Healthy Power Yogurt Bowls with Fruit, Crunchy Granola and Flaxseed

It’s funny as this recipe if you will though I don’t really consider it a ‘true’ recipe as you’re just putting stuff in a bowl and eating it. There’s no cooking involved and let’s be honest, you really don’t have to be exact with your measurements but hey, it’s all good. I mean this is pretty awesome and a “recipe’ ANYONE can follow. It’s just yogurt, protein powder, fresh fruits, granola and flaxseed – not to hard but OMG it’s so delicious!

Sorry, I butterflied on you – I never did finish my first thought. LOL So as I was saying, it’s funny how this recipe and other ‘bowls’ like this have become the latest ‘thing’ on Pinterest and 99% of the other blogs out there. Sorry but fruit, yogurt and granola in a bowl isn’t a new thing. I’ve been eating this ever since I was little and I’m old… LIKE REAL OLD. LOL Okay fine the new thing – flaxseed. Adding flaxseed all of a sudden took a 1970 dish and made it relevant and ‘new and improved’ (as she says in her best infomercial voice). LOL

Flaxseed – what it anyway? To me it’s tasteless, looks pretty much like sesame seeds and if you spill it, it’s a PITA to clean up (trust me, I know!) But this itsy bitsy little thing packs some pretty awesome health benefits! So when I decided to make this Healthy Power Yogurt Bowls with Fruit, Crunchy Granola I had to add flaxseed to the mix. Not only is it visually awesome in the pic but it’s great health benefits to the dish!

So flaxseed became mainstream about 2 years ago. It’s been around forever but most folks didn’t eat it or even know what it was. Sure some organic or health food stores had it but it was pretty few and far between to find it in your local Giant Eagle. But I’ve notice our food habits have changed. We’ve become more cognizant of what we’re putting into our bodies, where it comes from and paying attention to our health. Suddenly we, as a society, care about the stuff we eat and are no longer ‘dieting’ but rather living a healthy & balanced lifestyle. Sure we eat sweets and fried cheesesticks but for the most part a good majority of you all don’t do this all day every day….right?

Now as I said, flaxseed to me has zero taste and it wasn’t until I actually read up on it that I realized that it’s such a great thing to add to my diet. Flaxseed is a great source of protein and fiber plus it has multiple health benefits. Flaxseed is:

1. High in fiber but very low in carbs
2. Adding 2 Tbl of flaxseeds to your breakfast smooth can help promote healthier skin and hair
3. Lowers cholesterol – adding flaxseed to your daily diet can help lower your cholesterol
4. They are high in anti-oxidants (lignans). Anti-oxidants (lignans) are known for their anti-viral and antibacterial properties which help fight off colds and the flu
5. High in Omega-3 essential fatty acids which are the “good” fats which promote a healthy heart
6. Recent studies have suggested that flaxseed may have a protective effect against breast cancer, prostate cancer, and colon cancer (Webmd)
7. Hot Flashes – yes those nasty things. Reports have show that adding 2 Tbl of ground flaxseed mixed into cereal, juice, or yogurt twice a day cut hot flashes in half (Webmd)

Now there are many, many other benefits so definitely read up on them!

Now what I love most about creating these yogurt bowls is that they are beautiful and totally customizable. Don’t like blueberries? Add a different fruit. Don’t like vanilla yogurt? Use a different flavor. Now before you ask, no you do not have to add the protein powder to the bowl but why wouldn’t you? Whey Protein Isolate is such a great way to ensure that you’re getting enough protein in your body. Yes cheese has protein, same wth bacon BUT it’s not exactly the healthiest ways to get it and you’d have to eat a crapton (that’s a whole lot) of it to get the required daily amount. Now I’m not going to go into the whole isolate vs concentrate discussion – just search on my site for isolate and you can read my many posts about it and why concentrate is not the way to go…ever.

This “recipe” is one that anyone in the family can make and assemble. Better yet, set up a yogurt bar where folks can add in whatever they want to their own bowl. Try strawberry & kiwi! How about tropical with pineapple, mango and coconut? Oh what about sinful – dark chocolate chips with toasted coconut and light drizzle of caramel (I know right.. I just drooled a little too!)

The idea of these bowls is to make it your own. It’s healthy, super delicious and so easy to make. Want to make it on the go? Layer it in mason jars and pack it up for the beach. Skip eating that crap food at the beach and enjoy this light but filling bowls!

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