This Cauliflower Crust Pizza recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free, making it the cleanest pizza I’ve found. It’s also delicious! You can actually pick it up with your hands, and it can be frozen for a quick dinner.
…
Maple Zucchini Bread Batter + WIAW
I’m full.
No, not full of shit.
Full of food. Protein. Complex carbs. Veggies. This is a result of my my nutrition plan changes. I mentioned Monday that they were coming. And come they did. I was secretly hoping I’d just get another cheat day. No dice.
The veggies and carbs have increased slightly… and then there’s the protein. It has doubled, and is now required to be from a “real” source (fish, egg, or soy) at a minimum of 3 meals. I’m not there yet, so don’t call me out on this first WIAW. It’s going to take me a little time to ramp up. I’m fast learning that figure competitions are not for the faint of heart. 😉
In summation, this is the bulking edition of What I Ate Wednesday. Tuesday morning was spent at a panel event where I knew I wouldn’t be able to get the foods I need. It was fun to brainstorm some portable meals that could be prepped the night before!
I did keep it seasonal, thanks to a recent rampage of the Farmer’s Market. Check it all out below, then click here to visit Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to see everyone else’s summer eats!
Meal 1:
As usual, I began my day with Fitmixer Aminos mixed with ~2T of apple cider vinegar and water. I won’t bore you with another pic, but trust me when I say this stuff is the bomb. Especially when you have to wake up for a 7am conference. I wish I was making that up.
This week I managed to NOT have PB & Jeggs for once. This week I planned ahead and – knowing I’d need the caffeine for my early morning – made Overnight Mocha Protein Oats. Who needs Starbucks when you have this tastiness?
Mocha Protein Oats:
- 1/3 C rolled oats
- 1/2 C water (or liquid of choice)
- 1/4 C coffee (chilled)
- 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
- 1/4 C unsweetened almond milk
- 1-2 tsp cocoa powder
- 2 tsp chia seeds
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 5-6 drops liquid stevia
Place the oats and liquids in a medium bowl and microwave ~3 mins (some liquid should remain).
Mix in remaining ingredients and place in fridge overnight. In the morning, stir, top with your favorite fruit, and enjoy!
Note: If you prefer your oats warm, you can also pop these in the mirco again in the morning.
Meal 2:
Greek yogurt is a protein-rich staple in my diet. Right now I’m hooked on seasonally appropriate strawberry Greek yogurt.
The fruit flavors in the grocery store have a ton of added sugar, but you don’t have to buy those! I make my own using fresh berries and a touch of Stevia.
To make, simply mash up 1/4-1/2 C of your favorite fruit and mix it into a serving of yogurt. I added a bit of Stevia and cinnamon as well. Topped with pumpkin seeds and eaten with a side of black tea.
This bowl was prepped the night before and frozen. By the time I was ready to eat Meal 2 (at the afore mentioned meeting) it had thawed to an awesome fro-yo consistency.
Meal 3:
This lunch on the go was better than I could have found at a salad bar chain! Once again, I prepped everything the night before. The salmon, Ezekial bread, and edamame were stored in the freezer over night so they were just thawed in time for lunch.
Yes, those are individually packaged Dora the Explorer edamame packets. I swear I tried to find the regular package They were out.
In the tupperware I packed my veggies and arugula, and had a dressing ready in the mini container.
The dressing was a quick mix of olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, lime juice, and cumin.
Beat that, Doc Greens! 😉
Meal 4:
I made it back home for afternoon snack and heated up a few of the Chick-less Nuggets I posed yesterday. They are just as good on day 2!
The dip with this was awesome. I picked up a jar of Marmite and couldn’t wait to use it! It is a strong flavor, so I mixed 1/4 tsp with 1 T of peanut flour, 2 drops of liquid smoke, and 1.5 T of water. I’m forever indebted to Heather for introducing me to this stuff!
Meal 5:
Other bloggers are a HUGE source of inspiration to me. JL posted these tempeh patties 3 weeks ago and my only regret is that I took so long to make them!
I followed her method but increased the nooch to a full tablespoon and added fresh lime juice and thyme. OMG. Next time I’m tripling the recipe and freezing some for later.
Served with spinach socca (basic method here; this time I blended in 1 C spinach), sweet potato, raw asparagus, red pepper, onion, and a chipotle pepper pureed with a pinch of cloves, cinnamon, and teeny bit of water.
Meal 6:
I got called out on Instagram for eating Carrot Cake Batter every day week. It’s addicting!!!
In an effort to be less boring, I decided on a different kind of batter. I must have had Kristina’s french toast on the brain…. because this is what I came up with:
Maple-Zucchini Bread Batter. Words cannot even describe. Sweet with a little depth from maple extract and spice notes from cinnamon, ginger, and a pinch of cloves.
Carrot cake whaaat?
Recipe at bottom.
Meal 7:
I went simple. Apple. Casein pudding. Uncle Sam’s Cereal. Cinnamon. Classic.
Maple Zucchini Bread Batter
- 1/2 medium zucchini, grated
- 1 T vanilla protein powder
- 1/3 C no salt added cottage cheese
- 2 T unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ginger
- pinch cloves
- 1/4 tsp maple extract
- 7-8 drops vanilla liquid stevia
Grate zucchini into a bowl and set aside.
In blender, combine remaining ingredients and blend until nearly smooth.
Add blended mix to the zucchini and stir to combine.
Enjoy!
***
Are you keeping track? I managed 171.9g of protein – pescatarian-style this week.
Have you ever had to pump up your meals to gain muscle/weight?
Do you think I’m nuts on the zucchini batter piece? I swear it’s good!
Indecisive Love
It’s a travel week at work
That means a quiz post is on order. I always do these when I’m short on time, thinking it will be a quick post.
The joke’s on me. These almost take me longer than a regular post because I debate so much over the choices. Indecisiveness prevails.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MORE?(Copied from a bazillion other bloggers.)
1. Strength training or cardio?
Strength training all th way. Which is convenient since I’m going to do a figure competition. 😉
I do hate this machine though:
My Nemesis: Hack Squats
2. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
Brinner! (That’s breakfast for dinner.) I’d eat breakfast for any meal. PB & Jeggs, anyone?
3. Dress up or workout clothes?
Workout clothes. Getting me to wear “real” clothes is like pulling teeth. If you really think about it, it’s pretty stupid that we have to dress uncomfortably to go sit behind a desk all day.
4. Wine or beer?
Hi, have we met? I love wine. I traveled to Italy to drink it. If I could, I’d live on a vineyard. Or in a wine glass.
5. Peanut butter or almond butter?
I love all nut butters. Especially these Nutty Butters. If forces to choose… I’d have to go with my childhood classic: peanut butter. Preferably in the form of a simple, grilled PB & J.
6. Heels or flats?
I’ll get even more specific than that. Flip flops.
Please ignore the ugly feet, but these are a must-have. (Click for source.)
More terrifying than wearing a bikini on stage for my competition is the though of having to walk across that stage in stripper heels.
7. The actual cake or the frosting?
20 years ago (wow… that make me feel old), I would have said icing. Now I’m all about the cake. Unless it’s cream cheese-pecan icing on carrot cake. That required equal parts of both. 🙂
8. Spring, summer, fall, or winter?
Either spring or fall. Maybe a little more fall because I love trips to the mountains to get apples and see the leaves change. But spring is so fresh and full of possibility.
Ohhhh… just remembered that fall also means college football season. FALL. Go Jackets!
9. Real animal or stuffed animal?
Stuffed. I love the idea of a real animal. I’m a cat lover. However, I am terribly selfish.
My boss and I were actually just talking about this and she said I’m centered around self right now. Not self-centered, but focused on accomplishing specific goals. So much so that it’s all I can do to keep my house plant alive. Is that a terrible thing to admit?
10. Bright or light?
Errrrr… black? If you look in my closet, it’s all black. To me, it’s comfy like workout clothes. Black workout clothes, that is. 🙂
Black with accents of gray.
***
I’m in Texas selling (I hope) some work today. I forgot my cowboy hat, but the dude on the plane next to me let me borrow his. (Not really, but he was wearing one.)
Don’t forget: click here to enter my giveaway for a loaf of high protein bread from P28 High Protein Bread – ends tonight at 11:59p!
Are you/have you ever been centered around self?
How about you? Pick a couple and tell me your loves!
Banana Creme Brownie Parfait + WIAW
Bad smells piss me off.
You know when you’re in the gym and someone has offensively bad body odor? That makes me insane.
I think I was that girl. With garlic, not BO. During leg day on Monday with my trainer, he asked what I had eaten that day. I sheepishly had to admit to have excessive garlic. He could smell it on my skin! Is that weird? I’ve never noticed that… have you?
On the flip side, there was a guy in the weight room yesterday morning that smelled really good. I was going to thank him, but I thought maybe that would be creepy.
Speaking of training… no changes in my nutrition plan to report this week. Yet.
While I’ve been obviously gaining muscle, I haven’t actually gained weight.I think we’re increasing carbs a bit, and adding some addition little more fat. I’m excited about the increase in fats – I’ve been craving avocados! I also get to start doing some sprints. Apparently sprinters have nice bums… I have no bum. That asset is an important one in figure competitions. 😉
Lolo may not have earned a medal, but I will admit her body is bootylicious.
I’m going to assume you didn’t come here to talk about BO and butts… let’s move on to the What I Ate Wednesday goodies.
Check out my summertime appropriate eats below, then click here to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to see everyone else’s summer eats!
Meal 1:
This is an old pic; I now use Optimum Nutrition Orange Amino Energy mixed with ~2T of apple cider vinegar and water. Enjoy this first thing, about 30 mins prior to meal one for its benefits related to energy, digestion, and skin. I don’t even drink coffee anymore thanks to this.
I added another treat to my digestive system this week too: Good Belly.
These kind people sent me coupon to try out their probiotic shots. I was pleased to see that there is a no-sugar-added option! The taste was good – fairly neutral actually. Probiotics are known to help keep your body’s bacteria in balance, and help the digestive system. Nothing yet to report on the digestive end (get it? end? tee hee!), but I am a believer in the benefits of probiotics.
Isn’t the smiley face cute?
As I mentioned last week, I’m doing some meal-order-swapping around my workouts. Since I went to the gym early, I swapped meals 1 and 2, meaning I need a fruit and a protein first thing and my post-workout meal would include my carb.
I’m on a PB & Feggs (fruit + eggs) bender. Remember these PB & Jeggs? Or these PB & Aggs? This week it’s PB & Peggs!
I knew it would be good since I liked the others, but I didn’t remember exactly how awesome warm peaches are. I used the now in season donut peaches to make what might be my favorite Feggs creation to date!
PB & Peggs:
- 1/2 C egg whites
- 2 T peanut flour
- 2 T unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 donut peach, cut into ~1/2 in pieces
See this post for detailed instructions.
Meal 2:
Post-workout I felt like a little treat. I’ve had Brittany’s Sweet Potato Pancakes bookmarked for a while, and had just mashed some sweet potatoes. Perfect timing. I followed her recipe closely. My sweet potato mash was about 1/2 C. I used just 1/2 a scoop of protein powder and added 2 tsp of chia seeds. I only needed 1 T of the milk. Oh, and I was verrrry generous with the cinnamon.
For my topping, I mixed equal parts Sunbutter and coconut flour with enough water to form a paste. I also threw on some caramelized bananas, using the same method from my French Elvis Toast.
Meal 3:
This lunch packed some color! I made Lauren’s Beet Burgers earlier in the week… only I got too creative with the recipe and they won’t hold together. They did taste fantastic (especially with the extra garlic I added… sorry again to my trainer)! I used my burger crumbles to top a spinach salad sprinkled with nooch.
My carb and additional protein was a slice of my favorite P28 High Protein Bread with a schemer of artichoke spread sprinkled with red pepper flakes.
Meal 4:
I pride myself in making different meal constantly. Repeats don’t happen often in my kitchen… until recently. I’m absolutely obsessed with the Capella Cake Batter Flavor Drops I shared here last week. This and the Carrot Cake Batter Shake happened at least 2x a week these days. Good thing carrots are so sweet and flavorful this season!
Meal 5:
I was inspired by Heather’s field trip to the Asian market to make my own tofu Tofu Spring Rolls. Heather even sent me this handy tutorial on how to roll them. Seems easy enough…
Apparently I am not as skilled as my broccoli kissing friend because mine didn’t exactly hold together.
At least the sauce was good. It was a simple spicy peanut sauce made from peanut flour, water, lime juice, and sriracha.
Served with a side of quinoa that I tossed in a very small amount of miso tamari, rice vinegar, avocado oil, and red pepper flakes. It was healthy fried rice!
Meal 6:
I happened to see on Pinterest that someone pinned my parsnip fries. It was a great reminder to make them again!
Of course, I couldn’t do it the same way twice. And when I ate this it was 9:30pm, which to me = dessert time.
Cinnamon sticks with a protein frosting dipper. Holy yum. I simply tossed my parsnips in a teeny bit of coconut oil and a ton of cinnamon before roasting. The dip was vanilla protein powder, stevia, a splash of vanilla, and water to mix. I also added a few drops of the Capella Cake Batter Flavor Drops. Easy and OMG good.
Meal 7:
They say that everyone has a twin somewhere. I don’t know about that, but I certainly have a food twin. Meg @ A Dash of Meg and I share the same palate. I’ve made several of her dishes and am always blown away. She is a HUGE source of inspiration not only for healthy eating, but also for pushing harder in the gym.
It was her recipe for a Chocolate Brownie and Raspberry Parfait that inspired this lovely creation that I downed like a fat kid at recess.
This Banana Creme Brownie Parfait rocked my socks off. A couple of my favorite summertime potluck desserts are banana pudding and brownies. This killed two cravings with one stone. As I slowly worked my way through the wine glass (that’s right – I eat wine parfaits), the creme was soaking into the brownies leaving a decadent, spongy, slightly gooey bedtime snack of champions.
Banana Creme Brownie Parfait
For the Brownie:
- 1/4 cup oats
- 1 T pumpkin puree
- 1/4 C egg whites
- 1 T cocoa powder
- 1/2 scoop (1T) Chocolate Rice Protein Powder
- 1/8 tsp baking powder
- 8 drops cocoa liquid stevia
For the Creme:
- 1 C plain greek yogurt
- 1/4 tsp banana extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Bananas
Mix the brownie ingredients in a small bowl. Microwave until just done, ~ 1 min.
Meanwhile, stir together the yogurt ingredients.
To assemble: layer yogurt, brownie pieces, and bananas in a pretty glass (yes, it must be pretty), alternating until you’re out of each.
Enjoy!
***
Are you keeping track? I managed 158.5g of protein – all vegetarian!
Does body odor make you mad?
What is your favorite way to eat eggs? Have you tried the PB & Feggs? Or do you think I’m insane?
Peanut Butter & Jeggs + WIAW
Two things make me euphoric: good food and hard workouts.
Yesterday I was on the receiving end of both. My spreadsheet delivered today!
Breakfast was mind-blowing. Meal 2 is a new go-to protein source. Lunch – although it was inhaled – was delish. Meal 4 wasn’t exciting, but the GNC Vanilla Whey tastes cake batter-ish when mixed with water. Dinner… well, if it was legal to marry pizza I would. Meal 6 was fun and close to being a new staple. Dessert was a new (to me) recipe from one of my fav bloggers.
On the training front, I had a GREAT workout with my trainer. I squatted 1.5x my body weight. That’s a HUGE jump in just over a month of training.
Click for source
During a workout it can be overwhelming to push and go all-in. That’s when you know you’re doing it right – when you are out of your comfort zone and breathing hard (provided you are using a good form and common sense). I hit that point during my 4th drop sets of horizontal leg presses.
I looked up at my trainer and said “I don’t know how I’m going to do this.” Then, with his encouragement, I just kept going.
Click for source
It was HARD, both physically and mentally. I was careful not to say “can’t,” but I won’t say the thought didn’t cross my mind. I shoved it out of my mind, and after the workout was incredibly proud of myself.
Which leads me to the 4th installment of the Fitness-themed What I Ate Wednesday. If you’ve been following, I’m aiming to get ~150g of protein each day as I train for a figure competition (hopefully in NOVEMBER!!!).
In an effort to vary my protein sources, I try not to repeat meals throughout the day (ex: I don’t want to have 7 protein shakes, or 4 servings of scrambled egg whites). Today’s eats included a whopping 5 different sources of protein!
Check out my vegetarian protein-loaded day below; then click here to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to see everyone else’s fitness foods!
Meal 1:
Like I do every morning, I enjoyed a glass of my aminos mixed with ~2T of apple cider vinegar and water. I swear it gives me more energy than a cup of coffee… in fact, I no longer make coffee in the morning.
30 mins later I did enjoy a coffee-laced breakfast parfait:
It was a fabulous as it looks. No joke. Recipe tomorrow because I cannot hold this one in much longer.
Meal 2:
A new go-to: Peanut Butter & Jeggs. I do enjoy savory eggs, but sometimes you just want a PB&J. Meal 2 doesn’t get a carb, and PB&J doesn’t pack 20g of protein (the minimum I need at each meal)… so I got creative.
Egg whites, peanut flour, berries… it’s not as weird as it sounds. Really. Recipe at the bottom.
This might be weird: dose anyone else like the little crunchies left over from scrambles? They’re especially good when they are laced with PB.
Meal 3:
Lunch was wolfed down. I was slammed at work and running out the door for a lunchtime appointment with my trainer for the afore mentioned leg day.
This was a tasty combo… but I spent the drive to the gym wondering if eating all this so close to a workout would make me hurl.
On my plate:
- Thai baked tofu
- Spinach
- Sweet potato
- 3 bean mix
Thankfully, I didn’t vom during my workout.
Meal 4:
This is what eating for fuel looks like:
GNC Whey Vanilla Protein I received as part of this Fitfluential protein powder review, mixed with water to form a “pudding.”
Followed by a giant carrot when I got home.
Meal 5:
I’m still swooning over this meal. It’s one of the best I’ve had in recent memory… and that’s saying a lot.
Cauliflower pizza perfection (recipe here).
Topped with baby bellas, red onion, garlic, red pepper, French sorrel, and purple basil, and drizzled with nooch “sauce” (1 T nutritional yeast + 1 T water) before placing back in the oven for 15 mins.
Once cooked, I topped it with a balsamic reduction, red pepper flakes, and this KASS vegan grated parm (which is actually really good!):
Meal 6:
After being corrected by Coach last week (seriously… he busted me in the comments section), I did NOT skip meal 6. This is a new creation… one I’m still working on. As soon as it’s 100% I’ll share. 🙂
No coach, these aren’t protein macaroons.
Served with celery sticks and “honey” mustard. I say “honey” because it’s just Dijon with a drop of lemon Stevia.
I read this one someone’s blog but now I can’t remember where… please claim it if it’s your idea. Sorry!
Meal 7:
Dessert was this Blueberry Protein Microwave Cake I’ve had bookmarked from my friend Sarena @ The Non-Dairy Queen.
Just a couple of modifications: I left out the oats, reduced the egg whites to 1/4 C, and used just 1/8 tsp of baking soda. I added 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and used lemon stevia in the coconut “frosting.” Mine only needed 4 mins in the microwave.
It was friggin’ fantastic.
Peanut Butter & Jeggs
- 1/2 C egg whites
- 2 T peanut flour
- 2 T water
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 5-6 drops liquid stevia
- 1/2 C berries
In a greased pan on med heat, scramble egg whites until 3/4 done (still a bit runny, ~2-3 mins).
Meanwhile, mix together peanut flour, water, cinnamon, and stevia to form your peanut butter (note: you could always use 2 T of your favorite nut butter here).
Add peanut butter and fruit to the eggs. Scramble together and allow egg whites to complete cooking (~1-2 mins).
Plate and enjoy!
Serves 1.
***
This day of eats was entirely vegetarian, and I managed 156g of protein. And it included 2 of the best meals ever. OMG.
Have you made a cauliflower pizza?
Any guesses about what meal 6 is?
Blueberry Protein Tart + WIAW
Happy 4th of July!
I wasn’t going to post today, but how could I miss my favorite day of the week – Jenn’s What I Ate Wednesday.
Last week I talked a lot about the nutrition plan I’m on to achieve my new fitness goal (competing in a figure competition). I’m still packing in the protein and keeping it (mostly) vegetarian. I’m struggling to find a wider variety of protein sources.
One thing I noticed last week was that my skin is breaking out from the increase in dairy. Greek yogurt and cottage cheese had become protein-staples. I’m aiming to just cut back a bit this week, limiting it to 1-2 servings of dairy per day, to see if that helps.
Jenn’s What I Ate Wednesday theme for July is of “Food, Fun, and Fitness.” Girl reads my mind with these themes!
Check out my protein-filled fuel below; then click here to the WIAW round-up on Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to see everyone else’s fitness treats!
Meal 1:
Last week I talked about how I’m now eating 7 meals a day. Meal 1 occurred yesterday at 8am. Knowing I had an appointment with my trainer later, I focused on getting as much energy as possible from my morning eats.
Workout energy can be quite tasty!
This is a Blueberry Protein Tart. I ate it for breakfast, but it would make one helluva dessert too!
The inspiration for this creation was Tessa’s own creation. I am not allowed the peanut butter she added, and I needed to reduce the size because when you eat 7 meals a day they need to be a tad smaller (yet still protein rich – that’s a whole other challenge).
Despite the omission of peanut butter, my crust was fantastically chewy and fudgey. And the “cream filling” was just perfect. If you haven’t invested in peanut flour, you should do so ASAP. I’m not kidding.
Recipe at the bottom of this post.
Meal 2:
This was my pre-workout meal. In effort to limit the dairy, I made a massive tomato and egg white scramble with basil and a drizzle of balsamic. I’m also allowed 1 T of sunflower seeds, which I sprinkled on top of the mix.
Meal 3:
This meal is like lunch. Since it was also my post-workout meal, a protein smoothie was in order. I have to eat immediately after my workout to build muscle, so portability is key. I also packed cereal for some carbs to top my smoothie and a water mixed with Amino Energy to drink during and after the workout for energy and recovery.
This is one of my new favorite smoothies. Carrot Cake. I’ve tried it before, but I think this particular combo is the winner. A couple more trials and I’ll post the recipe.
It did get the thumbs up from both trainers who sampled it.
Meal 4:
This is like an afternoon snack. That means I can have a protein source (25g) and a 3/4 C serving of veggies. Hmmmm… a protein-packed nori roll? Is that possible?
Yes, yes it is. I mixed a scoop of protein powder and ~1 tsp of wasabi with water to form a paste.
I slathered my nori rolls with it and filled them with sprouts, beets, raw asparagus, and raw cauliflower. Not too shabby for a snack on the fly!
Meal 5:
Usually I have some sort of dinner in mind, but today I was drawing a blank on where my dinner protein would come from. My protein ended up being partially in the form of beans, and some of the secret was in the sauce.
Note: I know several will comment that I should eat more to beans, quinoa, and lentils for vegetarian/vegan protein sources. The problem with that is that they count as carbs. I am limited to 3/4 C of carbs at meals 1, 3, and 5. 3/4 a cup of beans is about 12g of protein. That leaves 8-13g protein I’d still need for that meal!
For this protein-rich salad, I combined 1/2 cup of fava beans and cannellini beans with 3 oz Greek yogurt, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and lavar flakes. Then I tossed it all with beets, sprouts, green pepper, and onion. Topped with 1/4 C edamame, basil, more nooch, and red pepper flakes.
Sort of like a bean-based chicken salad. Sort of.
Meal 6:
By this time of day I am sick of eating. That’s something I never thought I’d say! Meal 6 was a quick scramble of soy-based ground “beef,” egg whites, and zucchini topped with nooch and radish.
Meal 7:
Last meal. This – I am told – is my “dessert.” I’ve pulled some good ones, but tonight I was just proud of myself for getting in the 7th meal. Typically I’m too stuffed by meal 6 to get anything else in mah belly.
1/2 banana covered in Greek yogurt and frozen with bowl of peanut butter protein pudding (protein powder, peanut flour, almond milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon).
Blueberry Protein Tart
For the Crust:
- 1/4 C cereal
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 T vanilla protein powder
- 1 tsp chia seeds
- 2 T unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or liquid of choice)
- 5-6 drops vanilla liquid stevia (or your favorite sweetener)
For the Cream:
- 3 oz (1/2 container) Greek yogurt
- 1 T peanut flour
- 5-6 drops vanilla liquid stevia
For the Crust:
Place your favorite cereal in a blender and mix until it’s dust. Pour into a small bowl and stir in cinnamon, protein powder, and chia seeds. Stir in stevia and milk. (Note: You may have to adjust liquid amounts depending on the powder and cereal you use.) It should form a sticky ball.
Spread the crust mixture evenly across a small plate (~1/4 in thick). Refrigerate over night, or at least 20 mins.
For the Cream:
In a small bowl combine yogurt, peanut flour (you could sub more protein powder here), and stevia.
Spread evenly atop your crust.
Top with the fruit of your choice and enjoy!
Makes 1 serving.
Approximate nutritionals (without toppings; can vary widely depending on cereal, powder, and yogurt used): 219 calories, 6.9g fat, 22.4g carbohydrates, 6.8g fiber, 4.3g sugar, 23.6g protein
***
In case you’re curious, I managed 154.5 g of protein with these eats. BAM.
How do you refuel post-workout?
What is your favorite 4th of July dish?
A Protein-Filled Wednesday + a Snack Giveaway!
Snacking is the new name of the game for me.
Yesterday I revealed my new fitness goal to you all – to compete in a figure competition. This means HUGE change in my plant-based diet. Now I have to focus more on protein than plants, and I’m eating constantly… but my goal is to to keep to a vegetarian protein diet.
The Basic Plan:
- 7 “meals” per day (I eat every 2 hours)
- 20-25g of protein at each meal
- 120 oz of water daily
- 1 serving of fruit for the first 2 meals, and at meal 7 (“dessert”)
- 1 serving of veggies for meals 3-6
- 1/2 C carbs at meal 1, 3, 5, and 7 (beans, lentils, and sweet potatoes count as carbs)
- Limited fats – flax at meal 1, nuts at meal 2, olive oil at meals 3 and 5
The good parts: no calorie counting or macro tracking; I get a cheat day once a week; I already love protein shakes
The hard parts: only eating 1 serving of veggies at a time is hard; eating that much protein on a veg diet is REALLY hard; eating all the time sounds fun at first, but I am really never hungry (except for when I wake up); eating every two hours take a ton of planning; all of that water has me running to the bathroom every 30 mins.
Jenn’s What I Ate Wednesday theme of “Sensible Snacking” this month is just perfect for my new plan. I am snacking all day!
Check out a day in the food life of a wanna-be figure competitor; then click here to hop on to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to see everyone else’s day of eats!
Meal 1:
Janetha hipped me to the fact that I was appropriately celebrating National Chocolate Pudding Day at breakfast
I made a chocolate-peanut butter protein pudding/spread to top my Ezekial bread. This was accompanied by 1/2 cup of cherries (good for inflammation/muscle recovery).
Chocolate-Peanut Butter Pudding:
- 1 T GNC Soy chocolate protein powder (check out the review here)
- 1 T peanut flour
- 1 T ground flax seed
- 2 T unsweetened almond milk
- 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
Meal 2:
It’s blueberry season! They are so sweet right now, making of an especially tasty shake… even if it did splash on my brand-new white shirt. Note to self: don’t drink smoothies and drive.
Blueberry-Ginger Smoothie
- 1 scoop Vega vanilla protein powder (see review here)
- 1/2 C blueberries
- 1 in piece of fresh ginger
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 C spinach (I “cheated” and added veggies… I can’t help myself!)
- 1 T sunflower seeds
- Ice + water, to taste
Meal 3:
Leftovers! Some of you may have seen the vegan quiche I posted on Instagram. With a chickpea flour base, this high-protein dish made 6 slices which I will be bringing for lunch all week. I enjoyed it with a side of sprouts. For those that asked, I promise the recipe will come tomorrow!
While the quiche is high-protein, it’s not quite high enough. No worries – it gave me an opportunity to have dessert with my meal. A little sweet and a little savory, I loved this cardamom-laced treat!
Cardamom-Cinnamon Cottage Cheese Mix
- 1/2 C cottage cheese
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp cardamom
- 4-5 drops NuNaturals orange liquid stevia
- 1 T unsweetened So Delicious coconut milk
Meal 4:
Here is where it gets hard to keep eating. At this point I’ve downed 60g of protein and I’m feeling satisfied. However, I’m not even half way through my daily meals!
Remember this seitan chorizo I made a couple of months ago? I froze what I couldn’t eat for future uses. I’m beyond happy I did that! It gave me the protein I needed for the meal, re-heating well and retaining its flavor and moisture. It was fantastic with the last of my Ultimate Veggie Trail Mix.
Meal 5:
I had an appointment with my trainer at 8p (more legs – OMG), so I wanted my dinner-time meal to be easy to digest. That can only mean on thing. Liquid Sweet Potato Pie-Shake. Meal 5 requires veggies, carbs, and protein.
Since sweet potatoes count as a carb, I ate a side of celery sticks as well.
Meal 6:
This also served as my post-workout recovery meal. It was also my favorite meal of the day! This rendition of overnight (over-day?) oats was cool and refreshing after a excruciating really hard workout. If you’re from Georgia, you know it doesn’t get any better than peaches and cream this time of year.
Creamy Peach-Ginger Overnight Protein Oats
- 1 peach, mashed
- 1 scoop GNC Whey vanilla protein powder (see review here)
- 1/3 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1/4 cup raw oats
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 4-5 drops vanilla liquid stevia
Stir it all together and allow to chill for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
Meal 7:
I cheated. I ate meal 7 as meal 6 (fruit, carbs, and protein). Truth be told, I’m having a really hard time working in 7 meals. I am hitting the protein goal of 150 grams, so I’m not going to worry about it until I’m told otherwise. 🙂
Now for the part you really wanted to hear about – the giveaway!
I was contacted by Special K just before heading to Chile with an opportunity to try their new granola bar. I don’t eat a lot of processed foods/bars, but I was intrigued by their new concept. They sent me the samples just in time for me to pack these up as a tasty plane snack.
Of course, I shared with my concierge, Kim, who was in love with the sweet treats. She couldn’t believe that the bars are just 110 calories and contain only 7g of sugar. Perfect for sating your mid-afternoon sweet tooth. They also deliver 4g of fiber and 4g of protein.
My favorite part? The Special K Granola Bars come in my favorite flavors – Dark Chocolate and Chocolatey Peanut Butter. The chocolate-peanut butter will rock your socks off.
Yes, they are processed and they have more than 5 ingredients. If you’re that isn’t a problem for you, you will be really happy with these bars. They have a great crunch and won’t leave you feeling weighed down.
The lovely people at Special K have offered to let one reader try a box of each flavor. Here’s how to enter to win:
- Follow me on Twitter or Subscribe to the Sprint 2 the Table RSS feed or email
- Tweet: You could say something like: I’ve entered to win 2 boxes of @SpecialKUS granola bars at @sprint2thetable http://wp.me/p16jDn-1po #giveaway
- Be Social: Twitter Follow Special K, Pinterest Follow Me and/or Pin Something of Mine, Instagram Follow Me
- Comment: What is your favorite sweet tooth satisfier?
Please leave a *separate comment* for each entry!
Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Monday, July 2nd. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, July 3rd.
***
And again with the sore legs/glutes. Thank god the counter is close enough to my toilet to provide support for lowering down.
Do you prefer to eat 3 solid meals, or snack throughout the day?
What is your favorite protein-rich meal?
A New Challenge + Protein Powder Review
A new fitness goal has been set.
The magazines I tend to read are full of health and fitness advice. One such mag is Muscle & Fitness Hers. they feature some great workouts, but my favorite parts are always about the figure competitors. The ladies in those competitions blow me away – they are smaller and less and vascular than bodybuilders, but have a physically fit/well-balanced physique. Getting to that level of health has long been a dream for me.
Last week I took action to reach that goal. I joined and gym and hired a trainer to help ready me for a competition. 8 days (and a chunk of money) later, I’m on my way with a custom workout schedule, a diet plan, and a whole lot of support and encouragement.
I’d met with trainers before, but after talking to this gym I knew it was the perfect fit. Despite the fact that it’s 30 miles away. House of Payne is a serious gym – none of the “see and be seen” BS. They offer everything I need from training to posing classes!
My first workout with the trainer was legs and butt last Monday. I wasn’t able to lower myself to the toilet without a firm grasp on the counter until Friday. Good workout, no?
One of the most challenging things about training is the food. In addition to not being allowed booze (*whimper*), I am aiming to get 150g of protein a day over the course of 7 meals (basically, I eat ALL the time). I have to gain weight and some serious muscle! This is especially difficult on a vegetarian diet – it involves a ton of Greek yogurt, egg whites, cottage cheese, beans, tofu, and tempeh. The heavy rotation of dairy, beans, and soy gets old, so look forward to a couple of protein powder creations each day.
Which brings me to the next topic – the loot I returned home to after the Chile trip!
I thought it was Christmas in July… errr… June
I was given the opportunity to sample and review a variety of GNC and Vega protein products through Fitfluential! If you’ve been reading my blog, you know that I have always been a stickler for getting my post-workout 20g protein in to build muscle and aid in recovery. Protein shakes are a great way to do that – especially if you find it hard to eat solid foods after a hard workout (like me).
Below is the line up of powders I received, pics and some quick thoughts. I made them ALL into green smoothies with spinach and banana for 2 reasons.
- 80% of the time I ingest my protein powder in green smoothie-form, and
- I wanted to “test” them all with the same base (fair and balanced!)
The Smoothie Base Recipe:
- 1 scoop protein powder
- 1 C spinach
- 1/2 large Banana
- 1/2 in piece fresh ginger
- 1 tsp cinnamon (or 1 4-5 inch cinnamon stick)
- 1/4 C unsweetened almond milk
- 7-8 drops vanilla liquid stevia
- Ice
1. GNC Casein – Vanilla flavor:
Slow digesting, making it perfect between meals or before bed for overnight muscle repair.
I am a big fan of casein; however, this one is a bit gummy/slimy. I even tried the smoothie sans spinach to see if it would help the texture. Notsomuch. The flavor is great, and I do think having it in a smoothie at night contributed to my being able to getting out of bed in the morning.
2. GNC Egg – Chocolate flavor:
Great for breakfast, and for the lactose intolerant; consume just before or after workouts.
This one is a favorite. I’d never tried an egg protein powder before, and I really expected it to be slimy too. Quite the opposite! Great texture and a natural-tasting chocolate flavor.
3. GNC Whey – Vanilla flavor:
Fast absorbing; consume just before or after workouts.
This one also has a great texture when blended in a smoothie. You can tell it’s a “protein powder vanilla” flavor. I’m totally used to it, but if you’re new to powder it can take some adjusting. Add a cap of vanilla or almond extract and it will be just fine. I also tried it mixed with water just for fun… and remembered why I always make smoothies.
4. GNC Soy – Chocolate flavor:
A plant-based protein; good pre-or post-workout, or as a snack throughout the day.
I’m a sucker for chocolate. This made an awesome midnight snack while I laid on the couch lamenting my sore glutes.
5. Vega – Vanilla flavor:
Another plant-based protein; within 30-90 minutes of working out, or to recharge/repair.
This was my #1 vanilla-flavored pick. The plant-based powders tends to taste a bit more natural to me. I had tried Vega a couple of years ago and didn’t care for it – their new formula is awesome though! Perfect texture and just the right amount of vanilla flavor. One warning – if you are sensitive to salt, it is a bit on the salty side.
These products were sent to me for review purposes. All opinions are my own. Like I could ever keep them to myself.
Thank you again to GNC, Vega and Fitfluential for the opportunity!
***
20-25g pf protein per meal is hard… but I already notice a difference! Now I just need a sponsor… anyone? 😉
Have you ever tried to amp up the protein on a veggie diet? Any new ideas are welcome and appreciated!
What is your favorite protein powder?
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