Healthy Strawberry Parfait

My favorite thing about the summer is how sweet the strawberries are during this time. I like buying them at the local Farmer’s Market because they are so much sweeter than the ones I buy at the store. A Healthy Strawberry Parfait is a perfect way for me to start my day during these hot days.

Although I could easily buy one of these at my local grocery store or Starbucks, I prefer to make them at home because I can make a much healthier version for a fraction of the cost at home. The Starbucks version is low in fat, which is great, but pretty high in carbs for my taste. The funny part is that because it’s yogurt and fruit, people automatically think that it’s healthy. I’m not saying it’s unhealthy because there are definitely less healthy options but for dieting purposes, this isn’t your best choice.

Starbucks Strawberry Parfait Nutrition

Do you even realize what I could enjoy for 43 grams of sugar instead of this “healthy” option? A whole lot of things! I could have two Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Donuts for less sugar. Granted, they’re higher in fat but you get my point.

Copycat Yogurt Parfait

You can easily make a great tasting yogurt parfait at home that’s high in protein and low in carbs and fats. My two favorite non-fat yogurts to use are the Kirkland Brand and Fage. I like the consistency and the flavor on both. I add some sweetener to my yogurt when I make my healthy yogurt parfait but you can omit this if you like it plain.

Easy Sweetener Options

I always have the Torani Sugar Free coffee syrups on hand because I use them for all sorts of stuff, not just my coffee. My absolute favorite is the S’mores flavor. Let it be known that I have a massive sweet tooth so this might be a little too sweet for some people but a little goes a long way. This flavor is a little harder to find than most of the others but I sometimes get lucky at Smart & Final. Smart & Final has the best prices on these syrups as well. They carry the larger size and you can find a ton of different flavors. Wal-Mart and the other grocery stores in my area carry the small bottles and they’re usually pretty pricey. Since I use these for a variety of things, the larger bottles last me much longer.

Sweet drops are another go to for me when it comes to sugar free options. These I typically buy on Amazon because this is where I seem to find the best pricing. My current favorites are the Sweet Drops by Sweet Leaf. They’re well worth the price and last a long time since you really only need a couple drops to sweeten things up.

Toppings

I tend to top my parfait with a ton of strawberries because they’re the most bang for my buck. One cup of fresh, sliced strawberries has less than 13 grams of carbs per serving. Not only that but strawberries are full of nutritional benefits. You can top them with any berries you have available or like the best. Berries are my go to because they are super filling, nutritious, and low in calories.

On to the granola! There are tons of options out there as far as granola goes. Choosing the right one can be somewhat of a task. Here are some of my favorites.

Sola Granola is low in carbs and high in protein. It’s a bit high on the fat but since the rest of my bowl is pretty much fat free, it works just fine.

Nature Valley Protein Granola is low in fat and carbs and probably the easiest to find. I can usually find this at Target, Wal-Mart, and all of my local grocery stores. The other great thing about this granola is that it’s priced right. Most of the other protein granola’s are almost double the price.

Kashi GO Crisp! Cinnamon Crumble (or any of the flavors in this line) is another easy to find and reasonably priced topping. Just like the Nature Valley option, I can find the Kashi brand cereals just about anywhere so this is another great option. They have a few different flavors and even though the macros vary slightly, they’re all higher in protein, lower in carbs than most granola, and low in fats.

There are definitely other options available but these are the three on rotation for me right now. All are great options and taste delicious. I typically don’t use a full serving amount as I just need a little bit to add on top of my strawberries. I love the crunch and sweetness that it adds to my parfaits.

Print

Low Carb Cereal/Granola

There are plenty of other options out there as far as toppings go. New cereals and granolas are constantly coming out on the market. I listed the easiest to find granola in my recipe but choose whichever option is the most convenient for you to find. I often find options on Amazon that I can have delivered when I can’t find something locally. Many times I top it with a low carb cereal option if granola isn’t available.

You may also like!