To say I’ve been eating a lot of bananas lately would be a bit of an understatement. I’ve been trying to hold out on buying any berries at my little organic market until they come into season. I’ve tried to only buy what I know I can’t get locally likes bananas, apples, and the occasional mango. Let me tell you, it’s pretty hard for me because I LOVE berries. Even thinking about the first strawberries of the season makes me so giddy with excitement that I can hardly sit still. But, I figured it wasn’t worth it to spoil everything now by eating an out of season strawberry that would probably be rather disappointing. So, apples and bananas it is.
I’ve mostly been enjoying bananas with my breakfast, either over granola or muesli, or in a smoothie if the weather is a tad warmer than usual. I’ve also been saving the brown ones for baking, though I can’t stand to have those around for too long as my apartment begins to reek of ripening bananas. I’m sure you know the smell I speak of. In an effort to try to avoid overly browned bananas this past weekend, I came up with a bit of a healthy riff on the banana cream pie.
These little parfaits are incredibly easy to make and satisfied my sweet tooth without leaving me feeling sluggish or sleepy. This is actually a great snack for after a run because the banana has loads of potassium and the chia seeds contain a good amount of protein (not to mention calcium, magnesium, and iron). The bananas eliminate the need for much sugar (I think I used less than a tbsp of maple syrup total for the pudding and coconut cream combined) and the coconut cream makes you feel like you’re eating something rich and decadent. So, be good to your belly and enjoy a parfait 🙂
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