake with the My Fitness Pal app from Under Armor, and bought a fitness tracking watch from LETSCOM.
One of the things I have been VERY clear with myself about from the get-go of my fitness journey is that I DO NOT want to limit myself on food that brings me joy. I’m a cook and a baker and a homemaker (and Dr. Seuss, apparently), and I do NOT want to limit the joy those areas of my life bring me on a regular basis. So, I’ve taken a serious interest in finding foods I love that are low-calorie so I can treat myself occasionally with peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, ice cream, poke cake, and fried chicken – you know, the essentials.
One of my FAVORITE low-calorie, healthy foods is my couldn’t-be-easier yogurt parfait! You can make it in minutes, and it can be a great breakfast or snack. I make mine in one of two ways: apple or strawberry.
Here’s what you need:
- 1 serving of light Vanilla Greek Yogurt (about ¾-1 cup)
- 100-calorie serving size of raw almonds
- 3 small or medium-sized strawberries OR 1 medium apple
I get my 100-calorie packs of almonds from Aldi. They’re inexpensive and pre-counted, which makes this process even quicker, if I’m throwing a parfait in my lunchbox for work.
I also use the pre-packaged, sliced apples from Walmart. A medium sized apple will work, especially if you have an apple corer and slicer handy, but I’m packing two lunches most days, and it makes it WAY faster if it’s pre-cut and portioned for me.
To make your parfait, select your container. I use either a tupperware container (these cute ones are from Dollar General – 3 for $1, if I remember correctly) or a dessert dish, if you’re feeling fancy or setting the table with them!
Scoop in your yogurt. Cut your fruit – either chunk your apple into bite-sized pieces or slice your strawberries, and add them in. Then sprinkle on the almonds.
I think layering is nice, if you have the time, because it lets you get a little in each bite, but if you need to just throw it all in as you’re able, you’re probably going to stir with your spoon when you eat anyway!
Good news: the strawberry version is only about 196 calories and the apple version is only 285 calories. Breakfast or a snack for 200-300 calories sounds like a win to me – especially if it contains protein, a serving of fruit, and the many good things that come with yogurt!!
I hope you enjoy this super-simple, tasty snack or breakfast!
If you’re on your own wellness journey, could benefit from more recipes like this or topics of personal health, please comment below!
Kate with a Twang 
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