3 Healthier Ways to Transform the Way You Eat Yogurt

During the summer, there's always pressure to eat super clean, usually in the form of bland salads, tasteless veggies, and steamed fish. 

But, the truth is, healthy eating doesn’t have to be limited to greens and sea creatures. As you prep for back-to-school and head into fall, it’s a great time to hit reset on your eating habits and learn how to cook with real dairy (not alternatives) in good-for-you ways. You see, yogurt and other dairy products are super versatile and can be incorporated creatively into nutritious meals that will keep you feeling fresh and full. Start with yogurt, a nutrient-rich powerhouse, packed with protein, calcium, and probiotics. In fact, yogurt contains nine essential amino acids, which makes it a high-quality, complete protein. Yogurt also has low levels of lactose, which means if you’re lactose sensitive, you can most likely consume it and have few to no symptoms. 

We teamed up with Real California Milk to bring you an arsenal of easy-to-make yogurt options (and some harder ones, for those kitchen pros) to make eating healthier a little easier. We're talking healthy cheese boards, microwave muffins, and baked brûlée—all full of essential vitamins and minerals. These dishes will curb your hunger and help you maintain a wholesome diet. They also happen to be the perfect plates for snacking with friends, starting the day right with breakfast and feeling great about your favorite meal: dessert.

Watch this quick video to peep all three recipes that you can easily prepare in between or after class this year. Plus, scroll down for the written out recipes to screenshot and save to use later.

For the simplest way to keep your fridge fresh with items that give you necessary nutrients like protein and vitamins, look for the Real California Milk seal on dairy brands to ensure quality products made with 100% milk produced by California dairy families. Products with the seal are available at stores across the U.S. All in all, eating well, in the form of cheese boards and dessert is so much better than studying for that upcoming exam, (and tastier, too).

Plus, these recipes are healthy enough to have for breakfast. Studies have also shown that students who eat breakfast before school may have improved concentration, attention span, and memory. All of which you'll need for that 9 am lecture. 

Sweet and Savory Yogurt Dips

• Prep Time:10 mins
• Cook Time:45 mins
• Total Time:55 mins
• Servings:1
• Easy

Ingredients

• 2 heads garlic
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper freshly ground
• 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 cups Real California plain whole-milk yogurt
• Juice and zest 1 lemon about 2 tablespoon lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon zest
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil
• Honey for drizzling

• Step 1

  Preheat oven to 400 Fahrenheit.

• Step 2

  Trim the top off of each head of garlic to expose the cloves and peel off the outer skin layer.

• Step 3

  Drizzle the garlic with olive oil, salt and pepper and wrap each in a pouch of aluminum foil.

• Step 4

  Place on a baking sheet and roast until very tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool until able to handle, then remove the cloves.

• Step 5

  Using a fork, mash the garlic with 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of freshly ground pepper.

• Step 6

  Using a fork, mash the raspberries with 1 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.

• Step 7

  In two small bowls, add 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt and the juice and zest of 1/2 lemon (about 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1/4 tsp of zest).

• Step 8

  To one bowl, stir in the mashed garlic and chopped chives. Drizzle with olive oil.

• Step 9

  To the other bowl, stir in the mashed raspberries and chopped basil. Drizzle with honey.

• Step 10

  Place bowls of dip on a large tray and assemble piles of your favorite snacks like cheese, veggie sticks, crackers and fruit.

Microwave Banana Berry Protein Muffin

• Prep Time:3 mins
• Cook Time:2 mins
• Total Time:5 mins
• Servings:1
• Medium

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons Real California plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons Real California milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons mashed banana about 1/4 medium banana
• 1/4 cup regular flour
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup blueberries or chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon blueberry jam or peanut butter
• chopped walnuts for topping

• Step 1

  In a large mug, whisk together the yogurt, egg, milk, and vanilla.

• Step 2

  Stir in the chopped banana.

• Step 3

  Add the flour, sugar, cinnamon and a pinch of kosher salt. Stir to combine.

• Step 4

  Stir in the berries.
  
  #SpoonTip: For an extra-sweet treat, you could swap out the berries for 1/4 cup chocolate chips and top with a drizzle of melted peanut butter, in place of the jam.

• Step 5

  Microwave on medium for two minutes, or until cooked through and set.

• Step 6

  In a separate small bowl, microwave the blueberry jam until pourable, about 15 seconds.

• Step 7

  Drizzle the jam on top of the muffin and top with chopped walnuts.

Baked Apple Yogurt Brûlée

• Prep Time:10 mins
• Cook Time:5 mins
• Total Time:15 mins
• Servings:2
• Hard

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups Real California plain whole-milk yogurt 
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon separated 
• 1 1/2 pounds apples about 4 medium sized cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch 
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• Kosher salt
• 2 cups granola
• Raw sugar

• Step 1

  Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit.

• Step 2

  In a small bowl, combine yogurt, maple syrup and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside in the refrigerator.

• Step 3

  In another bowl, combine the apples, cornstarch, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Stir until the apples are completely coated.

• Step 4

  Pour the apples in a 2-quart baking dish and bake until soft and bubbling, about 45 minutes. No oil or cooking spray required.

• Step 5

  Let cool completely, then top with the granola, followed by the yogurt mixture.

• Step 6

  Generously top with raw sugar (aka the larger crystal brown sugar also called turbinado sugar), making sure to cover the entire surface.

• Step 7

  Caramelize the sugar with a blowtorch by slowly sweeping the flame back and forth. Let the sugar harden, about two minutes, before serving.

This post is sponsored by Real California Milk.