Fruit and Yogurt Parfait

**I received a free coupon and gift card to facilitate this review in partnership with DOLE and Mom It Forward. However, they have not reviewed this post and my opinions are my own.**

Summer time comes with vacations, family, a loose routine and skin boiling heat. Staying fit and healthy can be a real challenge when you have kids climbing all over you. It is so easy to make a snack for them and eat the leftovers yourself. Add to that the balance of the summer heat and your workout routine and staying healthy during the summer months could be more challenging than we anticipate! I try to make sure that I have healthier options on hand all summer long and that I can make something easy for myself that keeps me from eating those left over chicken nuggets! Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits are a great snack that gives you refreshing fruit and creamy yogurt all in one treat! But instead of having to peel and cut the fruit, I make it even easier to make with DOLE® Jars!

Fresh fruit is awesome but I admit, I have passed it up for easier ‘to grab’ snacks because I simply do not have the time to wash, peel and cut it. DOLE® Jars take all of my excuses away and even gives me to convenience to make something super special in less time than it would take time to cut some fruit. Available a variety of fruits, these jars are on the canned fruit aisle and offer a few servings per jar! I filled a mason jar full of pineapple and I still did not use it all!

My Fruit and Yogurt Parfait is super easy. You need three simple ingredients. DOLE® Jars Pineapple Chunks, Raspeberry Strawberry Greek Yogurt Blend (or plain Raspberry), and granola. Just layer the fruit, yogurt and granola in a glass, bowl or other serving dish and enjoy! In less time than it takes you to cut the top off the pineapple, you have a delicious, creamy snack that helps keep you on track this summer!

Want more tips for keeping your body and diet in check this summer? Here are a few!

Invest in some small fitness equipment. I bought a small trampoline for less than $40 that includes resistance bands, calorie counter and more and 20 minutes, 3 times a week on that helps keep me energized and feeling like I get a work out in the comfort of my own air conditioning.

Pre-cut and bag veggies for snacks. I love to get celery, carrots and more and cut them up, put them in snack baggies and have them sitting in the fridge for easy snack grabs. Add this to the DOLE® Jars in your fridge and you have no excuse to eat your kids snacks!

Walk early in the morning or late in the evening. We all know that kids wake way earlier in the summer months than they do during the school year. Take advantage of that and hit the road with your kids and pets to take a 20 -30 minute walk in the very cool of the day! If it is in the evening, it can help wind kids down for bedtime too!

Reward yourself! I am a big supporter of rewarding yourself when you do good things! If you eat your fruits and veggies every day for a week then it is time for that mani/ pedi that you never seem to be able to allow yourself to get!

Be honest! Working out and eating right when we have bored kids all day every day is hard. So be honest with your limitations. You don’t have to lose 50 pounds this summers. Use this busy time to revamp your eating habits and hit the weight loss track once the kids are back in school! Be honest about your limitations so you don’t set yourself up for failure!