Changing Habits

I used to buy scores of tiny plastic tubs of yogurt without a second thought.  It’s a solid breakfast choice, and those flavors are pretty fun to pick out.  Boston creme pie?  Strawberry cheesecake?  Gimme a spoon. 

But a while ago I found something better.  I always steered clear of plain, fat-free Greek yogurt because I thought it tasted like sour cream.  And truthfully, it can, especially if you add savory spices to it.  But I buy the big container of the thick, creamy stuff and here’s what I do with it:

Spoon some into a bowl.

Add fruit.  Fresh or frozen.  I like berries.

Sprinkle on some granola.  Or cereal.  Or nuts.  

Drizzle some honey.

Ok, you’re probably thinking, “how revolutionary, let’s start polishing her medal.”  I realize this idea is not creative or new but here’s why I’m writing about it.  The older I get, the more I have been thinking about habits.  They are responsible for so much of what we do, and so many of them we do on auto-pilot.  I always bought the flavored tubs because that’s what I saw rows and rows of in the grocery store, they tasted good, and I didn’t bother myself beyond that.  But when I hit pause to actually think about the amount of sugar I was eating and the amount of plastic I was buying, I tried something new.  

And truly, this parfait is sooooo much better than artificially flavored key lime pie.  The crunch of the granola on top of the cold, creamy base pairs perfectly with juicy fruit and sticky drizzle.  You control the amount of sweet with the honey, and I have absolutely found that local honey helps ward off the puffy allergy eyes I tend to get when the trees change in the spring and fall.  Eating this breakfast a couple times a week helps treat my allergies with no pills.  And, not to be gross, but probiotics are your friends where the potty is concerned.  You are also getting tons of protein and nothing artificial.  You can buy the large container of yogurt, scoop from it all week, and then repurpose it because it’s big and has a tight-fitting lid.  

I’ve been writing a lot about actions that make me feel better, and this breakfast is one of them.  In a small but concrete way, it has changed what I buy and what I eat.  It’s a nutritional upgrade, an elevated taste, an almost medicinal regiment with the honey and probiotics, and a more responsible environmental choice.  And I don’t even think about it anymore; it’s a new habit.  And one small step.