Creamy Yogurt Jello: An Ideal Dessert For Those Looking To Lose Weight

About a year and some change ago I started getting serious about my weight. I wasn't in my 20s anymore, and I had to acknowledge that I couldn't just spend more time at the gym if I really wanted to slim down and lose my burgeoning stomach. While I managed to get my meals figured out using portion control (more on that struggle in How I Lost 40 Pounds by Eating More Taco Bell), one area that always dogged me was dessert. I have a large sweet tooth, and I am one of those people who firmly believes a serving size of ice cream is whenever you hear your spoon hitting the bottom of the carton.

If you share that opinion, then creamy yogurt jello may become your new standby the same way it has for me. I found the original recipe at Cleo Buttera, but I've improvised some extra add-ons in my lab that I wanted to put into the mix.

All right, let's get to it! So for this recipe you're going to need the following:

- mixing bowl

- whisk

- 1 package of jello (low calorie for best results)

- 1 cup boiling water (measure after heating)

- 1 cup low-fat yogurt

- Cool Whip, or store brand substitute (low calorie/sugar free helps)

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Step One: Mix Your Jello

The instructions on your jello packet are pretty simple, but for completeness I'll lay it out here. First, put a pot of water on to boil (or use your microwave, if you happen to know exactly how long to put water in to make it boil). While that heats up, pour your jello powder into your mixing bowl. Add 1 cup of the boiling water once it's ready, and whisk it until the powder is completely dissolved. No sweat!

Step Two: Mix Your Sweet Additions

Once your liquid jello has had some time to cool off on the counter, add in 1 cup of low fat yogurt, and whisk it in until you've blended the two together. Additionally, if you want to have a kind of soft, mousse-like whip on top of your treat once it's done, whisk in about half a cup (or just two big spoonfuls) of Cool Whip at the same time.

After all of that is whisked, either pour it into a single container, or spread the mix out into serving size glasses. I highly recommend either a funnel, or something with a pour spout at this stage, because it is prone to be pretty damn messy. For me, I actually mix my components in the bowl I plan to eat/serve them out of, so once the whisking is done I can move on to step 3 right away.

Step Three: Chill, and Enjoy!

After you've set your portions, whether you want a single large container or a handful of smaller ones, put them in the refrigerator and let them sit for a while. Generally it takes them at least an hour or so to finish gelling, in my experience, but I tend to make mine either the night before to eat the next day (I like sweet breakfasts, don't judge me), or I make it in the morning for dessert later that night.

And when you do eat it, whether you prefer it plain or with a dollop of whipped cream and a piece of fruit on top, you won't have to worry too much about your intake. Generally speaking, this entire concoction will be about 300 calories or so... for some perspective, that's like 3 Reeses peanut butter cups for what amounts to a small tub of fruity sweetness.

And while it might feel light and airy the first few bites, it fills you up. Which will, of course, stop you from bingeing on other desserts. Wins all around!

Tips and Tricks

I've been making several versions of this over the past few weeks, and I've stumbled across some ways to improve the overall experience. Mileage will vary based on your taste and palate, but here are some things I think readers should keep in mind:

- If you want a strong fruit flavor, make sure the yogurt you mix in is the same flavor as the jello you're making. Lime yogurt with a lime jello results in a kind of neon lime flavor that is delightful. Ditto with lemon and orange.

- For a lighter flavor that feels more like traditional dessert, mix vanilla yogurt in. This cuts the fruitiness of the jello with a creamier taste, and you end up with a more of an ice cream replacement. Orange jello with vanilla yogurt gives you a delicious dreamsicle flavor, for instance.

- Feel free to mix and match combos to find fresh takes! Putting together a lime yogurt with a lemon jello (or vice versa) creates an interesting citrus blend that tastes sort of like a soda fountain sprite, for example. Blueberry yogurt with raspberry jello has a mellow sweetness to it that's a great after dinner treat. Strawberry yogurt with a cherry jello... well, it definitely tastes red!