Yogurt is a milk-based food item that is made by developing a culture of good bacteria and fermenting it. It is usually made with cow’s milk but it can be made with milk obtained from other animals as well, such as buffalo, camel, goat, etc. The consistency and the method of making these changes depend on the animal’s milk and its consistency. For example, yogurt made from buffalo milk will be very creamy and thick, while yogurt made from goat’s milk will be thinner in consistency, and not as creamy as others.
Yogurt has several health benefits. It is enriched in probiotics which makes it filled with nutrients and great for digestion and gut health. Since it is made of milk, it contains high amounts of calcium which is great for the bones. It increases the density of the bones and strengthens them. Yogurt also contains magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. These nutrients are vital for bone health, heart health, blood pressure, metabolism, etc.
While yogurt is nutritional in itself, adding fruits to it helps increase the nutrients obtained from yogurt even more. Many fruits taste delicious when added to yogurt. When fruit is added to the yogurt, it also makes it filling and a good low-calorie breakfast or snack. This helps the process of weight loss.
Here are a few recipes of fruit yogurts, that are extremely delicious, tasty and nutritious.
Before jumping to the recipes for fruit yogurt, let us learn how yogurt is made.
Yogurt Recipe
Prep: 20 minutes.
Total: 8 to 12 hours.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 liters of milk. (Any milk will do, it is better if its whole and full of cream)
- 3 tablespoons of yogurt or 2 tablespoons of probiotic culture.
Method:
- Bring the milk to a boil on a slow flame. Once it rises, turn off the heat and let it cool down to a lukewarm temperature.
- Once it is cooled, add your probiotic culture or yogurt to it, and mix thoroughly.
- Alternatively, you can also mix a little milk and yogurt in a small bowl separately, to make sure the yogurt is evenly mixed in the milk, and then pour it in the rest of the milk.
- Once it is well mixed, pour the mixture into a fridge-safe container, and let it rest outside at room temperature for around 4 to 5 hours,
- After that, you will see that the milk is firmed up. Once it reaches that stage, you can refrigerate it and consume it within 3-4 days at maximum.
Note: The temperature of the milk is important. It should not be too cold, so the culture does not activate and spread through the entire milk, or too hot that the culture immediately dies when added to it.
And there you have your perfect, thick, homemade yogurt. Now, let’s look at recipes for fruit yogurts.
Here are some fruit yogurt recipes that will help you in your weight loss journey.
1. Berry Yogurt
Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 5 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of Homemade refrigerated yogurt.
- 1 cup of Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or any berries of your choice.
- Natural sweeteners, like honey, maple syrup, etc. (Optional)
- Dry fruits. (Optional)
Method:
- Add the two cups of yogurt to a serving bowl.
- Add the natural sweetener and mix the yogurt well with it so it spreads throughout evenly. This is an optional step, you can skip the sweetener if you want to.
- Add berries of your choice. You can mix multiple berries or use one single type of them.
- Mix it slowly with the yogurt, crushing some of them so the flavour is released in the yogurt.
- You can add dry fruits if you wish to, like nuts, raisins, etc, Otherwise, your berry fruit yogurt is ready to serve and eat!
Benefits
Yogurt helps the digestive system get rid of unnecessary waste in the intestines. This helps get rid of the extra weight in the body. Berries consist of a good amount of fibre which also helps get rid of access waste. It clears the digestive tract and helps you feel full so you do not indulge in unnecessary extra foods.
2. Pina Colada Yogurt
Pina colada is one of the most popular summertime cocktails. It is refreshing and cold, but it consists of alcohol which does not support weight loss and is not very good for health either. Here is a healthier version of a pina colada with yogurt.
Prep: 8 to 10 minutes
Total: 12 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of homemade yogurt.
- 1 cup fresh or canned diced pineapples. If using canned make sure it does not contain any added sugars to it.
- 4 to 5 tablespoons of unsweetened shredded coconut. You can also use coconut cream if you like extra coconut flavour.
Method:
- Smash about 3/4th of the total quantity of pineapples in a bowl so it becomes a thick paste. You can also blend it in a mixture if you want.
- Add the yogurt and shredded coconut/coconut cream to the same bowl and mix thoroughly.
- Add the remaining pieces of pineapples and mix again. It is now ready to serve. You can adjust the quantities of pineapple and coconut according to your preference.
Benefits:
Pineapples are extremely low in calories, they consist of fewer fats and carbs, making them ideal for weight loss. They also help improve the metabolism of the body which plays a huge function in the maintenance of weight. It is high in fibre, which makes it great for digestive health. Coconuts consist of good fats and oil that provide the body with energy. Small amounts of coconuts also keep your body full for long hours. Which helps you avoid over and excessive eating.
3. Banana Chocolate Yogurt
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 cup homemade yogurt
- ¼th cup banana
- ⅓rd cup chocolate chips (Dark or Milk, depending upon your preference)
Method:
- Put the yogurt in your serving bowl.
- In another bowl, smash the banana completely into a paste, or you can cut small dices of it.
- Microwave your chocolate chips so they melt completely. Or you can use the double boiling method as well. In this, put a bowl with water on the stove, on top of it put a bowl with the chocolate chips on it and keep stirring until it melts completely.
- Combine the banana, chocolate and yogurt in the serving bowl.
- You can add banana slices on top too if you want as a garnish.
Benefits
Bananas are filled with potassium and fibre. It also has a filling effect that keeps you full for longer and stops you from eating a lot of food unnecessarily. Chocolates contain some caffeine, so they can be a good breakfast meal.
4. Apricot Peach Yogurt
Apricots and peaches are both summer fruits that are very nutritious. When combined together, they make a very delicious combination.
Prep: 7 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 cup yogurt
- 2-3 dried cups of apricot.
- ¼th cup of peach.
- A few peach slices and apricot pieces to add as garnish.
Method
- Add peaches and apricots in a mixer, making a paste out of it.
- Add yogurt to the same mixer and grind it along, so it mixes well with the fruit paste.
- Transfer the yogurt mix to a bowl and top it with the peach slices and apricots.
Benefits
Peaches and apricots have dietary fibre, proteins, minerals and are enriched with vitamins. Apricots also consist of potassium which gives them an edge over peaches. They are also seasonal fruits, which are shown to be beneficial for health.
5. Apple Strawberry Oats
Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 17 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup yogurt
- ⅓rd cup apple, diced.
- ⅓rd cup strawberries, diced.
- ¼th cup oats.
Method:
- In a mixer, add the strawberries and apples, and make it into a paste.
- Add the yogurt in the mixer as well and blend it along with the fruit mixture.
- In an oven tray, add oats and slightly roast it in the oven for less than 3 minutes. You can do this on a pan on a very low flame as well.
- Add the yogurt into bowls, and once the oats gets crispy, add it as a topping on the yogurt.
Benefits
Apples and strawberries are loaded with potassium, and vitamin C. They are said to be good for heart health and weight loss. Apples are proven to be good for cholesterol as they boost good cholesterol in the body. Oats have a filling effect that stops you from overeating a lot.
6. Dried Berries and Granola Yogurt
Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 cups yogurt
- ½ cup dried Berries, you can use sun-dried strawberries, cranberries, blueberries, etc.
For granola,
- 1 cup rolled oats.
- ⅓rd cup sugar or honey or maple syrup.
- 2 tablespoons milk or water.
- Dried Berries (optional)
- Nuts (optional)
Method:
Granola:
- In a bowl, mix together water or milk, and sugar until the sugar dissolves completely. Mix well if adding honey or maple syrup.
- In that bowl, add the oats and coat it with the sweet syrup.
- Once it is mixed, add nuts or dried berries to the mixture.
- Lay it flat on an oven tray, and bake it for around 10 minutes till the oats start browning a little.
- Make it in smaller batches if all of it does not fit in one tray.
- Let it cool down before scrapping it off the tray.
Yogurt
- Add the dried berries and yogurt to a bowl.
- Mix it thoroughly till the dried berries leave a little colour in the yogurt.
- To that, add granola, and serve it immediately, as the granola might become soggy after a while.
Benefits
Berries are rich in fibre and many other nutrients, and sun drying them or dehydrating them helps preserve them for longer. Adding oats gives it an extra boost of protein and antioxidants that is good for gut health.
7. Mango Yogurt Popsicles.
Prep: 8 minutes
Total: 5-6 hours
Servings: 6 popsicles.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups yogurt.
- 1 cup mango, diced.
- ⅓rd cup mango puree.
- Sugar or sweetener as per requirement (Optional)
Method:
- Add the yogurt, mango puree and mango to a bowl. Mix it thoroughly, smashing a few diced mangoes.
- Add the mixture to a popsicle mold. If you don’t have one, use disposable cups and put an ice cream stick in the middle.
- Put it in the freezer for 4 hours minimum, or overnight to ensure it is freezing throughout.
- Once removed, you can sprinkle salt and chili powder on it for more taste.
Benefits
Mangoes are tropical summer fruit that provides plenty of nutrients like fibre, magnesium, etc. It is also said to help with diabetes, and heart problems. Making it into popsicles can help children also get the much-needed nutrients.
8. Mixed Fruit Smoothie.
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Servings: 3 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of yogurt.
- 2 cups of mixed fruits of your choice. You can add berries, bananas, apples, peaches, dragon fruits, etc. Avoid citrus fruits.
- ¼th cup grated coconut (optional)
- ⅓rd cup dried fruits and nuts. (Optional)
- Chia seeds (optional)
Method
- In a mixer, add your mixed fruits and grind it thoroughly.
- In the mixer, slowly combine the yogurt and blend it along with the fruits.
- Transfer it to the serving bowls.
- Top with soaked chia seeds, dried fruits and nuts, and coconut as per your choice.
Benefits
Fruits are a rich source of fibre, protein, and many other nutrients. They are a healthy way to consume your daily sugar count. Making smoothies out of it makes it easier for you to consume it and serve it in parties, etc.
Conclusion
While yogurt is great for the body, remember to include a variety of fruits in your diet and pay attention to portion sizes. Too much of anything is not healthy for the body and the mind. It’s also important to get plenty of physical activity, which helps lose weight faster and more effectively and to make sure you’re getting all the nutrients your body needs, from various food sources.
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