Honeycrisp Apple Yogurt Bowl
Let’s talk about snacks. Snacks can get a bad reputation at times however they can be a great way to maintain energy throughout the day as well as help to meet the high calorie needs for athletes who need to maintain muscle. The key to having a satisfying snack and having it work for your needs is very simple: combine a carbohydrate rich food with a protein rich food. That’s it!
One of my favorite carb and protein combination is pairing apples with Greek yogurt and nut or seed butter. When you initially think of pairing these two together, your first thought may be “really?!? apples and Greek yogurt? that’s weird.” And at first, I thought so too! It turns out to be quite delicious and when you get creative with adding more flavor and spices, that’s when it gets good!
This recipe combination of plain Greek yogurt blended with sunflower butter, cinnamon and honey along with chunks of chopped apple and a sprinkle of dark chocolate adds flavor depth to the recipe. Along with being a tasty combination of ingredients, these ingredients also provide a great deal of nutrient power. When incorporating plain Greek yogurt with a nut or seed butter, you are receiving at least 17g of protein, which can help muscles recover after working out. The additional unsaturated fats can help manage inflammation and help keep the heart functioning in a healthy way. Cinnamon provides a nicely spiced flavor while also providing natural anti-inflammatory power to help manage muscle soreness after a workout. There is also research that provides evidence that cinnamon can help to stabilize blood sugar levels in those who show signs of type 2 diabetes. We can’t forget about our friend the apple as it provides fiber, natural sweetness and phytonutrients that can help keep the immune system strong as well as the much needed carbohydrates that our body needs to keep energy up. Finally, adding a little dark chocolate provides additional flavor and some antioxidants. However, in all honesty, I am a full blown chocoholic and basically add chocolate to everything so my main purpose for adding chocolate here was not nutrition related. It was solely for pure enjoyment of the chocolate.
Overall, if you want to try this recipe as a snack, it is versatile to have at any time of the day, but I particularly enjoy having it in the evenings when I’m crazing something sweet (but that’s just me). This snack provides sweetness while also providing a wide array of nutrients to fuel or refuel the body. If you give it a try, let me know what you think in the comments below!
Honeycrisp Apple Yogurt Bowl
Ingredients
- ¾ cup of plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 Tbsp sunflower seed butter
- 1 Honeycrisp apple, chopped
- Cinnamon
- Honey
- Dark chocolate chips (I use 70%)
Instructions
- In a bowl, scoop ¾ cup of plain nonfat Greek yogurt with 1 tbsp sunflower seed butter and mix well until evenly distributed.
- Chop apple to desired size and mix into yogurt mixture. Mix until all apple pieces are coated in the mixture.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon, drizzle with honey and add 1-2 Tbsp of dark chocolate chips to desired taste preference.
- Enjoy!
