Give Jell-O A High-Protein Boost With One Ingredient

While certain nostalgic dishes like Jell-O salad once represented wealth and status, nowadays, many of us shy away from vibrant Jell-O powder because we assume there are only a few ways to consume it. However, besides dissolving these flavorful granules into water or mixing the powder into a variety of vintage desserts, you can actually create a high-protein snack with just one extra ingredient.

If there was ever a time you longed to mix evaporated milk and Jell-O together for an old school dessert but stopped yourself because you wanted a treat with more protein per serving, you can now rest easy thanks to Greek yogurt. Believe it or not, you can make a tasty yet easy-to-prepare high-protein treat with just a box of Jell-O powder, water, and Greek yogurt.

Unfortunately, when prepared on its own, Jell-O contains very little protein. Specifically, for every ½ cup of prepared Jell-O (which is one serving), you're only consuming 2 grams of protein. However, by swapping out one of the two required cups of water necessary to prepare a small box of Jell-O, you can increase the amount of protein per serving. Simply replace the remaining cup of cold water with Greek yogurt.

For the best results, once you dissolve your Jell-O powder into boiling water, allow the combined mixture to cool to room temperature before you add in 1 cup of yogurt. After thoroughly mixing everything together, allow the creamy mixture to set in your fridge for at least a few hours before serving.

Since this easy-to-make Jell-O treat tastes like cheesecake because of the added Greek yogurt, feel free to enhance this snack further with a bright and refreshing topping like diced fresh fruit. You can also make this treat even creamier by including a luscious topping like whipped cream or using vanilla-flavored Greek yogurt.

Once you feel comfortable making this recipe as is, feel free to experiment with more ways of giving this Jell-O snack even more protein per serving. For example, while an entire pan of prepared Jell-O and Greek yogurt contains roughly 25 grams of protein, you can easily increase the amount of protein per serving with protein powder. When you prepare the Jell-O mixture, simply add a scoop of vanilla protein powder when you whisk in the yogurt.

You can also play around with different flavor combinations. If you're preparing a box of Jell-O with a creamier flavor like chocolate or cheesecake, use chocolate or fruit-flavored protein powder for an added twist. Conversely, if you like the idea of making a high-protein snack with Jell-O but don't particularly enjoy Greek yogurt (or protein powder), you can make a similar recipe with cottage cheese. All you need to do is blend 16 ounces of cottage cheese and use it in place of Greek yogurt. However, to achieve an ultra-fluffy end result similar to Greek yogurt, consider also including a container of thawed regular or low-calorie whipped topping to the mix.