This nutrient-dense, creamy, rich Overnight Grab and Go Yogurt Chia Pudding Parfait is the perfect, customizable, easy meal that’s packed with quality protein and fat, plus lots of valuable micronutrients, to keep you full, energized and well-fed for a busy and healthful day ahead!

With back-to-school and back-to-real-life being the reality for many of us right now – easy meals, fuss-free eats and healthy food that fits into a busy lifestyle, these are all of great importance to staying on track with our mindful lifestyles.

I know breakfast can be especially challenging, mornings are busy and grabbing something carb-loaded, sugary or sandwiched between bread – that can be easiest and most convenient. I get it! But, you’ve all heard my spiel about building a fire for your day. The general idea is that quality fats and proteins, they are the like solid log on your fire, the energy that will burn slowly, more steady and for longer, no huge and sudden drop off! However, carbs and sugars, those are kindling. These are the sticks and the leaves, the bits of crumpled up paper, that burns up super quickly. So, you get that jolt of fire (aka energy) POOF and then it’s gone, there’s the big crash when your fire goes out and then you inevitably need to add even more kindling (or even better, a log) if you can ever hope to stoke a fire that will last throughout the day.

Feeling empowered with the knowledge to make better choices, that work for you, this is half of the battle when attempting to live a more healthful and nourished life. Having tricks up your sleeve, recipes for when life gets hectic and challenging – it’s like having a secret tool belt full of options.

Most mornings I am out the door for the gym or a personal training session before 8 am. I don’t eat prior to working out, as I practice intermittent fasting most mornings, so when I actually eat my first meal, this is quite dependent on my day, my workout and how I am feeling.

For the days I know I want to eat and refuel as soon as I return home or if I need to pack something to come along with me, to eat before I set off to meeting or errands, this updated version of my classic, popular, chia pudding has been my go-to when I want a little something more. This Yogurt Chia Pudding Parfait has also become a recommendation I make often for my nutrition clients that struggle with on-the-go breakfast ideas. Without packaged crap, loads of refined carbohydrates or sugar, we get quality fats and proteins, along with various micronutrients to fuel a busy day (aka “the log”), keeping you fuller longer than a smoothie, cereal, oatmeal or breakfast bar (aka “the kindling”).

Why Sheep Milk Yogurt:

Made with Bellwether Farms full-fat sheep milk yogurt, we get a quality source of protein, supplying all 10 essential amino acids the body needs. Sheep milk is also rich in medium chain fatty acids or triglycerides (MCTs) – making up about 25% of the fat content. MCTs can benefit weight control by promoting ‘fullness’, reducing fat deposits, increasing energy expenditure and being more easily metabolised (turned into energy in the body). Sheep’s milk also provides us with vitamins A, B, B1, B6, B12, C, E as well as calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and zinc.

When compared to cow & goat milk yogurt, Bellwether Farms’ sheep milk yogurt contains:

• 70% more protein
• 70% more fat (read about why fat is something we need, and shouldn’t fear)
• 50% more calcium

More reasons to love this yogurt:

• 100% A2 protein
• 12 probiotic cultures
• the fruit flavors feature Oregon fruit, picked ripe
• the vanilla flavor includes real Madagascar & Indonesian vanilla
• Contains no thickeners & is never strained

Some Nerdy Science Stuff About Why Some of Us May Tolerate Sheep Milk, better than Cow Milk:

OK so stay with me here, for some (but not all) of us that have issues with traditional cow milk dairy, sheep milk can oftentimes be a great alternative and much easier to digest, if it’s actually a certain casein-based protein we are actually responding negatively to in the cow’s milk. Some research (1) suggests that gastrointestinal distress for some, can be caused by the A1 casein protein present in a lot of cow’s milk. Sheep’s milk contains the A2 β-casein protein and no A1 β-casein protein, found often in much of the cow’s milk dairy in the US, alongside A2. The A1 protein once digested can yield the peptide β-casomorphin-7 which is implicated in adverse gastrointestinal effects of milk consumption, which can resemble the symptoms of lactose intolerance.

To break all that down a bit more simply, if you don’t have a diagnosed lactose intolerance and cow’s milk dairy hasn’t come up as a food you are allergic too, but yet you still react negatively to it, digestively speaking, you may actually be simply responding to the A1 protein, causing symptoms similar to those found in lactose intolerance. Bellwether Farms’ sheep milk yogurt doesn’t contain this protein so for some of us lucky folks who have sworn off dairy, we get to have a dairy-based yogurt without the gut rot!

The Chia Seeds:

Customize Your Parfait:

Start by choosing your favorite Bellwether Farms Sheep Milk Yogurt. I personally like plain, that contains no sugar at all, it has a nice tang to it and it’s super rich and creamy. You could also opt for their flavored yogurts, like Spiced Apple, Blackberry, Blueberry, Strawberry, Vanilla, all flavored naturally with fresh Oregon fruit and sweetened ever so slightly. Obviously if you cannot have any dairy, try coconut milk yogurt or your favorite non-dairy yogurt.

For your parfait toppings, go with your favorite nuts and/or seeds, try coconut flakes, cacao nibs, fresh or dried fruit, etc. You can layer your parfait if you want, yogurt, a middle layer of toppings, more yogurt and finish with toppings or just top it with your toppings.

Overnight Grab and Go Yogurt Chia Pudding Parfait

gluten-free, grain-free, keto-friendly, nut-free, egg-free, dairy-free option

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 serving

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• 6-8 ounces plain Bellwether Farms Sheep Milk Yogurt*, you can also opt for your favorite flavor
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon sweetener, optional
• pinch sea salt or pink himalayan salt
• 
  

Parfait Topping Options:

• nuts or seeds
• grain-free granola
• berries, frozen or fresh
• dried fruit
• cacao nibs
• shredded coconut
• 
  

Additional Options:

• stir in collagen peptides, additional MCT oil, or any other add-ins you might like

Instructions

• Evenly sprinkle the chia seeds into the yogurt and stir very well to combine. Cover, refrigerate and let sit overnight. The pudding will start to thicken as quickly as 30 minutes or an hour, but I find overnight to yield the thickest results. Top with your desired toppings and enjoy chilled.

Notes

If you cannot tolerate any dairy at all, coconut milk yogurt is a great alternative.

Reference:

(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4818854/

Bellwether Farms is a sponsor of Tasty Yummies. All content, ideas, and words are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that allow me to continue to create new and special content like this for Tasty Yummies.