How to Make a "Trucker Parfait"

I bet you never thought you'd associate "trucker" and "parfait" with each other, did you?  Well that's exactly what I'm going to do now! Not only is the Trucker Parfait delicious, it looks so pretty, is super quick to make and best of all, is packed with nutrient-rich foods, no added sugar and is super healthy!

Richie and I make every effort to remove added sugar from our diet except for occasional treats.  Here's a little of what I understand about sugar:

1. It quickly raises blood sugar levels, giving you that initial rush, but as the body quickly seeks to regulate blood sugar levels, you crash down and crave more fatty and sugary foods.

2. Sugar has been shown to contribute to storage of fat especially around the middle which in turn puts strain on the heart and increases risk of heart disease.

OK, lecture over, it's Parfait Time!

Parfaits are usually served in clear, tall glasses. But let's get real, this is trucking life after all and parfait glasses aren't exactly an essential item. What I use are clear, disposable plastic cups. You can buy packs of them at WalMart and you can use them for all sorts of things.

Parfait options are pretty much limitless but I'll show you one option. It's a blackberry, raspberry and almond yogurt parfait.

Ingredients needed:

Yogurt. Our favorite, hands down, is the Fage 2% Greek Yogurt. It's so decadent and creamy and has none of the chalky consistency that fat free yogurt can have.

Blackberries

Raspberries

Slivered almonds (you can find them in the baking aisle)

Clear plastic disposable cups

How to make:

1. Put some raspberries in a bowl and mash with a fork. This shouldn't take more than 10 seconds as raspberries mash up really easily.

2 Spoon some yogurt into the bowl and gently swirl the raspberry mixture in. It will look like this.

3. Put a small handful of blackberries in the bottom of your clear cup.

4. Spoon half  of the yogurt mixture on top.

5. Add a sprinkling of slivered almonds on top of the yogurt.

6. Repeat steps 3-5. Add a blackberry in the center to top it off.

7. Take a moment to admire the beautiful parfait you have just created before digging in!

We enjoy these when we want something sweet. Making the two parfaits you see in the photo took me less than 5 minutes in total.

I love making them as there are so many different foods you can use. I'd love to hear what your favorite combinations are and I'd love to see pictures of your trucker parfaits!