How To Make The High-Protein Chocolate Yogurt Bowl That Keeps Me Full Until Lunch
I'm not someone who wakes up with an endless appetite, so finding something that I genuinely want to eat for breakfast that will also fuel me throughout the morning can be difficult. In an ideal world, I would cut up some fruit and call it a day. But, as delicious as it is, fruit is mostly sugar, and my body needs more than that to get started on the day.
I often use yogurt bowls as a conduit for my fruit in the morning because, as someone with PMOS, it is super important for me to get protein with every meal of the day. When I don't eat protein with my breakfast, I notice myself feeling groggy and fatigued all morning. The yogurt bowl was never something I looked forward to, but it got the job done.
However, I can now say I have perfected this bowl and look forward to it every morning. It combines chocolate and fruit to feel like an indulgent treat, while still packing in all the protein I need to start the day. Here's how I make it.
Chocolate collagen yogurt bowl
Serves: 1
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened yogurt of your choice
- 1 scoop mbg chocolate beauty & gut collagen+
- ⅓ cup chopped berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries—take your pick!)
- 2–3 tablespoons nuts (I prefer pecans, but walnuts or almonds work well too)
- A drizzle of sweetner, to taste
Directions
- Scoop your yogurt into a bowl. You can use a measuring cup, or eyeball it with about 4 hooping spoonfuls of yogurt.
- Stir in one scoop of collagen powder until fully combined. If the collagen powder still looks speckled throughout your yogurt after mixing, let it sit while you cut up your toppings. It will be much smoother when you mix it again after letting it sit for a few minutes.
- Chop up your berries and nuts. Add them to the top of your yogurt bowl.
- Finish with a light drizzle of sweetener of your choosing. I like the taste of agave, plus it mixes in super easily. Feel free to add a sprinkle of cinnamon.
- Eat immediately, or refridgerate for a breakfast on the go!
The nutritional breakdown
This breakfast has it all (protein, fiber, and healthy fats).
Using yogurt as the base of the bowl ensures you are getting your protein in. I like to use sheep's milk yogurt, because it naturally contains much lower levels of lactose than cow's milk yogurt. This makes it a gentler option for people (like me!) who are sensitive to dairy. It's also thick, slightly tangy, and rich in protein, with a creamy texture that honestly rivals full-fat Greek yogurt.
What really changed my breakfast game is the scoop of mindbodygreen's beauty & gut collagen+ powder. move that changed my breakfast game. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, and supplementing with it gives your body the amino acids it needs to support skin, joints, and muscle health.*
Many people avoid using collagen powder as a replacement for protein powder since it is not a complete protein (meaning it doesn't have adequate amounts of all the essential amino acids (like leucine, which are critical for muscle growth), which is why it is perfect to add into a bowl that has complete proteins from the dairy yogurt. (And if you prefer a whey protein powder, check our RD-approved pick here.)
With the combination of the collagen powder (16 grams of protein per scoop) and the cup of yogurt (contributing 12-20 grams of protein), these breakfast bowls end up with nearly 40 grams of protein when you add the nuts on top. The nuts are a great way to add crunch without all the extra sugar in most granolas, plus they have healthy fats.
Toppings matter
Speaking of toppings, berries are one of the most antioxidant-dense foods you can eat. I rotate my berries depending on what's in season, but my personal favorite is strawberries, which pair perfectly with the chocolate collagen to create a bowl that is reminiscent of a chocolate-covered strawberry (one of my favorite sweet treats).
Not everyone will need a drizzle of sweetener on top but, if you haven't been able to tell already, I have a major sweet tooth. I drizzle just enough agave add a touch of sweetness without going overboard. The best part is, no unless you're dumping tablespoons of sweetener in your bowl, you will still be eating a lot less sugar than you would be with an ultra-processed, flavored yogurt as your base.
The takeaway
This bowl has become a non-negotiable part of my morning. It takes just five minutes to prepare, tastes delicious, and starts my morning with a combination of protein, collagen, antioxidants, and healthy fats all in one sitting. If you're looking for a breakfast that works harder without requiring more effort, this is it.
