The Easiest Frozen Yogurt Bark from First Bites | Hyde Park Moms


Want an easy dessert recipe that’s fun for kids? Try this 4-ingredient frozen yogurt bark packed with nutrition, fiber, and color!
Hey! I’m Grace, a new(ish) Mom, Registered Dietitian, and founder for First Bites. First Bites is dedicated to helping mama’s feed their kids in a way that’s right for them using science-backed nutrition and healthy habits starting with the first bite. If you want to see more about kids nutrition and family-friendly recipes, check out www.firstbitesnutrition.com. I’m thrilled to be sharing this easy frozen yogurt bark with you, just in time for Valentines Day! 
Although this frozen yogurt bark is festive for the holiday, you can truly customize it any way you like. The sky’s the limit! 
Frozen Yogurt Bark Topping Ideas
In this recipe, you’ll see the classic combination of raspberries and chocolate, but there are an endless amount of combinations you can do! Here are a few more topping ideas.
Granola
Blueberries 
Strawberries
Cheerios
Pretzels
Nut Butter
Sprinkles
Fun with Frozen Yogurt Bark
Having fun with food and involving kids in the kitchen is so important. With this bark, there are tons of opportunities to have fun together. Have your kids help spread the yogurt, dollop and swirl the raspberry preserve–see what designs they can make! And sprinkle on the raspberries and chocolate. Once it’s frozen, they’ll have fun breaking it up into “bark.”
Involving kids in the kitchen is a great way to increase the chance of them trying the meal or dessert you’re making. Having fun in the kitchen together gets them excited about tasting foods and cultivates a healthy relationship around food. 
Use the time making this easy frozen yogurt bark to have fun with conversation too. Talk about its healthy ingredients. Depending on the age of your child, it could be as simple as teaching them the names of the ingredients, describing the bright red color of the raspberries, or getting a little deeper with older kids and saying “red food gives you a strong heart.” 
Making Healthy Food Appealing
Kids can be very stubborn around food and, a natural part of their growing independence is to reject foods. Another piece to the puzzle, in addition to having fun, is to make the food visually appealing. An easy way to do this: add color! The bright red from the fresh raspberries and raspberry preserve brings a pop of color that’s hard to resist. 
Kids prefer plates with more elements and colors, compared to adults, but also their entrees placed in the front of the plate and with figurative designs (1). The bottom line: the more color, the better! A bonus for having more color on their plate is, you’ll provide a wide range of nutrients for your kids to choose from.

Nutrition Spotlight: Raspberries
They may be small, but they are mighty! Raspberries are packed with nutrition and fiber and are considered a heart-healthy food. About 1 cup of raspberries contains 8 grams of fiber. The phytonutrients and high vitamin C content of raspberries are linked to many health benefits, including heart health, lowering the risk of various cancers, prevention of inflammation disorders, and help fight obesity (2). 
Eating them fresh is a great way to have them, but frozen works just as well. Add raspberries to desserts, like this easy frozen yogurt bark, in smoothies, oatmeal, or pancakes. 
Raspberries are a fruit that ripen fairly quickly. If you find your family isn’t consuming them before they are too ripe, simply pop them in the freezer for later!

THE RECIPE
Ingredients
4 cups vanilla greek yogurt
2 tbsp raspberry preserve
½ cup chopped raspberries
1 tbsp chopped dark chocolate chips (or more, if desired)
Instructions

  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour yogurt onto a baking sheet and spread into an even layer, using a spatula (about ¼ inch thick). 
  2. Dollop the raspberry preserve in different places around the yogurt. Using a toothpick or chopstick, swirl the preserve into the yogurt. 
  3. Top with raspberries and chocolate.
  4. Cover the baking sheet with foil and freeze until firm, about 3 hours.
  5. Remove from the freezer and break (or slice) into pieces. If it’s too difficult to break at first, let the bark defrost slightly, about 5-10 minutes. 
  6. Enjoy!

I can’t wait to see you try it!
To store, add bark to a freezer friendly bag or airtight container for up to a month. 
Make sure to tag @firstbitesnutrition and @hydeparkmoms on Instagram so we can see your creations.  

References: 
  1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21767305
  2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26501271

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