I don’t know about your kids but mine can’t eat the minute they get out of bed in the morning. They need to be up and around for at least 20 minutes before they can eat a good breakfast- my son especially. He needs at least 30-45 minutes of being awake & out of bed before he can eat. This creates a problem- in 2 different ways. First, during school the kids only have a set amount of time to get everything done before the bus gets here. So I have to find breakfast foods for them that have a goodly amount of protein and will help fill them up but it can’t be anything that makes their tummies feel heavy. And second, by the time they are ready for breakfast on a typical summer day it’s too hot to actually cook anything. My kids like cereal ok but it’s not their favorite and they can’t eat it too many days in a row as the main attraction at breakfast. Especially since I try to stick to the “healthy”, non-mainstream cereals, which limits the variety somewhat. In trying to find a solution to these problems I came across recipes for drinkable yogurt and it’s become a favorite for my kids. I make it fairly often and the hardest part is washing the blender- which is not hard at all 🙂

Surprising no one, The Humble Food Snob refuses to buy drinkable yogurt. No, it’s not because of the recent press about Dannon using ground cochineal bugs in their red colored products. Those have been used as a coloring agent for various things for centuries- I have no problem with them at all. And if you realized what the government allows into processed foods and in what amounts (try searching “how many rat hairs are allowed in food?” and see what you find) my bet is you wouldn’t have much of a problem with cochineal as a food coloring anymore either. No, what I have a problem with is the fact that the stores charge such an exorbitant amount of money for those tiny little bottles of drinkable yogurt. My kids gravitate to those like moths to a flame and I have to explain, once again, that they are far too expensive for what you get. Eventually they’ll understand. And it’s never too early to start teaching value for money and how to be effectively thrifty but not stingy. My kids already have an appreciation for homemade things and normally ask for them. It makes this home maker very proud 🙂

Drinkable yogurt is a very personal thing and can be made at home according to your personal taste so this will be more of a method post instead of a recipe post. Do you want thick, tangy, almost UNdrinkable yogurt? Then use very little milk or juice and extra fruit. Would you prefer a nearly imperceptible yogurt flavor and a consistency that will easily be drinkable from a to go cup? Then use more liquid as well as fruits that puree easily in the blender (like bananas and strawberries). This differs from a smoothie in that you don’t add any solid things like chocolate chips, crushed cookies, oatmeal, ice, or the like. This is just straight yogurt, liquid, and fruit (if desired). So if you’re looking for something that will fill you up and be all that you have for breakfast this will probably disappoint- you should go with a smoothie. But if you want something light and/or something that will go along with, say, a granola bar then this is for you!

Here’s what I typically use for drinkable yogurt:

If you don’t want to use milk you can substitute fruit juice of some kind. Pretty much any juice works- it just depends on what you want the finished product to taste like. My kids & I are very partial to pineapple juice with the banana to make a very tropical drink but as I didn’t get any from the store this trip, I’m using milk. Apple juice will give you a nice, fairly neutral flavor, and orange juice will give you an almost Orange Julius type drink. And if you want to use plain yogurt that’s fine too. Use whatever you’d prefer for all of the ingredients- that’s what makes this so easy!

Unfortunately I can’t give you a whole lot in the way of measurements. I’ll try to give you good pictures of the side of the blender so that you can see about how much I use to make enough for the kids to have about 6-8 ounces apiece.

Here’s the yogurt and 2 bananas:

Now all that’s left is the milk:

Now blend this thoroughly and check to make sure you have enough milk to make it drinkable. My kids love to drink with straws (what kid doesn’t?!) so I make sure mine has a VERY liquid consistency. I end up with 3 small glasses of breakfast time happiness…

This makes a great snack too! Why, I bet this would even make great popsicles 🙂

We’re down to 5 weeks of summer! The kids start school in 2 weeks (well, the girls do- my son has to wait another week after that) and they are so very ready to go back! I’m ready for them to go back too, for that matter 🙂

The Ingredients:

Yogurt

Fruit

Milk (any kind) or Juice

The Method:

*Blend all ingredients together until drinkable.