Vanilla Macadamia Nut Parfait

Diets. Bleh! A world full of color is not - in most minds - associated with dieting. However I recently found what I like to call a meal plan that makes a pretty valiant effort at challenging that thinking. My rules to live by, when it comes to healthy eating are: #1, you better like what you're eating {or it will automatically classify as a fad diet - one you will be done with in short order} #2, it should be relatively easy to follow and fit well with your lifestyle {or you'll find yourself cheating more often than sticking to it} and #3, never start your meal plan on Monday - if you have to wait until "after the weekend" to dive into it, you probably don't want to do it badly enough! This plan is one I lived with for quite a few months last year but, as per usual, I kind of let it run it's course. I am back into it now and would like to share, just a bit, with you. I am not advocating this "diet" nor do I intend for it to make me a food blogger. I only want to show you, from time to time, what I am eating, maybe figure out how attractive I can make the dish and see how creative I can be in coming up with new "recipes." This first item is a spin on the ubiquitous yogurt parfait. It is made with one 6 ounce container of Stoneyfield Farm's Fat Free French Vanilla Yogurt layered with 1 cup Kashi Whole Grain Honey Puffs Cereal and 1 tablespoon of chopped raw Macadamia Nuts! I really like the balance of sweetness, the punch of macadamia and the cool, smooth yogurt - all for under 400 calories. This makes a really pleasant afternoon snack and it's easy to take with - just keep the crunchy parts separate from the gooey part and assemble in a cup or glass just before eating.