Voskos Greek Yogurt + a strawberry parfait idea

What to get: a small box of Voskos plain greek yogurt, strawberries, stevia and vanilla from your pantry
Where to get it: your local supermarket chain

Why we approve: A serving of this yogurt provides a whooping 23 grams of protein. This particular one was low -fat, but feel free to go for a full fat version. The portion is self limiting. That means no going back to the tub to get second helpings and sabotage yourself. The ingredients are natural and there are no nasty thickeners and fillers.

Preparation: You can eat Greek yogurt on its own, with a handful of nuts or fruit, or use it to make dessert like I did. To make strawberry parfait, mix the yogurt with a few drops of vanilla extract and a small pinch of stevia. Beat it well until it mixes thoroughly. Top with strawberries.

Variations:You can use Greek yogurt to substitute for sour cream in your regular recipes, or you can use it to dip veggies and fruit. I sometimes throw it in a blender with some fruit and spices and make a smooth dessert. Peaches, bananas, pineapple, and berries, all work very very well!

Pros: This particular kind of Greek yogurt is very smooth and it's not bitter or tart like other varieties.

Cons: It can be more expensive than making your own at home. To do that, just place regular plain yogurt in a cheese cloth and let it strain for a few hours. 

 

So delicious coconut icecream

What to get: So delicious coconut ice cream - carton or Minis on a stick
Where to get it: Vons, Pavillions or any large supermarket close to you
Why we approve: We believe in incorporating sensible treats into a fat loss diet. Most of my clients can choose to get around 10% of their daily calories in treats if they like. Yes that's right :) Look at this ice cream - a serving will give you anywhere between 70 calories (for the Minis) or 150 calories for the more generous portion of the carton; comes in plenty of flavors and the additives are minimized, doesn't seem to make you eat the whole package! You don't want to give up ice cream just because you have a fat loss goal in mind. You can have your cake ice cream and eat it too!

We found this ice cream a few months ago during our ''everything coconut phase''.  At the time we were experimenting with coconut cereal, had switched most of our cooking oils to coconut oil and were enjoying a few really delicious coconut recipes. So why not try coconut ice cream? There are a few brands on the market, but when you get an ice cream craving at 10 at night, you only have your local supermaket to cruise. 

A regular serving ice cream, where the ingredient list on the boxes was acceptable, would still give around 220-250 calories, so we decided to try this, both for the coconut flavor we love and the really sensible energy content. If you are looking to cut calories, those 100 matter :) This ice cream also provided a generous amount of fiber (6 grams) so we felt like it was a winner!

Preparation: Use a measuring spoon or a scale to figure out how much a serving is. Honestly. Eating from the carton is not a good idea. If you just exercised, have a higher body weight goal, or you have the calories to spare, certainly go for double serving, just bear in mind carbohydrate will go higher.

Variations: You can get this ice cream in many different flavors, vanilla is our favorite. Top it with blueberries, pineapple chunks, raspberries or any fruit you really love. If you can afford the calories, some coconut chips lightly toasted may also work very very well.

Below is the Minis option of the same ice-cream, there are very small differences, such as the serving size (40 grams and only 70 calories), it is also a bit creamier, and if you let it thaw a tad it tastes just like chocolate mousse (mmm...). We like that kind because you can have just one - great for the ladies, or you can go back for seconds and still fit within 140 calories!

Overall this is a great choice if you are looking for a treat and if you want to get more varied fats into your diet.

pros: coconut fat is a special type of fat that may help in your diet, these ice creams are delicious and have a very sensible amount of calories and sugar for the taste and satisfaction they provide

cons: we have no idea what natural flavor is, it could be anything out of a long list of naturally derived substances; any time you see that on a label, it's a mystery - it could be absolutely innocent or it could be something like msg - moderation is key! We hope at some point we start seeing labels that are 100% honest about ingredients.

Tell us what your favorite coconut ice cream flavor is and how do you serve it! We would love your feedback! Also, we have just started building this site, so let us know what you need and what type of products you would like to see reviewed! Drop us a line at eatloveandtrain [at]gmail [dot]com!