Yoghurt is an incredibly versatile food, to be consumed as a dessert, added to savoury dishes and even to function as a skin care product. Certainly, I am not talking about those sugary, fruit-flavoured concoctions, but simple and plain probiotic yoghurt. Still, there is wide variety – full-fat, low-fat, creamy, strained, Greek-style, organic, non-organic and so on. I would always recommend using full-fat, organic produce from a reputable brand (even better if you can get some from a farmer’s market), because factory-farmed produced milk that is cheap to the consumer is usually detrimental to independent farmers’ business and the overall welfare of cows. According to Felicity Lawrence’s book Eat your heart out, a factory cow is much more likely to get infections, such as mastitis, due to the strain of producing high yields during their short life, a disease which is then treated with antibiotics. The latter is likely to be traced in the milk we drink and the yoghurt we eat, much like growth hormones – which have been linked to the development of certain tumours and cancers. Bearing in mind, there will always be publications that claim to have found no links between bovine growth hormones and fatal diseases in humans. I’ve watched my fair share of secret footage of factory farms filmed by undercover journalists, though, to not be tempted anymore by bargain prices for dairy products. I’d much rather pay a little more for quality produce to get the reassurance that the yoghurt I eat actually contains all the nutrients that I can read on the label.
Simple Summer Raspberry Yoghurt Dessert
As a healthy yoghurt treat I have decided to use fresh raspberries, as I love the taste, they look appealing as a decoration and they are bursting with vitamin C, manganese and fibre! Bananas (rich in potassium) and flaxseeds (high in omega-3 fats) add even more nutritious goodness to your plate! To top up my yoghurt, I chose raw cacao nibs, which are high in antioxidants (to boost your health) and virtually sugar-free! You don’t really need any special skills or directions to create this dessert. However, to make this a very special treat I decided to use a little imagination to make my plate look even more appealing.
Ingredients:
For 2 servings
- 1 banana, sliced
- 2 handfuls fresh raspberries
- 6 tbsp. plain, full-fat organic yoghurt
- 4 tbsp. flaxseeds
- 2 tbsp. raw cacao nibs
Instructions:
- Gently wash the raspberries and place half of them in a circle on a small plate. Slice the banana and place half the amount in the raspberry circle. Add 3 tbsp. plain yoghurt on top so that all banana slices are covered.
- Carefully sprinkle flaxseeds on the inside of the circle, leaving out the middle to be covered by raw cacao nibs. Serve immediately.
Sources:
- http://www.livestrong.com/article/522112-health-benefits-of-raw-cacao-nibs/
- http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/sep/14/yoghurt-health-benefits-yoghurt-cake-recipe
- http://www.responsibletechnology.org/gmo-dangers/gm-hormones-in-dairy
- Lawrence. Eat Your Heart Out. 2008, Penguin: London.
Author: Danica Utermohlen
Picture credits: Danica Utermohlen
Disclaimer: This article and recipe have been edited. They were first published on 11/05/2015 for GloTIME, http://glotime.tv/skin-care-from-the-kitchen-yoghurt-face-and-scalp-mask/ and http://glotime.tv/recipe-summer-raspberry-yoghurt-dessert/
danica does... 