The Perfect Parfait Recipe & How to Pack Yogurt in a Lunch Box

Parfaits are the perfect balance of healthy ingredients, layered into a delicious snack. Today I’m sharing an easy fruit parfait recipe and how to pack it for lunch.

I’ve got a young one that has decided he doesn’t want any of his previous favorite school lunch ideas. He said he’s “turned out” (burned out).

Me: what?! school just started.

Him: just pack me a yogurt, mom.

Clearly, that’s not enough food but it’s a start. So I thought I’d share with you how you can pack yogurt inside a lunch bag -whether you buy single yogurts or a tub.

This works great for my older son too who is a very (I mean VERY) picky eater, but has always loved yogurt.

We all know that not all calories are the same. I could give him nine potato chips with zero nutrition and high in fats or a small yogurt, for example.

I often pack an individual yogurt in their school lunches because of its versatility. It can be a sweet and simple treat by itself or parfait-style with mixed berries and crunchy granola.

Related: Top 5 Lunchboxes We’ve Tested

Packed with protein, calcium, potassium, and probiotics, yogurt parfaits are the perfect creamy treat to simultaneously satisfy their appetites.

How to Make a Parfait

All you need is fruit and yogurt to build this healthy, high protein snack! You can use any flavor and type of yogurt your kids prefer, and Greek yogurt is a favorite in our household because of its thicker texture and high-protein content.

Now onto the important part, how to layer a parfait:

• Fruit
• Yogurt
• Fruit
• Yogurt
• Granola

YES! It’s that easy, and they pack great into the school lunches. Speaking of, if you’re not sure how to keep yogurt cold in the lunch bag, go here and check out these easy tricks on how to pack yogurt for lunch!

How to Pack Yogurt for Lunch

I know many of you are wondering how I pack it in the lunch box. As with any perishable food, yogurt should be kept cold from the time you take it out of the fridge till lunchtime.

So here are some tips on how I keep them cool till lunch.

I live in the South, where we have high temperatures nine months out of the year, so keeping food cold is important. Let me show you how I do it. 

1. Use an insulated lunch box or bag.
Although the insulated material itself won’t keep your yogurt cool, it helps reflect the cold temperatures from any frozen or chilled items you’ve tucked into the bag—maintaining a safer environment inside the lunch box for your perishables.

2. Pack yogurt cups next to a frozen gel pack or inside a freezer koozie (also called can coolers)
This will help keep the yogurt chilled through lunch.

3. Toss the yogurt in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes in the morning
I’ve made it a habit to put the yogurt in the freezer while I drink a cup of coffee, get the kids dressed, and get everyone out the door.

Again, his yogurt is the last thing I grab before I zip the lunch bag closed. If you are thinking that you’ll forget to grab it, I have a post-it inside his lunch bag that says “yogurt” so I see it before I zip it closed.

4. Toss yogurt tubes in the freezer the night before
They’ll be frozen by morning, so just slip one into your lunch box before leaving the house. By lunchtime, the frozen tubes will be thawed out and still chilled.

5. Freeze a water bottle to serve as an icepack
If you often send a water bottle in your child’s lunch, consider freezing the bottle so it keeps the inside of the lunch bag cool.

Grab more epic lunches & instructions on how to pack just about anything tasty for lunch in my 101 Packed Lunches ebook!

Healthy Parfait Ingredients

All you need is fresh fruit like berries, sliced bananas, grapes, or chopped apple and yogurt of choice.

If your kids have a dairy intolerance, try this dairy-free yogurt. It’s super easy to whip up and tastes just like the creamy, thick yogurt.

My kids love building parfaits with fresh strawberries and blueberries, so I try to keep them on hand at all times. I found a simple kitchen trick to make berries last a lot longer in the fridge before having to freeze them.

They’re also perfect for making healthy snacks like fruit yogurt, which is 10x better than the storebought, and it’s healthier.

But for today, enjoy this tasty fruit & yogurt parfait recipe. Yum!

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