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Appetites and Adventures

PB & Aggs + Carrot Cake Batter {WIAW}

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I’m a big fan of modifications.

Have you seen the dishes I bastardize exercise creative license with?

This week my nutrition plan has had one awesome modification.  After mentioning that I almost hurled last week after shoveling down lunch right before a workout, my trainer gave me an life stomach saving tip.  If a workout is scheduled right after a carb meal (Meal 1, 3, 5, or 7), then I can switch the order of the meals.  So instead of my scheduled Meal 3 carb + protein + veggie combo, I could have swapped it for Meal 4 which is just a veggie + protein.

3 Benefits to This:

  1. Quick protein boost before a workout (and a little energy from the sugar if this occurs in the morning when I get fruit rather than a veggie)
  2. Complex carbs post-workout are great for muscle repair/recovery
  3. No risk of regurgitation

Similar to running, you don’t want to lift heavy on a full tummy.  It’s hard work and being full just makes you feel draggy.  When you’re in prep for a figure competition the last thing you want is to have a junk workout.  I’ve been relishing in this modification all week.  It has done wonders for my energy at the gym, as well as my comfort level!

Enough tummy talk.  We have a new theme this week for What I Ate Wednesday!

Seasonal eating is a big deal to me.  Food that is in season tastes better, and it is less expensive.  Not to mention the fact that you can support your local farmers by purchasing your product through them rather than from far away places like Chile.

Check out my (mostly) summertime appropriate eats below, then click here to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to see everyone else’s fitness foods!

Meal 1:

I’m recycling the pic from last week of aminos mixed with ~2T of apple cider vinegar and water.  I drink this down 30 mins prior to meal one for its benefits related to energy, digestion, and skin.

As I mentioned above, I’m doing some meal-order-swapping around my workouts.  Since I was about to hit the gym, I swapped meals 1 and 2.  So… Meal 1 = Meal 2, meaning I need a fruit and a protein.

You follow?

Last week’s PB & Jeggs were so good I did a little remix of that idea.  Rather than using mixed berries, I uses apples to create PB & Aggs!  (Any Aggie fans out there?)

I shook it up a little to be more like PB & Agg Pie. (Is that taking the naming thing too far?)

PB & Aggs:

  • 1/2 C egg whites
  • 2 T peanut flour
  • 2 T water
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 3 drops lemon liquid stevia
  • 1 small apple, cut into ~1/2 in pieces

See this post for detailed instructions.

Meal 2:

Post-workout I ate what was supposed to be Meal 1.  Hooray for post-workout complex carbs!  This is a seasonal cherry-ginger protein smoothie bowl (with spinach, obv) topped with homemade granola.  It was simple but hit the spot. 

Meal 3:

I often make it through the day with entirely vegetarian protein sources, but today I enjoyed a tuna burger with a said of salsa.  I’d love to share the recipe with you, but to be honest it was a little dry.  The flavor was good… I will keep tweaking and report back.

For my seasonal sides, I enjoyed carrot sticks and raw asparagus.  Produce is so sweet this summer!  I read somewhere that it is due to the extreme heat.  Apparently, some good does come out of 100+ temps! 

My complex carb was a slice of Ezekial bread with some Sunbutter.  After a nasty failed attempt at making my own sunflower seed butter, I sucked it up and bought a jar.

Worth.  It.

Meal 4:

Another seasonal veggie favorite is zucchini.  I’ve seen a lot of pics posted around the web of some massive zucchini. I wish I’d taken one of this sucker before I cut it up because it was a beast.

Eaten with no salt added cottage cheese mixed with peanut flour, nutritional yeast, and sriracha.  It was a sort of Thai peanut sauce!  To be honest… I went a little heavy on the nooch. 😉

Meal 5:

Apparently last Wednesday was particularly inspiring to me.  For dinner, I repeated yet another meal from the week.  What can I say, I fell in love with the (gluten-free) Cauliflower pizza!

I made the crust just like this one, but topped it with a local tomato, red onion, aged balsamic, a farm fresh egg, and a bastardized vegan version of spinach pesto.

 

The pesto creation was quite tasty – lots of herb-y, fresh flavor.  Here’s how I did it:

Vegan Spinach-Rosemary “Pesto”

  • 1 C fresh spinach
  • 1 large sprig of rosemary
  • 1 T nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/4 tsp olive oil
  • A bit of water (just enough to blend)

 Place it all in the blender and mix until smooth.

If you haven’t made this yet… well, I feel sorry for you.

Meal 6:

Carrot cake is something of a tradition in my family.  It’s not surprising that my favorite protein shake is this carrot cake creation.  It’s what inspired the following snackage.  I had already had a smoothie at Meal 2, and since I try to vary my protein sources, I racked my brain to figure out what other sources I could get 20g of protein from.  The answer?  Greek Yogurt!

Ladies and gentlemen (do any dudes read this blog?!), I give you a bowl full ‘o Carrot Cake Batter:

This protein-packed snack reminds me of that recipe handed down from my MamMaw.  The freshly grated carrot and the hint of nutmeg make this batter is scarily close to the “real” thing.  I have eaten it as Meal 6 every night this week.  Admittedly, some cream cheese icing would be nice.

Recipe at bottom.

Meal 7:

I’m in comfort-dessert food mode.  Pumpkin Pie Mush, anyone?  I’m going to turn orange.

This has been done ad nauseam in blog-land, so I won’t beat a dead horse.  Basically, you mix together your desired amount of oats, protein powder, pumpkin, water or other liquid, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, stevia.  Let sit in fridge for at least an hour.  Devour.

Carrot Cake Protein Batter

  • 1/2 C Greek yogurt
  • 1 T vanilla protein powder
  • 1 medium carrot, grated
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp maple extract (optional)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 7-8 drops liquid stevia, or sweeter of your choice

Place all ingredients in a bowl, and stir to combine.  Depending on the thickness of your yogurt and the absorption of your protein powder, you may need to add a bit of liquid.

Note: This is also delicious with peanut flour, PB2, or coconut flour in place of the protein powder.

***

Are you keeping track?  I managed 149.1g of protein.  Even more exciting (to me) is the fact that I actually kept my sodium down to 1,137mg.  Shityeah.

What are your favorite summer foods?

Have you ever actually gotten sick during a workout?  I think I would die.

Comments

  2. I’ve been told that eating a combination of carbs and protein before a workout (esp if you’re trying to build mass) is actually a good thing. No? I know for certain that eating simple carbs right after a workout is recommended, but I’m a lil’ confused when it comes to eating carbs before. It’s been awhile since I had cottage cheese..I really didn’t like it..but with sriracha? now I believe sriracha can make even dirt taste good. I must give it another chance. Love the carrot cake batter recipe!

    • There are different schools of thought – it’s really what works best for you. I find carbs weight me down. I prefer to get my energy from protein. However, if you have time to let it digest a serving of a complex carb is a good idea. 🙂

  3. You.are.awesome. I love seeing your meals (and just learned a lot in this post! Way to go to your trainer!)…Great foods and so true about “junk workouts.” Good thoughts, friend – thanks for sharing! Gotta give some of these recipes a-go; thanks for the info!

    • Bonnie, your comments always make me smile. Thank you. 🙂

      Let me know if you try any recipes – I’d love to hear your spin!

    • That would be good! Too bad I can’t have carbs for meal 6… maybe I’ll make it for meal 7 one night! 🙂

  6. Ohhh I LOVE this idea of a carrot cake batter- I’m might have to introduce it to my evening dessert rota- thanks :)! Glad you are feeling better during your workouts- a few times I have felt nauseous during a run and it’s not pleasant at all…almost as unpleasant as when runners’ trots hit haha! Berries are my ultimate summer food, topped with lots of yogurt!

  8. Serious drooling going on over here from your pictures. All your meals look delicious. Love the idea of a carrot cake batter. Never in a million years would I have thought of that.. GENIUS!

  9. I tried the pB+jeggs last week and loved it; although i have now ran out of peanut flour and we can’t buy it easily here in the UK so im gonna have to order some :(. I made the cauliflower pizza too, definitely gonna be having that again this week loved it! yum!

    • I am so glad you enjoyed both!!! Sad you’re going to the flour though. I know that’s tough. 😉

  14. Definitely trying the PB & Aggs. 😀 My favorite summer food is fresh fruit, typical. I love watermelon! And also, I love zucchini. 🙂 I can relate. One time I had a HUGE meal before a workout (stupid me) and I got sick. You live and you learn, right? 🙂

  19. I am glad your trainer is really listening to you. that is awesome you can find an adjustment that works. I want to try all of your creations, I need to go shopping to get some of the supplies though. i am really intrigued by all the great flavors.

  20. It’s so hard to choose a favourite summer food, there’s just so much in season right now! I guess for me it would be any summer fresh summer fruit (peaches, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries…) and anything grilled 🙂

  21. I say yes to modifications all the way! I love you you tweak & recreate recipes to make them even better, you really have a talent for it!

    • Outta my hear, Claire! I made that last night to bring to work for snack today. I blended mine with a little lemon Stevia, cinnamon, and 1/2 scoop of vanilla protein powder. Also mixed in some chia seeds … it seriously tastes like cheesecake batter!

    • Thanks Ashley! FYI – I added a full T of nooch to 2 T of peanut flour… I’d go with 1/2 T next time, as it over powered the PB flavor.

  25. That peanut sauce sounds amazing–as does anything with sriracha. And/or peanuts. And there’s pesto-like stuff in my lunch yesterday–and again in my lunch today. Definitely the season for it!

    And oh my gosh–I learned that carbs lesson myself yesterday! Had oatmeal for breakfast and was pretty sure I was going to hurk at the gym (didn’t help that it was a super-hard legs day). Went with just protein + veggies for b’fast this morning and not a single problem…in the hurk department–in the holy cow I have no bicep muscles department? That’s another issue 🙂

    • Ewwww… I can imagine those oats weren’t so good later. I made my mistake on a hard leg day too. Never again, my friend.

    • Have you tried this recipe? It’s the only one I’ve found that I can eat by the slice.

  28. I have passed out in the gym from running in 100+ heat followed by heavy lifting. Not fun… the manager kinda frowned upon that. :0)
    As for your dry tuna burger, I was having the same issue until I added Greek Yogurt as my binder! Super delish and moist. Not to mention slightly more protein!

    • I had to get creative since I was out of pesto – love me some tomato sauce too. Isn’t this the greatest crust though?!

    • Of course! Fiber is important to having a good start to the day… if ya know what I mean. 🙂

  34. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten sick during a workouts, but I’ve been close. I have an athlete who did get sick during a swim in the ocean – pretty nasty stuff! Not that uncommon in rough conditions, but I’ve held it together.

  35. I made a peanut butter version of the tiramisu parfait…OH MY GOSH!!! Heaven! You completely cracked my up in tho sport. Snarky behavior is always appreciated! I haven never gotten sick during a workout, but I have definitely eaten a rather large meal before training someone and regretted it big time!!! Oh the carrot cake pudding is happening! I want to try zucchini bread version too! YUM!

    • I LOVED the pic! I can’t wait to try a PB version too.

      You read my mind with the zucchini… I was just thinking last night that would be good. I love my zucchini bread oats!

  36. So glad you have a little flexibility in your meals… that makes a lot of sense. Carrot cake pudding looks awesome- and I was drooling over your cauliflower pizza and egg on instagram yesterday!

  37. I don’t even know if I could use Lightroom to make that smoothie bowl image look appealing. Wow girl.

    Back in college I almost overdosed while working out…not because of what you think. A lack of sleep and too much coffee, left me puking into a toilet and not attending class. Wasn’t fun.

    • I would put money on the fact that even you would like it. With a nice digestif.

      Uhhhh.. I don’t even want to know how that’s possible. 😉

  40. LOVE that you call your MawMaw that too. You are the first person I met who does that. I know others are out there, but it’s always nice 🙂

    And slurp! That pumpkin protein batter looks ah-mazing! bookmarking!

  43. I’ve NEVER regretted a Sunbutter purchase…that’s for sure 🙂

    Also I’m dying to make a cauliflower pizza crust! It’s soon to come in my meals for sure!

  45. I so need to make a cauliflower pizza crust! Looks amazing.
    And I am with you on the seasonal eats.

    And nice to know, I need to take the carb out of pre workout cuz that’s what’s making me feel like I got… will give it a try. 😉

    • Let me know if it works for you. Some people have different schools of thought, but I’m loving the carbs AFTER.

  46. LOVE the flavor of fresh rosemary! And holy moley!! That runny egg! Grade A certified foodporn right there! Ow ow! 😉 And I just want you to know that I bought a head of cauliflower JUST the other day JUST so I can make the pizza! Glad I waited so I can steal your pesto and egg idea…it looks soooooo good!

    I need to try that savory cottage cheese combo…you know me, I’mma dipper! And that “Aggle Pie”? GENIUS!

    Favorite summer foods: ALL the berries, watermelon, tomatoes (especially heirlooms…mmmm!), zucchini, annnnnn OKRA!!!

    I’ve never gotten sick during a workout…but I have, ahem, had a REALLY close call. Back when I was doing Crossfit, some of the workouts were insane! It took me a while before I realized what and HOW MUCH I needed to eat before a workout!

    • You actually inspired me with the okra – I bought some at the market to try raw. I can’t stand it cooked but love it pickled. Will report back. 🙂

  47. Okay, I love all of your food. Obsessed.
    I’m definitely going to try out your cauliflower pizza recipe! I’ve been looking at different ones, but have to say yours looks like the best so far!
    And yep, totally have to make that carrot cake pudding! That is so up my alley.

  48. “Shityeah” HAHA that made me laugh. Oh sis, do you realize how amazing you are? Huh??? Truly, though. You are so amazing. Look at all of these amazing meals! You inspire me every single day, love <3

    Did you prefer the jeggs over the aggs or which did you like best? I will be trying these very soon!

    My peanut flour hasn't come in yet, but do you think almond flour works just the same?? I don't know seeing as how I haven't had the chance to experience the beautifulness of peanut flour yet 😉

    You know how much I loved your carrot cake smoothie (carrot cake anything is the best and always my favourite), so I cannot wait to have this cake batter! WOO <3

    I also love the pizza crust 🙂 As you know, I tried it last week! It was SO good 🙂

    xoxo Love you so much Laura

    • that would be like choosing a favorite kid! LOL! I like them both… and then yesterday I made zeggs. With zucchini. 😉

      Almond flour is different – peanut flour is just like flour in texture since they de-fat the peanuts. You can sub it in some cases, but it’s definitely different!

      You make me so happy trying these recipes! I have got to get get more yogurt so I can make your brownie parfait!!! xoxo

  50. Yep, I DO want to eat some Carrot Cake Batter and that nooch-heavy peanut sauce concoction.

    My new favorite sunflower butter is the Once Again brand. Holy bejeezus that is good stuff. I bought it on sale on a whim….but now, of course, I want to figure out how to make my own. 🙂

    • Never heard of Once Again. Must investigate…. or you could just add that to your #nuttybutter repository. 😉

  51. I LOE pumpkin…and sweet potatoes. From September to around February, I’m a pumpkin fool. Pumpkin mixes so well with Greek yogurt. Who would’ve thought?? Just add a dash of cinnamon, some maple syrup, and pecans—it’s like Thanksgiving in a bowl! I totally know where you’re coming from when it comes to eating before a workout. During the week, I just do evening workouts. I prefer exercising on an empty stomach. I’m mostly a cardio athlete, so everything I put in my stomach is always bounces around if it doesn’t digest. I eat a Clif Bar around 3 or 3:30 daily as pre-workout fuel becuase it mostly digests, so I don’t have issues. But on the weekends, I do morning workouts. I can’t eat my normal breakfast because it makes me SO uncomfortable. During the week, I’ll eat a Greek yogurt/peanut flour/fruit parfait. It’s perfectly awesome, but it’s too heavy for a morning workout. I’ve recently swapped it with a Clif Bar or one of my new favorite brands (Good ‘n Natural!) for a lighter breakfast. Still packed with protein and vitamins, but it’s not as heavy. I’ve never barfed during a workout. Haha! But…I will admit…I ran a Thanksgiving Day 5k when I was 11 yrs old. Since I dominated the Race For the Cure a year before (winning my age group), I thought I was such a badass. I ran this race way too fast. On an empty stomach. When I crossed the finish line, I drie-heaved. It was mortifying. That’s the only time in my life I ever got sick. Fortunately, (since I didn’t eat breakfast…) nothing came out. But that’s when I realized running took some prep work. I’m much smarter now…and more decorated (sans puke).

  53. Your recipes look great I can’t wait to try them out! Where do you find Ezekiel bread? I’ve been having trouble finding a store that carries it? Does whole foods carry it?

    • Thanks! I can find it anywhere here – Whole Foods, Publix, Kroger… you can always order online too!

Trackbacks

  1. […] experienced if Laura hadn’t convinced me to buy peanut flour (and then inspired me with her Sriracha/peanut combo last […]

  2. […] this morning was inspired by Laura’s carrot cake protein batter, I mixed up a batch of this, minus the greek yogurt. The carrot was cooked before hand so it would […]

  3. […] got called out on Instagram for eating Carrot Cake Batter every day week.  It’s […]

  4. […] Carrot Cake Protein Batter by Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table […]

  6. […] couldn’t go all day without the incredible, edible egg!  You guys know how I love my Carrot Cake Batter … and my PB & Jeggs creations are a favorite addiction.  Last night I decided to try […]

  7. […] Does anything taste better than a tart, crisp, local apple? Using those apple to (finally) make Laura’s famous PB&Aggs. […]

  8. […] am not a big fan of cooked apples, but I love my PB & Aggs (I add the apples at the very end so they are warm but still crisp) and my Apple-Carrot […]

  9. […] Lunch was post-workout, so it was a Carrot Cake Whey creation.  This is one of my go-tos. I love carrots. […]

  10. […] I mentioned last week, I’m doing some meal-order-swapping around my workouts.  Since I went to the gym early, I […]

  11. […]  Obviously, I am already worried about being hungry.  Despite a late dinner, I had a double size Carrot Cake Protein Batter… after eating a lot of unpictured Muesli Fusion (also from Blend) straight out the bag. […]

  12. […] is one of my all-time favorites to end the day – Carrot Cake Protein Batter.  I feel like it’s been forever since I’ve had one of these.  After surgery I […]

  13. […] struggling to hit my carbs, I added a little extra yum to my Carrot Cake Protein Batter.  I stirred in oats and topped it with my custom granola (again) and a cocoa powder sauce.  And […]

  14. […] home to a healthy dessert in an almost empty Greek yogurt container!  This was my favorite Carrot Cake Protein Batter, topped with granola and cocoa powder […]

  15. […] really, really love carrots.  Hence – once again – my Carrot Cake Protein Batter.  I added some of the protein powder from my iHerb box and used a tiny bit of the Walden Farms […]

  16. […] some leftover shredded zucchini and carrot from dinner… so I decided to combine my favorite Carrot Cake and Zucchini Bread Batters to make one epic Carrot-Zucchini Cake […]

  17. […] cocktail and the green deliciousness above was followed by an old favorite: PB & Aggs. Here’s the original recipe., but it’s basically eggs, peanut butter (or peanut flour sauce), and apples. […]

  18. […]  Let’s pretend I was more creative… but no.  I brought my old favorite to the gym.  Carrot Cake Protein Batter.  Made with french vanilla Designer Whey and topped with brown rice crispies.  After 100 hack […]

  19. […] out took a Benadryl and went to bed early.  I made a midnight snack.  I’ve been making my Carrot Cake Protein Batter since […]

  20. […] got called out on Instagram for eating Carrot Cake Batter every day week.  It’s […]

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