Summer is finally here and since I know we are all busy and perhaps traveling with our families, I am going to keep it simple with some go-to recipes that our family loves!

Breakfast is always tricky and I find that I get stuck in my cereal or toast ruts and I am always looking for more healthy breakfast ideas to spice things up.

One idea I have tried recently is doing a healthy, breakfast parfait. All you really need is fruit, some granola and a good creamy yogurt . Of course, I recommend a dairy-free yogurt such as So Delicious Coconut Yogurt, which even adds a richer taste but it is also easy to make your own Creamy Dairy-Free Coconut yogurt.

My kids, husband and I ALL loved this parfait and it felt decadent having “dessert for breakfast!” A nice change of pace…

Strawberry Banana Granola Parfait
4 strawberries (diced)
1/2 banana (cut into thin disks)
1 cup of yogurt (So delicious makes a delicious, creamy yogurt)
Granola (I used the gluten-free, raw Cherry Ginger Walnut from Laughing Giraffe)

Dice the strawberries and cut the bananas into very thin disks. Place a few heaping spoonfuls of yogurt in your cup, sprinkle granola on top covering area, then place a layer of sliced bananas on top then the strawberries. Continue until you have made the amount you desire. I did two layers and that was great for me.

Blueberries are one of my favorite foods not only in terms of nutritional content but also taste!

Blueberries are high in vitamin C, A, B and E, fiber as well as polyphenols, specifically the antioxidant anthocyanin which gives blueberries their rich, blue color.

I was doing an article for The Family Groove on protecting your skin from the sun through the foods you eat and was shocked to find out that blueberries have the highest amount of antioxidants than any other fruit or vegetable! In a recent study at Tufts University, researchers found that out of 60 fruits and vegetables, blueberries came out on top!

So, what do antioxidants do? Basically, antioxidants combat free radicals that damage our cells and help promote the growth of healthy cells, boost immunity, prevent disease and combat aging.

Because of the high antioxidant content, dermotologists like Dr. Nicholas Perricone in his Forever Young and Dr. Jessica Wu in Feed Your Face recommend that their clients add them to their diets daily to neutralize free radicals and combat aging! Who doesn’t need that? Also, for athletes or those working out a lot, blueberries are a perfect food to add to your pre- and post-workout regime to help neutralize free radicals and bounce back from the stress (albeit positive stress) associated with working out.

Further, blueberries powerful combination of vitamin C, polyphenols and other nutrients actually enhances our bodies ability to assimilate the antioxidants.

So, here is my breakfast every morning. I always mix it up with the cereal but blueberries are my tried and true topper and always present on top. As a 40 year old working mother or two, I need all the help I can get!

Today, it was Laughing Giraffe granola but on other days I like Rawnola or Living Intentions.

I also put blueberries in/on:

Smoothies (blueberries, strawberries, frozen banana, almond milk- blend and voila!)

Muffins

Pancakes

Puddings/Yogurt

Make my own dried fruit
(I do this in my Excalibur dehydrator but you can use an oven on low heat and keep the door cracked)

Or, even in salads (sorry, no pics!)

Blueberries uses are endless so get creative!