Enjoying a rich, cold, and creamy bowl parfait is the true definition of blissful. However, it does come in handy to know the right addons, fillings, and toppings for your parfait depending on your current nutritional needs.

It is beneficial to plan your daily food intake according to the needs of your body so that you are not taking too much of a particular nutrient while suffering a deficiency in other vital nutrients. The good thing about yogurt parfaits is that you can opt for a wide range of options to include in your parfaits such as fruits, grains, granola and other kinds of toppings. This means you can carefully select the kind of toppings in a  parfait serving to suit your daily nutrient requirement, wonderful!

Healthy parfait toppings to try out

Fruits and Nuts: Fruits and nuts are not only delicious, but they also help to improve general health by preventing lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and high cholesterol level when it is regularly included in your diet. Scientific studies have clearly demonstrated that nut consumption has a cholesterol-lowering effect in the context of a healthy diet. Traditional dried fruits in turn provide very essential nutrients, like fiber and potassium. 

Dried fruits and nuts boast of good protein and vitamin content, assuring you of a balanced and healthy diet. Aside from having it as a yogurt parfait topping, it could also serve as a snack on the go. A healthy option indeed!

Dried banana chips: If what you prefer is an easy and handy snack that has a high shelf life, then dried banana chips would definitely be appealing to you. They are always ripe and ready to eat so you won’t have to worry about it attracting flies. You may wonder if this food is actually healthy. While it does have arguable sugar content, they still deliver several nutrients. A one-third cup serving contains about a gram of protein and a gram of fiber. Dried banana chips also contain potassium, vitamin A, iron, phosphorus, and magnesium in little quantities. These nutrients hold benefits for your eyes and can prevent high blood pressure. Generally, this snack supplies your body with enough energy for your day’s activity.

Dried cranberries: You basically get about 2 grams of dietary fiber from having just one serving of delicious dried cranberries. This is a fair amount when you consider the recommended serving of dried cranberries as being only about a third of a basic cup measurement.

Dietary fiber lowers the risks for developing diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and gastrointestinal disease, amidst other health conditions.

They also help you manage your blood pressure, improve your insulin sensitivity, and reduce your cholesterol levels. What is more? Dietary fiber can also help obese individuals to lose weight.

Coconut flakes: There is an exceptional kind of beauty and taste that coconut flakes bring to your yogurt parfait. Apart from naturally enhancing the flavor of the yogurt parfait, coconut flakes are a rich source of dietary fibre; dietary fiber keeps you fuller for longer and also helps in stabilizing blood sugar. Other minerals in coconut flakes include calcium, copper, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. There are a host of nutritional benefits inherent in coconut. A guilt-free indulgence indeed!  

If you are looking for a quick breakfast idea in the morning or a pick-me-up snack during the day, a bowl of yogurt parfait is a very good option, healthy and filling. Apart from the toppings previously mentioned, there are a host of other options for your parfait topping such as granola in its different variants. You can also choose your favorite fruit like sliced apples, grapes, bananas, fresh coconut, pineapple, strawberries, and even Kiwi.

Taking all of the nutritional content of your favorite topping will go a long way in influencing your overall diet. This is an ongoing conversation, ensure you check out our next blog post!