Since the day I became a mom, all I want is to raise children well by taking careful measures to ensure they grow up healthy, strong, smart, kind-hearted and have a personal relationship with God.  Fast forward to 14 years since I brought my first child into this world, I still have the same prayer in raising my children.

Being a working mom for more than a decade and now a more hands-on mom than ever, let me share that motherhood for me is beautiful but challenging.  One of the challenges is to continually look for healthy alternatives in this world of all instant!  You get what I mean?  With the existence of instant meals, canned goods, packed noodles, and even fast foods, finding a healthy breakfast or snack for them could be a struggle.

But if you're like me who likes researching and experimenting on foods that could both be healthy yet fun and delicious to eat to ensure kids will like them, then you'd agree when I say that there are many available in the market.  I've recently discovered a healthy and yummy recipe using yogurt.

And this isn't just any yogurt, it has the Real California Milk Seal!  Why is this seal so important to me?  It's because with this seal, I am assured that I am getting a top quality brand compared to the many dairy products that are available in stores right now.  It also means the product is certified as having been made with 100% Real California Milk from Real California Dairy families.  I feel that I cannot short change my children's nutrition so I look for this seal.
Sharing with you my Choco Pineapple Breakfast Yogurt Recipe:
Ingredients:

• One (1) cup of Blue Isle Greek Yogurt (Honey or Honey Blueberry)
• Pineapple slices (bite size)
• One (1) cup of chocolate corn flakes
• Dash of chocolate powder
• 1 - 2 tbsp of honey

Procedure:
Put the Blue Isle Greek Yogurt in a bowl
Add pineapple slices on one side
Add choco corn flakes on the other side
Top with chocolate powder
Drizzle the whole bowl with honey
Enjoy!
Nutritional Benefits of Yogurt:
What makes yogurt healthy for you and your kids?  It's a mixture of milk fermented by bacterial cultures that produce lactic acid.  It contains the same nutrients as milk but it still depends on the type and even brand of yogurt (kaya look for the seal!).  A cup has many essential nutrients like protein, calcium and phosphorous to help build and maintain strong bones and teeth.  It also has Zinc which boosts the immune system. Riboflavin and panthothenic acid also help the body with metabolism. Yogurt also has vitamin B12 to keep the nervous system healthy and blood functions normal.
For us adults, did you know that yogurt is recommended for weight loss and weight management? So for moms who like to go to #BalikAlindogProgram, yogurt is one of your healthy but yummy alternative.

The U.S. National Dairy Council reports that dairy foods such as milk, cheese and yogurt are foundational foods in healthy eating patterns that contribute important shortfall nutrients, including calcium, vitamin D and potassium. Healthy eating patterns are associated with reduced risk of several chronic diseases including cardio vascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Here's more, the potassium in yogurt also helps regulate the balance of water and other nutrients, lowering your chances of having high blood pressure.  A recent study in the American Journal of Hypertension found that eating two cups of yogurt a week lowered the risk associated with cardiovascular disease.

Yogurt is also a good option for the lactose intolerant to get the same health boosts of
milk. Its active cultures help the body digest lactose, which is a naturally occurring sugar in milk that not everyone can digest.

There are so many ways to enjoy yogurt than just having it plain and like my yogurt breakfast bowl, kids could enjoy it anytime as well.  Yogurt can also be a base of a veggie or even chips dip or as a substitute for oil and mayonnaise as well.

Other Dairy Product with Real California Milk of Cheese Seal (And where to purchase):
We all know how healthy drinking milk and other dairy products such as cheese, butter, yogurt and ice cream are right? I cannot stress how this will really help us and especially our kids to have stronger bones and teeth and even help prevent common illnesses!  So the next time you buy any dairy products from the grocery, make sure that you look for the Real California Milk seal!  This assures you that you’re getting dairy products made exclusively from nutrient-rich, high quality 100% California milk. California is US' leading producer of milk, ice cream, butter, nonfat dry milk and whey protein concentrate and is the second largest producer of cheese and yogurt.  The Golden State is America’s leading milk producer with 1,300 dairy farms, 99% of which are family-owned. These California dairy farm families take precious care of their cows and their products.

Look for the seal momshies okay?  You may purchase dairy products which has the Real California Milk or Cheese seal from groceries like Unimart, Robinsons Supermarket, Merkado and SM Hypermarket plus membership shopping giants S & R and Landers.  They give you a wide range of dairy choices carrying the seal.

To know more about great dairy products, check out www.RealCaliforniaMilk.com or Facebook.com/RCMph/. You may also follow their stories by using these hashtags #LookForTheSeal and #RealCaliforniaMilkPhilippines.

*This post is sponsored by Real California Milk, but the recipe, photos and opinions are mine.