Beyond Trim: Not Your Mama’s Strawberry Pretzel Salad is a healthy twist on a picnic favorite

Only in the Midwest would we call a dish that combines jello, strawberries, cream cheese, whipped topping and pretzels a salad. Yes, I am talking about strawberry pretzel salad!

I know it’s a staple at summer potlucks, picnics and barbecues but I’m not a fan. Too much sugar, unhealthy fat, and the pretzel crust is often soggy (or gluey, maybe?)

So, I was intrigued when I found this healthier version that I call a Strawberry Pretzel Protein Bowl. It has all the flavors of the classic salad without all the sugar and saturated fat. I can’t take full credit for the recipe, but I have tweaked it a bit to improve the nutrition and increase the protein content.

A key ingredient is protein rich cottage cheese. The protein content is further boosted by adding a serving of non-fat Greek yogurt. These two ingredients combine to form a creamy base that is topped with a layer of strawberries. I added chia seeds to the strawberries to provide additional fiber, protein, and healthy fat but also because the chia seeds create a gel when mixed with liquid, so they approximate the strawberry “jello” layer of the traditional salad.

And instead of pretzel pieces mixed with butter and sugar to form a crust, the pretzel pieces get sprinkled on top to add a nice salty crunch. Here’s the complete recipe:

Strawberry Pretzel Protein Bowl

½ cup low fat cottage cheese

1 - 6 oz. container non-fat Greek vanilla yogurt

1 cup fresh sliced or frozen strawberries

1 Tablespoon chia seeds (optional)

¼ cup broken pretzel pieces

In a small bowl mash the strawberries and mix in the chia seeds. Set aside. Combine yogurt and cottage cheese in a shallow bowl. Top with mashed strawberries. Sprinkle pretzel pieces on top. Enjoy!

You could use this basic recipe to create a host of variations. Experiment with other fruits like peaches, raspberries, blueberries, or pineapple. Try a plain Greek yogurt for a less sweet version. Top with granola or nuts in place of the pretzels. You could also make several servings in a larger dish.

My Strawberry Pretzel Protein Bowl has about 300 calories and over 30 grams of protein. There are 15 grams of protein in the yogurt, and 12 grams of protein in the cottage cheese. The chia seeds and pretzel pieces contribute another 4 grams. There’s also 7 grams of fiber and plenty of calcium. It makes a great breakfast, snack or a healthy dessert!

Sherry DeWalt is the healthy lifestyles coordinator for the CGH Health Foundation in Sterling.