Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Cups

 

 

Makes ~12 Large Cups

Ingredients: 

 

1 cup PB powder, I used PB Fit

6 tbs of milk, separated I used almond milk 

2 scoop vanilla protein powder

2 tbs coconut oil 

1 1/2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips 

Directions: 

  

Line muffin tin with liners. I highly recommend silicone liners. 

 

Filling

1. Mix PB powder and protein powder in a bowl. 
2. Add in 1-2 tbs at a time of milk and mix thoroughly. Repeat until mixture becomes sticky/tacky. If you can grab it and roll it into a ball, you've added enough liquid. Over doing liquid is o.k., it will just be more messy creating the cups but equally as delicious.
   

Chocolate Coating

1. Add chocolate chips and coconut oil to a bowl and melt in a microwave, 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between. You can also melt over a stove top using the double broiler method. 
2.  Scoop 1 tbs melted chocolate into each muffin space and freeze 10 min. 
3.  While they are freezing roll PB/protein mixture into ping-pong sized balls.--a little more than a tablespoon.
   
4. When frozen, place PB/protein ball filling on top of frozen chocolate. Gently press on the ball and spread evenly over the bottom chocolate layer. I found dipping my finger in a little water helped do this easily.
5. Scoop 1 tbs on top of filling and ensure it is covering all of it. 
6. Freeze for at least 20 min. 
7. Pop them out of the mold and store in the fridge or freezer. 

Enjoy!

Nutritional Info:

*Subject to change based on ingredients used. 

 

Using nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips

219 cals * 20 g carbs * 4 g fiber * 10 g fat * 11 g protein

 

Using Lily's semi-sweet chocolate chips 

144 cals * 13 carbs * 11.4 g fiber *8.6 g fat * 10 g protein

Blueberry Protein Muffins

I am obviously on a protein muffin kick.

Pumpkin Protein Muffins, Banana Nut Protein Muffins, Cinnamon Swirl Protein Bars (which can be be made into muffins) and now these: Blueberry Protein muffins.

And why not? They are so easy to make and delicious.

Ingredients:
Makes 12 muffins
2 cups oat flour
2 scoops protein powder
1 egg or ~6tbs egg whites
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup baking truvia
1sp baking soda
1tsp baking powder
1 tbs lemon juice
3/4 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen ( I used frozen)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray and set aside.
Mix oat flour, protein powder, baking soda, baking powder, and truvia in a large bowl.
In another bowl mix together, egg whites (or egg), plain greek yogurt, applesauce, and lemon juice.
Slowly fold in the liquid mixture into the dry until well combined.
Toss blueberries in a little flour and gently fold into dough.
scoop ~1/4 cup mixture into into each holder in the muffin tin.

Bake for 18-20 min until tops are a golden brown.
Let cool for 10-15 min.

Enjoy!

They freeze really  well :)

Nutritional Information

Serving Size: 1 muffin

111 cals * 21 carbs * 2g Fat * 8g Protein *

Clean High Protein Packed Meals Part 2!

Hi Again Friends, 

Here is another list of quick, clean eating, high protein meals. I love each of these recipes because they are so simple and easily adaptable. Feel free to adjust to your own tastes. 

More to come!

T.urkey B.acon A.vocado Salad                    Directions: Layer all
6 oz turkey breast                                          ingredients together. Enjoy
2 slices of bacon
1/2 avo, sliced
2 cup romaine lettuce
4 grape tomatoes, chopped
338 cals * 11 cabs* 19g fat *33g protein* 7g fiber







Cranberry Oat Protein Bars                 Directions: Blend all ingredients
1 3/4 cup old fashioned oats                    together. Press into a parchment lined
1 scoop protein powder of choice           7x11 pan. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
1 cup of dried cranberries                        Cut into 8 bars. Enjoy.
1/2 cup PB2 Powder                                Keep refrigerated.
4tbs flax seed
1/2 cup greek yogurt, plain
per bar 154 cals * 25 carbs *3g fat *9g protein * 4g fiber






Quinoa Turkey Healthy Stir Fry       Directions: In a medium
1/4 cup quinoa, cooked                        skillet, on medium high heat
4 oz turkey breast, diced                      quickly scramble egg whites.
1/2 cup sugar snap peas                       Add in the rest of the ingred.
3tbs egg whites                                    and stir together until heated
1 medium carrot, chopped                  through. Enjoy.
2tsp garlic powder
1tbs soy sauce
358 cals *47 carbs* 3g fat * 38g protein * 6g fiber



PB2 Chocolate Chip Protein Cake        Directions: In a microwavable mug,
3 tbs egg whites                                    thoroughly mix all ingredients together.
1/4 cup oats (ground)                            Microwave for about 1min 20 sec, until
1 truvia packet                                      cake is cooked through. Eat out of the
1 tsp brown sugar                                  mug or plate it and enjoy!
1/2 tsp vanilla
1  tbs pb2
1 tbs semi-sweet chips
*banana optional *1/2 scoop protein powder of choice optional
210 cal *34 carbs * 6g fat *12g protein* 3g fiber w/o protein powder
265 cal *35 carbs* 7g fat * 24g protein* 3g fiber w/ protein powder

Interested in more? Find the first list {Here}

All nutritional information provided is for reference purposes only. 

Nutritional value may very based on the ingredients used.

Protein Cinnamon Swirl Bars

I love Jamie Eason recipes. 

They are made with simple natural ingredients, 

very adaptable to your personal taste, and of course, delicious. 

These bars are one of them. 

This is truly a dish one may easily devour half of without even thinking.

 Be warned. 

These bars are a perfect after treat to enjoy with some coffee or tea.

These will also make your house smell like cinnamon bliss. 

Not a bad thing at all. 

I did adapt the recipe to the ingredients I had on hand, (you can find the original recipe here), and these are definitely something I plan to keep stocked in my freezer when in need of a sweet treat.

Ingredients:
Swirl mixture: 
 1/4  cup truvia ( or 1/4 cup sugar or sugar sweetener of choice)
 2 tsp cinnamon
Batter
1 1/2 cups oat flour
2 scoops protein powder ( I used this one)
1 tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6-7pks truvia  ( 1/4 cup sugar or sugar sweetener of choice)
2 egg whites
1 cup almond milk
1/3 cup applesauce, unsweetened.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray and 8x8 baking dish with non-stick spray.
Mix ingredients for swirl mixture together and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients first, then fold in the wet until  all the ingredients are blended well together.

Pour approx. 1/4 batter into the prepared baking dish.
Lightly coat that layer with 1/2 the swirl mixture.
Then pour the rest of the batter mixture on top of that,
and then rest of the swirl mixture on top of that layer.

Gently poke a knife into the poured layers and draw swirls throughout it, creating a marble affect.

Bake for 25-30 min, until a knife comes out clean.
*About 20 min in, I covered the dish with some aluminum foil to keep the top  from burning.

Let cool for 10 min,

ENJOY!

High Protein Black Bean Burgers

Want more protein in your daily diet without the meat?

These black burgers are for you!

Now normal black bean burgers, like these ones I've posted about before, do have protein AND are a great substitute for a meatless meal;  However, if you're like me and weight lift, you often need more than just 4-5grams; you need something in the teens and beyond.

Done.

These Burgers have 14g of protein thanks to protein powder.

These burgers were truly an experiment, but I'm glad I gave it try, because they are delicious!

I usually have three types of protein powder on hand: Whey French Vanilla Creme, Whey Mocha Cappuccino, and Chocolate Supreme Casein. I usually drink the Mocha Cappuccino powder with some almond milk, and I usually make some kind or dessert with the casein, but I generally reserve The French Vanilla Creme Whey just for baking purposes. It bakes really well and, of course, adds more protein! But as you can imagine, it is on the sweet side, but it was my best option out of three so threw it in.

I admit, I was worried my burgers would come out sweet, but I added in a little sirracha and that sweetness from the powder was masked up real quick.

Bonus:  these burgers are so easy to make.
Make some!

Ingredients:
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 scoop your preferred protein powder, (I used French Vanilla Creme)  
2 tbs your favorite salsa
3 cherry tomatoes
1 1/2 tbs garlic, minced (~3 cloves)
3 tbs cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper
1/4 cup egg whites
1 tbs sirracha

Directions:
Smash black bean in a bowl.
Quick blend everything else in a blender/food processor-- Chunky is okay!
Blend black beans and blended ingredients in a bowl--it will be liquid-y.
Scoop out ~1/4 cup mixture and pour onto a parchment lined baking sheet into a patty form.
Repeat with the remaining of the mixture.
Freeze for 2 hours until patties are frozen solid. Remove from sheet and store in a freezer safe container or bag.

To cook:

Slightly oil a small skillet and cook frozen patty 5-7min on each side.

Enjoy!

Nutritional Information: 

~1 Patty

136 cal * 22 carbs* 1g fat *14g protein* 5g fiber 

Protein Banana Nut Muffins

I truly enjoy finding ways to make some of my favorite treats, that I can only enjoy on occasion, something healthy that I can enjoy everyday.

Banana bread is one of those.

When I was growing up, my mom used to make the best banana bread. It was so moist, decadent, and sweet, and usually was gone by the end of the day.

 Now, that goodness comes with a price: fat from the butter and the sweetness from the sugar. So the stop sign went up until I found a way to make it healthier without compromising the taste.

With this recipe, I believe I've done just that.
These muffins are moist, sweet, and you guessed it, healthy!
High in protein and low in carbs.
Can't get much better than that.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Ingredients:
2 cups oat flour
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
2 small bananas, very ripe
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
3 tbs brown sugar
 3-4 large egg whites (~9tbs)
 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions: 
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Mix flour, protein powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Mix applesauce, bananas, egg whites, brown sugar, and vanilla in a smaller bowl. Mix wet ingredients into dry until thoroughly mixed. Mix in chopped walnuts.
Evenly distribute mix into greased muffin tin and bake for 18 min or until a tops are a nice golden brown.
 Let cool for 10 min.
Enjoy!
These freeze well too!

 Nutritional Info 

1 muffin

76 Cal * 11 carbs  * 2g Fat * 5g protein * 2g fiber

Protein Pumpkin Muffins

Yes it's the start of fall so of course I am going to post something with pumpkin in it.

However, I've been making these for the past few months and it just dawned on me that I have yet to blog about these amazing muffins that I devour weekly.

Pumpkin has ~Vitamin A 2650 IU that, my friends, is a A LOT of Vitamin A.
Why does this matter?
Well because Vitamin A has a multitude of health benefits for the body including, eye health, skin health, teeth and bone health, and is made from the powerful antioxidant beta-carotene which in current studies has helped fight cancer.

So eat up my friends.

Oh did I mention each muffin is ~64 calories, 8 carbs, 4g protein, and 2g fiber? Yup.


Enjoy.

Makes ~18 muffins
Ingredients
1 15oz can of pumpkin
2 cups oat flour
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
3-4 large egg whites (~9tbs)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder

*Optional: a handful chopped walnuts


Directions:
Preheat oven 350 F. 
Mix everything in a large bowl.
Scoop about 1/4 cup into each muffin tin compartment.

Bake for 15-18 min, until toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy!

p.s. Serving size is ~3 muffins.

LiveFit The FINAL RESULTS(week 9-12 combined)

sorry this is sooo late..... but I'm

Done.

Yup. 12 weeks. Finished.

I am so proud of myself. It was not easy, but it was fun. Honestly, this was such a life changing experience. I worked my butt, arms, and stomach off and I feel fantastic.

I feel smaller all around the numbers show success.

The last three weeks were the hardest mostly because you had to pay the most attention to your diet and push hard every day to ensure results. I had to switch things up a bit because my schedule got very crazy. It turned out that I worked out 3-4x a week (Weds-Sunday) and I managed to get the 7 days worth of exercise in by doubling up on certain days.

I slacked a bit on the cardio, I really tried to do every one, but I seriously only had about an hour a day and the weight lifting itself takes a lot of time if you are going to do it right.

I did however, learn to love HIIT--High Intense Interval Training for the cardio.

Me right after a HIIT workout. 

Sweat and all!

Sprinting 30 sec at a 2.5 incline at an 8.0 speed then 30 sec rest, repeat for 30 min.
I felt like a beast, and doubled my calorie burn in less time. Whoot!

The diet for the final phase changed dramatically. We started carb cycling. I would usually go Sunday-Tuesday low car, High carb wednesday, and the last week high carb Saturday. The interesting part was that you kept the same calorie intake for each high or low day. So I found low carb higher calorie foods for low days: such as nuts, cottage cheese, string cheese etc; and then switched to low calorie high carb foods such as oatmeal, apples, bananas, soup etc. It was fun but repetitive.


The weight lifting also switched gears. Instead of focusing on pushing yourself to high weight you lowered you weights and pushed yourself to more more reps. That was hard. You really had to concentrate on form because even though you were using less weight your were doubling or tripling the amount of time you lifted it. Ouch.

Overall, I am ecstatic with my results. I feel wonderful, my body looks fitter, and best of all I feel stronger!

My Numeric Results:

          Before:                                                       After:

• Weight                 139lbs                                                  140lb
• Body fat:            24%                                                    21%
• Chest:                   34 in                                                    35.5in
• Arms                    11.3 in                                                 12.5in
• Hips                    36.50 in                                               34in
• Waist                  33.50 in                                               31in
• Thighes                 22in                                                     22.4in
• Calves:                 15 in                                                    14.5in
• Forearms:       8 in                                                      9in
• Shoulders:          40.5 in                                                 42.4in

 

          What's next?

More weightlifting and more HIIT!
I think I'll be on the look out for  another program ( I like striving for a goal, keeps me motivated), but until then I might just use the workouts from phase 2 and 3. They are just so great and versatile. I think I'll do carb cycling often but not every week.

I hope that my journey helps you find your way through yours and know that you are not alone. It's never ending but we can all do it together! On to the next thing!

 

Wanna See my whole journey through LiveFit? 

CLICK HERE

and scroll down! 

The Rough Edges of Life 9/9/12

            Recently I have been in a really weird stage in my weight loss/healthy living journey. I was on such a fast paced, highly motivated edge when I was in college and getting ready for my wedding! I reached my goal weight and learned a LOT of wonderful things and was even able to help some friends along the way!

             However, now I am married (pretty awesome, I know) and living in an entirely different part of the country (the middle of it to be exact), with a full time job (yeah benefits), and trying to balance workouts and meal planning (please give me some slack, I'm really new at this).

            So what I've done thus far is workout at home,(where I live it's not too safe to run on my own and the safe places requiring driving to and I'd rather save the money for other things...like INGREDIENTS for AWESOME recipes!), do every gym trial possible in my area (I chose the YMCA, yup. They have great classes and a money saving membership for lower income--ME!), and now attempt a 60 min workout almost everyday after work!

           Now, I am trying to eat healthy while feeding another who doesn't need to watch his weight (He's just a healthy guy...no really, he's mindful of what he eats unlike many-a-men who eat whatever/whenever...it will catch up to them, just wait) and maintain the weight loss--maybe lose a little more :) a healthy, MANAGEABLE way.

Next thing up, I think I am going to try out protein powder. I think I will start out with Nature's Bounty Protein and see how it work outs. Why? you might ask. Because I've been reading some pretty convincing articles about woman and the lack of protein in their diets (especially woman who want to loose body fat) because of the false conception that its bad calories and unnecessary. (If you're in the non-eating meat family, they have soy and plant protein...yeah....but for me, the Meatatarian, I will stick the whey--milk-based--stuff ).

I plan to vamp up my workouts by adding more weights (already started by doing the Summer Abs Challenge and the Summer Arms Challenge...MAN THEY ARE SHOWING SOME RESULTS as I start week 3!) and of course pumping up the cardio! 

I'll let you know how it goes. 

Got questions? Just ask!

~Felisha