Twas the last week of the second trimester. And it was EPIC.

Seriously, this week was awesome. I had the most comfortable, productive, enjoyable week of this whole pregnancy. I felt healthy, active, and energized. I finished my usual work week and managed to accomplish a ton of things on my “to-do” list. I got to spend time with some wonderful girlfriends. I finally tackled researching car seat and stroller options. I had a date night with my husband (that may or may not have included a brownie sundae with blood orange chocolate sauce). We also had a date morning over the weekend where we climbed up and down the stairs at the San Diego Convention Center (one of my favorite places to get a glute burn/endurance boost/classy San Diego view) and then walked through downtown to get a healthy brunch by Petco Park. I also went to a regular ol’ vinyasa flow yoga class and felt completely strong and balanced. It wasn’t even a prenatal class! What?! I’m 7 months into this pregnancy and feeling like a superhero. Even if tomorrow I turn a corner and start having some new (or old) horrible preggo symptoms, I am completely and utterly grateful for a week full of vitality and joy.

As you can see above, my growing belly is in full force. Baby Atlas is getting big, kicking hard, and requesting yogurt. Yogurt? Is that paleo?

Not so much paleo, but during my second trimester, I’ve been able to tolerate some dairy. Which is nice. It makes me feel like less of a high maintenance eater.

The past two weeks have found me in a strange yogurt “kick”. It hasn’t been so much of a craving as much as it just sounds refreshing and low maintenance. I’ve mentioned before that I’ve really been enjoying fruit during my second trimester as well. In an effort to include some more protein in my diet I decided to add in some organic greek yogurt during my fruit festivities.

(side note: My protein intake concern was only due to my personal observation that I was going a little heavy on the carbs and fats. While there’s nothing especially wrong with that, I just wanted to ensure I’m getting a good balance of everything.)

Why greek yogurt? I like the texture. Regular yogurt is too thin for my taste. I like how greek yogurt holds up in a bowl with toppings or as a spread on some paleo pancakes or gluten-free toast. I don’t believe there’s anything more inherently healthy about greek yogurt vs. others. It’s purely a texture issue for me.

Another side note: If you’re looking to incorporate some quality dairy into your diet, choose a product from pasture-raised and grass-fed animals over strictly organic, then go for organic over conventional.

I’ve been keeping some delicious strawberries on hand for my current yogurt needs. Then adding in other fun stuff like my most recent post, Healing Banana Pancakes. I also tried my hand at some collagen-laden protein bars shared by Beth over at Tasty Yummies. I swapped out a few ingredients and added my own. While I wasn’t super into them as “bars”, I liked chopping them up into a crumble and topping my yogurt! Lots of healthy fats from hemp seeds, almond, walnuts, and coconut oil, some raw honey for sweetness, and cacao nibs for a chocolatey kick! Another great version included frozen cherries and chocolate covered cacao nibs!

If you’re a dairy-eater, feel free to use these suggestions when crafting your next yogurty meal adventure! If you’re in need of some general grocery shopping inspiration, here’s a peek at my basket from this past week. Yogurt (from pasture-raised animals) AND local strawberries included of course!