Kids in the Kitchen: Yogurt Berry Parfait

The perfect recipe for introducing little ones to the kitchen, this yogurt berry parfait teaches little kids skills like washing fruit, cutting up the berries and layering the ingredients. A great activity to keep them engaged and to get them involved in making their own breakfast (hint: they are more likely to eat it if they made it!) Just set out the ingredients and let their minds go wild. Easily adaptable to what you have on hand.

Yogurt Berry Parfait

I am just going to leave this yogurt berry parfait recipe here for those wanting a breakfast-in-bed idea this weekend that the kids can do with minimal supervision. It is a great recipe for cooking with toddlers.

My kids LOVED this yogurt berry parfait and gobbled up every last bit.

But then again, I have been blessed with children who will eat just about anything (if they are in the right mood of course). At 18 months my eldest was scarfing down some Kim Chi at a Korean restaurant in San Francisco, and these days my middley (2yo) goes crazy for sushi anytime we get it (the raw stuff, none of this deep-fried chicken malarkey normal kids like 🙂 ).

My daughter's first-ever food was a pork chop....not something we had planned, but something she decided she wanted, so she went for it and sucked it to death.

How To Get The Kids Involved

I know this isn't the case for everyone. For a lot of people, what and how to feed their kids is a HUGE, and constant, source of stress.

And that sucks.

Eating is such an integral part of our daily lives, it really should be something the whole family can at least enjoy together.

At least once a week we try to get together as a family to make a meal. If it's a busy week it can be as simple as a snack platter, sometimes it will be a couple of pizzas on a Friday night and other times we will go all out and make something a little more elaborate; like homemade gnocchi. The kids love it, and I can guarantee every time their food gets gobbled up without a negative comment or bout of whining.

Getting the kids involved in making their own food, and being responsible for what is served up can make a huge difference when it comes to getting them to eat and try new things.

Making up a yogurt berry parfait is as easy as:

• Gathering together all of the ingredients you have on hand that they would like to add
• Try adding something new, even if they only add a little bit, that is fine
• Get the kids to wash the fruit
• If they are old enough, and you have a kid-safe knife, or trust them with a regular knife, let them cut up some fruit themselves
• Pop all of the ingredients into separate bowls and display on the bench or on the kitchen table
• Pop in some spoons and let the kids put together their own yogurt berry parfait

This is great for mum or dad's birthday, or a special occasion like Mother's Day or Father's Day as the kids can really feel like they are involved and helping to make the day special for their loved one.

What Ingredients Will I Need For A Yogurt Berry Parfait

The best thing about a yogurt parfait is that it is adaptable to whatever you have on hand.

You can add:

• Berries, fresh or frozen work just fine
• Apple
• Orange
• Banana
• Chopped Nuts
• Seeds
• Crushed Crackers or Biscuits (Cookies)
• Whatever sweetener you like, we use honey but maple syrup, rice malt syrup, or no sweetener at all will work just fine
• Yogurt - this can be any type of yogurt you have on hand and can be substituted for dairy-free yogurt easily

'Mealtime is a perfect opportunity for you to start learning what's going on in your child's life, and for her to start learning what the rest of the family is up to - so enjoy conversations with her. Teach kids that meal-time isn't just about eating. It's also a time to be together as a family and talk, not just shovel down their food and run off to play'. - Dr Tanya Altmann 

Is It Going To Get Messy?

Probably...

I set up a little Yogurt Berry Parfait station for the family breakfast this past weekend.

The kids had an absolute blast!

Little Miss made the most meticulous and fabulous looking parfait I have come across - she LOVED doing it, and has asked to do it several times since.

The baby, however, was like a bull in a china shop, and just went from bowl to bowl tasting all of the ingredients, occasionally mixing them in the display bowls and popping some into sister's cup.

She finally lost it and made him his very own berry parfait, and he quite happily plopped on the ground and finished the whole thing.

Super messy but super fun and rewarding, on all parts.

If you want to add some homemade crushed graham crackers to the top, I have a recipe for you right here.

Happy Eating

xx

Recipe

Kids in the Kitchen: Yogurt Berry Parfait

Whole Food Bellies as adapted from What to Feed your Baby

Get the little ones involved in the kitchen and whip up this Yogurt Berry Parfait. Set out all the elements in little bowls and let their imaginations run wild with the combinations they can put together.

4.75 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 5 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Breakfast

Servings 4 serves

Calories 153 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 cup Plain or Greek yogurt of choice sub coconut yogurt for vegans
• 1 cup Fresh or thawed berries washed and chopped (I used strawberries and blueberries)
• ¼ cup Finely chopped nuts such as walnuts
• ¼ cup Crushed graham crackers optional
• 2 tablespoon Honey maple syrup or fruit preserves (optional)

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

• Set out the ingredients in medium sized bowls and let each child pick which items she wants
• Together, layer each item into small bowls or cups
• Enjoy

Notes

Use whatever fitting ingredients you have on hand - this recipe is super versatile

Nutrition

Calories: 153kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 7gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 56mgPotassium: 139mgFiber: 2gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 21IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment HERE and let us know how it was!

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Cooking with toddlers and kids can be fun. If you are looking for some more easy recipes for cooking with toddlers and older kids then check these out:

• Bursting with Nuts Grain-Free and Sugar-Free Granola
• Pumpkin Spice Granola
• The Simplest Banana Oatmeal Cookies
• Blueberry Almond Milk Smoothie
• Dark Chocolate Blackberry Cheesecake Fat Bombs