Fruity Yoghurt and Granola Pots

Mornings are like a military operation in our family. We all have our own routine and those routines blend together into a schedule that (mostly) gets us out of the door on time.

Not surprisingly, breakfast plays a large role in the morning routine and we all know just how we like it. I've talked before about how each of us has our breakfast of choice and mostly we are creatures of habit.

For our #1 teenage son, his breakfast sustenance is about volume - the biggest bowl, filled up to the top with (usually) Bran Flakes, sometimes topped with a handful of All Bran. A bowl of cereal is also his go-to snack in between meals and also in between snacks between meals. We get through a lot of boxes of cereal.

For 3 mornings in the week, he is up for swim training at a time with a 4 in it, so his focus is on speed eating and fuelling his body.

The Bran Flakes/All Bran combo ticks the boxes in terms of speed and fuel, but surely it must be getting a bit dull, don't you think? I've suggested alternatives -

• this delicious homemade muesli ... REJECTED ... takes too long to chew!
• a warming bowl of porridge ... REJECTED ... a 5 minute cooking time is WAY too long.
• a bowl of lovely, homemade granola ... REJECTED - by me ... there are not enough hours in the day to bake the amount of granola that #1 teenage son would eat, given the opportunity.

And so, my conclusion? Don't interfere. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

And then when I had all but given up, I stumbled upon an alternative breakfast idea that got a big thumbs up - these Fruity Yoghurt and Granola Pots. Finally, we had a breakfast alternative. It's creamy, it's fruity, it gets the crunch from the granola on the top and it's particularly lovely - even through the eyes of a teenage boy. His criteria look something like this -

• no fuss to make (ie Mum does the work)
• quick to eat
• tastes great

And here are all the other reasons why you will also be converted to these Fruity Yoghurt and Granola Pots -

• This is perfect for preparing ahead of time. I made the fruity sauce, let it cool and then layered it up in the cups. It will sit nicely in the fridge for a couple of days.

• The granola is best added at the last moment to avoid sogginess but that's no drama is it? Here I used the leftover crumble topping from the Individual Boozy Trifles, but mostly I use a box of bought crunchy granola - often with nuts in it.
• It works well as a 'help yourself out of the fridge' kind of breakfast. Just add granola.
• Choose your favourite type of yoghurt. I went for a vanilla greek style yoghurt here - wonderfully thick and creamy - but you could also use regular plain yoghurt, perhaps sweetened a little if that's how you like it.
• This is very easy to adapt - different fruits, an alternative yoghurt flavour, more of one, more of the other.
• Using frozen fruits means that you can enjoy these even in deepest, darkest winter.
• Use any leftover fruity sauce to drizzle over ice cream or to serve with pancakes or french toast.
• You can make the pots as big or as small as you fancy.
• It's surprisingly satisfying and will keep a normal person going until lunch. As for #1 teenage son, it might stave off his hunger pangs for at least an hour.
• Perfect to prepare ahead for a special occasion brunch or when you have a house full of guests for breakfast.
• Prepare it in a screw-top jar and you have a fab takeaway breakfast.

So there you have it. These Fruity Yoghurt and Granola Pots are a teenager friendly alternative breakfast that is sure to work for you and your whole family too. Go on, get layering ...

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