Today I’ve got some quick tips to adding a little more dairy into your life. And when I say quick, I’m talking breakfast or a snack that you can take on the go. There are plenty of recipes for lunch or dinner that involve cooking, but this is for the time-pressed!

Breakfast is such a natural place for milk or yogurt. And while there’s always the standby cereal and milk, there are plenty of other ways to enjoy your dairy. 

• (Spinach) Orange Julius Smoothie: 6 oz fat free Greek yogurt, 1/2 banana, 1 cup baby spinach and 1/2 of an orange. The spinach flavor gets masked, even if the color doesn’t!. If your produce is frozen, you won’t even need ice.

• Homemade Frappuccino: Get your caffeine and some nutrition all in one. Blend equal parts coffee (cooled) and milk with a banana and a handful of ice.

• Yogurt parfaits: I’m currently obsessed with 6 oz fat free Greek yogurt, 2/3 cup raspberries, 1 Tbs crushed walnuts, 1 1/2 tsp cocoa powder, 2 Tbs raw oats, and a little sweetener to taste (maybe 1/2 tsp of honey?)

• Granola and yogurt: Just be careful of the added fat and sugar content in your granola jacking up the calories. Some pack up to 200 calories in just 1/2 cup of cereal!

• Whole Wheat Waffles: topped with strawberry yogurt

• Sweet yogurt dip: mix vanilla yogurt with a squeeze of lime juice and cinnamon; pair it with fresh fruit

Often breakfast gets pretty sweet. For something a little more savory, I turn to cheese. 

• String Cheese: pack with a handful of blueberries and a few almonds

• Scrambled eggs with cheddar: for those days you have more than 2 minutes! wrap in a corn tortilla and top with salsa to take on the road

• Cheese and crackers: 1 oz of aged provolone, 1 oz of Triscuits and a handful of cherry tomatoes

• Savory yogurt dip: mix plain yogurt with low-fat ranch dressing mix; pair with vegetables

• Cheesy cereal: mix 1 cup of whole grain hot cereal (grits or oatmeal work best) with cheddar or parmesan cheese; toss in some leftover chopped vegetables for an added nutritional boost

Short and sweet, but hopefully it gets your creative juices flowing. How do you enjoy your dairy?