Plain yogurt can get a little boring, but it is a great base for all sorts of stir in ideas. First off, start with a high quality yogurt. I use raw pastured milk to make my own. If you don’t have that option use organic milk. Making your own yogurt might sound tricky but it is actually super simple.
You can make it on your counter if you have a nice space that stays between about 70 and 77 degrees, any colder and the yogurt won’t set properly. You just need a quarter cup of store bought yogurt as a starter and a quart of milk. Put milk and starter in a jar, cover with a towel or something breathable and secure with a rubber band. Check in 24 and then again in 48 hours to check for a change in consistency. The yogurt will be thinner than what you buy at the store because many of the store bought yogurts use strange thickening ingredients that are not at all good for you. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours to set and save some of that yogurt for the next batch. Eventually you will have to get a new starter because it will get old, but you should be able to use it a few times. I make mine in my T-Fal 8 way rice cooker. It has a yogurt setting, it takes 8 hours.
If you have no desire to make your own yogurt, that’s ok! I just do it to offset the cost of buying organic. I start with plain unsweetened yogurt. I don’t buy sweetened yogurt because we also use it as sour cream and it is super easy to sweeten on my own. The sweetened yogurts have A LOT of sugar and I prefer a more lightly sweetened yogurt, for myself and my kids. This way I can still make it sweet, but I control how much sugar is in it.
Now for the add ins!
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Coconut – sweetened or not
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Jelly – whatever your favorite flavor is. I like to use lemon curd, honey, or maple syrup as a sweetener too.
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Chia seeds – let them soak in yogurt overnight to get a fun texture or add them just before eating
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Nuts- any kind! Although my favorite are pecans
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Pumpkin seeds – I am always trying to incorporate pumpkin seeds into out meals because they are good at helping the body get rid of parasites in the gut. Sprinkle in just a few if your children are not huge fans, they won’t even notice
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Sunflower seeds – delicious and healthy
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Fruit – berries and bananas are my favorite fruit to put in yogurt
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Vitamineral Green Powder – I love this stuff and try to sneak it in anywhere I can: yogurt, smoothies, my almond butter balls, etc. It has so many good things for our bodies, it is super healthy!
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Old fashioned rolled oats – If I do this I like to let them soak in the yogurt overnight and get all squishy
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Granola or an organic cereal – for a little bit of crunch
I usually add 5 or so extras into my yogurt to transform it into a more satisfying meal. If I eat plain yogurt, I am hungry again an hour later. A little yogurt buffet is also a fun thing to set up for friends or your children for breakfast or brunch. I keep canisters of coconut, chia seeds, oats, and pecans on my kitchen counter because I am always throwing them into recipes, so it doesn’t feel like a lot of extra effort. Try putting some of your favorite healthy dry goods into jars or canisters on your counter and they will probably find their way into a lot more meals!
What is your favorite thing to add to yogurt? Did I miss something delicious? Let. me know in he comments!
