I’m not immune to hunger pangs at random times of the day.  Actually, I tend to get hungry pretty much all day long.  At work I keep a drawer full of fruit, nuts, muesli, or whole wheat crackers to stave off those cravings, but at home I have a different, and tastier, solution.

Plain Greek Yogurt and Maple Syrup.

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My new favorite dessert/snack = plain Greek yogurt + maple syrup. This version is even better with @pappyandco bourbon barrel aged syrup. It's like a beautiful vanilla caramel cream custard, but with live active cultures and not near as much sugar…and bourbon. ________ #dessert #yogurt #maplesyrup #bourbon #pappy #healthy

A post shared by Marshall Welch (@mowelch_) on Feb 17, 2017 at 6:44pm PST

Some of you are saying “oh, fer sher!”  The rest of you, oh ye skeptics…don’t knock it until you try it.

If you’ve been to Greece, you probably know it’s common to have a bowl of yogurt with honey mixed in, but I really like the flavor that maple syrup brings.

The creaminess of the yogurt and the sweet, but deep character of the maple syrup (especially high quality grade) makes for a vanilla custard-like snack that, with proper ingredients, has a ton of active cultures good for your gut health, protein, and has about 1/10 of the sugar that store bought flavored yogurt typically has.

The key is using whole milk, plain, no sugar added yogurt with active/live cultures, preferably naturally cultured, and 100% pure, high-grade maple syrup or honey.

I really like these yogurts from Stonyfield, Nancy’s Yogurts (my favorite yogurt brand, by the way), and Organic Valley (although this kind has  added sugar).  Wallaby also makes a great yogurt, but stick to the plain, whole milk versions – the rest have a LOT of added sugars.

My brother gave me a bottle of Maple Syrup aged in Bourbon Barrels that I’ll occasionally use to really bring in some added flavor.  Admittedly it’s not entirely in the whole food mentality, but remember we’re going for 80/20.  And it’s freaking good, so there’s that.  Another flavor variation is to use Honey Infused with Chili Peppers for an added kick!

Or, add your own flair and flavor!  Comment below and let us know what other variations and flavor combos you’ve tried!

Greek Yogurt and Maple Syrup

• Servings: 1
• Time: 2mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients

• 1/2-1 Cup Plain, Whole Milk Greek Yogurt
• 1-2 Tablespoons of Organic Pure Maple Syrup or Organic Honey
• Optional: fresh fruit, nuts, granola

Directions

1. Mix in a bowl.
2. Eat.
3. Tell the world-or keep to yourself.  Your choice.