Start your day with an Apple Pie Granola Parfait – great for on the go or as an afternoon snack!

This post is sponsored by the American Dairy Association and Dairy Council

I’m all about grab and go meals, especially in the morning. Getting my kiddos up and ready for school is tough. They are not morning people so they are dragging their feet up until we are out the door so I’m all about quick meals that gets them going in the morning.

Some of my favorite make ahead breakfasts include my Overnight Steel Cut Oats made in the slow cooker, Overnight Oatmeal that is simply milk, oats (the old-fashioned kind) a little maple syrup or honey and your favorite mix-in’s like fruit or nuts placed in mason jars overnight – super easy! You can eat it cold or pop it in the microwave and warm it up. I even like to do make ahead smoothies where I portion out my fruit and place them in freezer bags. In the morning I just pour the frozen fruit in a blender with milk and blend it up. No measuring, no cutting necessary just blend and go.

Milk is a nutrient powerhouse!

One serving of milk, cheese or yogurt provides 8 grams of high-quality protein and a powerful package of 9 essential nutrients. Muscles need protein for growth and repair, and one 8-ounce glass of milk contains as much protein as 1 ½ medium eggs.

Not only are breakfast parfaits a great grab and go breakfast but they make a great afternoon or post workout snack. What I love about parfaits and this Apple Pie Granola Parfait is they are so easy and as my 5 year old son Ty would say “they are super fantastic!” They are made with your favorite yogurt and granola and topped with a simple apple compote that is great on so many things.

There are so many great store bought granolas buy opposed to making it plus many grocery stores now have granola bars that you can make yourself. If you feel so inclined to make granola let me recommend my Maple-Nut Granola. It’s delicious and every time I make it it’s gone quick!

The highlight of this parfait is the creamy yogurt. Everyone has their favorite brand or kind. Some like Greek while others prefer maybe a whole milk yogurt or even light and fit. No matter what having dairy is essential in our diets. My refrigerator is stacked with dairy products like milk, cheese and of course yogurt. New York is the top yogurt-producing state in the country, and yogurt is New York’s official state snack! Greek yogurt has twice the amount of protein as most regular yogurts, due to the straining process. Six ounces of Greek yogurt typically contains 14–17 grams of protein.

The American Dairy Association Dairy Council teamed up with DairyGood.org to film a fun national web video as part of a series called Avenues & Acres. The series pairs dairy farmers with millennials to lean from each other and kind of do some “job shadowing.” New York is ranked 4th in the nationalIn their latest video which you can see below features a dairy farmer named Abbey who is also an RD and has a farm not to far from me in Rochester, New York with her husband trade places with Dana, a local boxing coach. The two get to experience firsthand what one another does each day and realize they both get plenty of exercise and have to be pretty tough!

Did You Know

After exercising or participating in sports, athletes are encourage to refuel with low-fat or fat free chocolate milk, which is packed with carbohydrates to provide energy and help refuel muscles, protein to support growth and repair of muscles, fluid and electrolytes to rehydrate, and vitamins and minerals to help build strong bones and bodies.

Whether you are looking for some new ideas to start off the day or a quick post workout grab and go meal, these Apple Pie Granola Parfaits are filling and delicious and using your favorite granola and yogurt make these even easier to make ahead and have on hand to grab whenever you want.

#DairyPunch Twitter Party

Join me @MotherThyme along with 5 fabulous New York State bloggers on Wednesday November 4th from 9-10pm EST for the #DairyPunch Twitter Party as we chat about all things dairy! They be great prizes too so make sure you follow along and join in the conversation using hashtag #DairyPunch.

Follow American Dairy Association Dairy Council for more #DairyGood ideas
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