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pumpkin pie yogurt

Protein Packed Pumpkin Pie Yogurt

by Eating Bird Food on October 18, 2011

I’m always looking for protein packed breakfasts. Currently I’m hooked on protein pancakes and protein overnight oats, but this morning I decided to bring an old favorite back – pumpkin pie Greek yogurt.

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Pumpkin is my favorite fall flavor and during this time of the year I like to put it in everything – including yogurt. I’ve made this combo several times in the past but never really posted it as a recipe. Mainly because it’s so darn simple. However, sometimes there’s a time and place for simple recipes so I’m going to share this one today.

Pumpkin Pie Greek Yogurt

This recipe works great for breakfast or as a snack and you can use whatever type of yogurt you’d like. You can even make the recipe vegan by using coconut milk or soy yogurt. Neutral flavors like plain and vanilla will work best and if you’re trying to amp up your protein Greek yogurt will give you the most per serving. I used Chobani 0% plain Greek yogurt and it turned out great. I added a little liquid stevia to sweeten the mixture up and some chia seeds for those omega-3s, but they’re both optional ingredients for the recipe.

Ingredients

6 oz plain Greek yogurt
3 Tablespoons canned pumpkin
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of pumpkin pie spice
4-5 drops of liquid stevia or sweetener of choice (optional)
1/2 Tablespoon chia seeds (optional)

Preparation

Put all ingredients in a bowl and stir until everything is mixed together well. Top with toppings of your choice and enjoy!

Since pumpkin pie isn’t quite complete without a little topping, I added some Love Grown Foods raisin almond crunch granola and a few banana slices to the mix.

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Each bite was filled with thick, creamy yogurt and a bit of crunch. I especially enjoyed the bites that had a raisin in them. Most importantly, this meal kept me full all morning! I’ve found the key to keeping myself from being ravenous between meals is to make sure I have a combination of protein, carbs, healthy fat and fiber – this breakfast did the trick!

As it turns out, today is Chobani’s 4th b-day! I’m glad I was able to celebrate.

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Aren’t recipes with one step the best? I think so, especially when it comes to breakfast and I’m running around the house like a mad woman trying to make it to the gym, shower, eat and look presentable for work.

Enjoy the rest of your evening and let me know if you try the pumpkin pie yogurt!

{ 26 comments }

Top it Off Right

by Eating Bird Food on January 27, 2010

One of perks of being a teacher at Isaac’s school is homecooked meals from the parents every so often. Tuesday night he came home with a vegetarian butternut squash and bean stew. He picked a good one!!!

I had already eaten dinner by the time Isaac got home (more on that below) but I graciously had the stew today for lunch. It was extra spicy and the fresh cilantro (which was packaged separately for a garnish) added a lovely fresh flavor to the meal.

To soak up the stew and to help with the spiciness I broke off a piece of ww pita.

As I was eating lunch the mail came and with it came a large package from Vitalicious. Of course, I opened it right away to check out the goods. Let’s just say I’m excited for all the different tops and treats I’ll be tasting in the near future. I picked out the RaisinBran top and put the rest in the freezer, per the package directions.

The Top has 15 vitamins and minerals and only 100 calories so I thought I’d better get all my nutrients in and have it for a snack. I’m glad I did- the RaisinBran flavor was quite tasty with plump raisins and a nice cinnamon sweetness. I ate 1/2 of it cold and heated up the other half in the toaster. YUM!

I prepared and packed my afternoon snack before heading back to work.

Pumpkin Pie Yogurt: The last of a large tub of Okios plain Greek yogurt, canned pumpkin, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and stevia with a little Ezekiel sprouted grain cereal for an added crunch.

And, I have to mention last night’s dinner because it was so darn tasty! I really like thin crust pizza and using pita as a crust is one of my favorite ways to make it. But, last night’s version was extra special.

The Tomato Sauce: 1 small can of tomato paste mixed with italian seasoning, dried basil and 1 glove of minced fresh garlic.

The Cheese Sauce: 2 tbsp. of garlic hummus mixed with 1 tbsp. nutritional yeast/wheat germ and water to thin (Per Mae’s pizza cheese recipe).

Toppings: Green peppers, mushrooms, and fresh spinach.

With the oven preheating at 425°, I took 1 whole wheat pita, spilt it apart to make 2 crusts, spread on the sauce and added the toppings and cheese sauce on top. This action brought back fond memories of my pizza making days while in college. Random fact: I worked at Dominos in Fairfax, VA, making the pizza AND delivering it. It’s not so often you see a girl delivering pizza, but it was actually a fun job! Plus this cutie named Isaac worked there.

I baked the 2 mini pizzas for 8-10 minutes, just until the “crust” was crispy. Oh Mae, you are a genius- seriously the flavor of the pizza cheese was right on. I probably could have added more water as my sauce didn’t spread all that well, but it was so delicious- extra garlicky and super cheesy. I have to note that wheat germ isn’t part of the original recipe but I accidently mixed my bulk bin bag of wheat germ into my bag of nutritional yeast thinking they were both nutritional yeast. Oh well, the wheat germ just added some extra nutrients and it still tasted awesome so I’m not complaining.

So I told you one of my past jobs (and there are MANY more!), but tell me, what are some of your past jobs while in high school or college?

- Brittany

Don’t forget the iherb shopping spree ends tomorrow night.

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Oldies But Goodies

January 20, 2010

There are certain foods I get hooked on for a good while – I eat them all the time and then they kind of fall of the radar. Lately I switched things up a bit and brought back some old time favorites. The sweet and savory egg and sausage sammie An ezekiel english muffin with [...]