Pumpkin Peanut Butter Protein Cookies

Winter may be around the corner, but I'm trying to hang on to fall for as long as a can! In my opinion, the combination of pumpkin, cinnamon, and peanut butter makes for the ultimate taste of fall. Most pumpkin-flavored treats are unhealthy and calorie-rich, but this healthy recipe allows you to enjoy your "all pumpkin everything" diet without the guilt. Made with whey protein powder, these pumpkin peanut butter cookies are great for a quick breakfast or afternoon snack.

Ingredients:
-1.5 scoops peanut butter whey protein powder (or vanilla) -- I used Cellucor Peanut Butter Marshmallow
-1/3 cup baking stevia, coconut sugar, or other granulated sweetener (I used a combo of both)
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1/2 tablespoon pumpkin spice
-1 teaspoon cinnamon
-pinch of Himalayan pink salt
-2/3 cup pumpkin puree
-1/2 cup peanut butter or almond butter
-1 egg, beaten
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (optional but highly recommended!)

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium-sized bowl, mix all dry ingredients except for the chocolate chips. In a separate bowl, mix all wet ingredients until smooth. Add half the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined, and then mix in the rest of the dry ingredients. Fold in the chocolate chips. Scoop the batter using a cookie scoop or drop using a tablespoon onto the baking sheets. Bake for 14-16 minutes. Let cool and enjoy! The recipe should make about 18 cookies.

Pumpkin Protein Donuts

I whipped up some pumpkin donuts for dessert tonight and to have for a quick breakfast tomorrow because I have to be into work at 6:30AM! Not exactly the most ideal way to start off Christmas Eve, but I only have 2 more days of working at GNC so I'm trying to make the best of it. These are a perfect way to start off the morning. Unlike regular donuts, they're high in protein, gluten-free, grain-free, and no refined sugar. I had 3 for dessert tonight and I'll probably have the other 3 in the morning. I'll take these donuts over one 300-calorie donut from Dunkin any day!

Ingredients:

-3/4 cup pumpkin puree

-1 scoop vanilla protein powder (cinnamon flavored would be good too)

-2 tbsp almond flour

-1/4 cup egg whites

-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

-1/2 tsp maple extract

-1/2 tsp baking powder

-1/4 tsp baking soda

-1/2 tsp cinnamon

-1 tsp pumpkin spice

-stevia to taste (I used 3 tbsp baking stevia--I prefer sweeter baked goods)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Mix dry ingredients in one bowl, and wet ingredients in another. Then combine wet into dry. Spray a donut pan with non-stick spray and pour the batter into each donut well, making 6 donuts. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before transferring them out of the pan. 

These could also be made into muffins, but they would just need to bake longer. I topped a few of mine with maple glaze (mixture of sugar-free maple syrup and coconut flour), and they also taste delicious with peanut butter, greek yogurt, or as is!

Nutrition Information (for 1 out of 6 donuts): 54 calories, 1.5g fat, 3g carbs, 1 g fiber, 7g protein

Chocolate Chip Proatmeal Cookies

I had a few bananas that were about to go rotten but it wasn't enough to make banana bread, so I made oatmeal cookies instead! The best part about these is that you don't need to add sugar, stevia, honey, or any other sweetener because the bananas make them sweet enough. They have a combination of protein, healthy fats, and good carbohydrates that make for a great on-the-go breakfast or quick snack.

Ingredients:
-3/4 cup quick oats
-3 ripe mini bananas, or ~1 medium sized, mashed
-1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
-2-3 tbsp any nut butter (I used You Fresh Naturals Cinnamon Roll Coco-nut Butter...obsessed)
-1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder (could sub flaxseed meal)
-2 tbsp chopped pecans--or almonds, walnuts, etc.
-3 tbsp dark chocolate chips, carob chips, etc. (I used Enjoy Life gluten-free mini chocolate chips)
-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
-1/2 tsp cinnamon
-optional: 1/2 tbsp Maca Powder

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F. In a mixing bowl, combine the nut butter and mashed banana. Then mix in the protein powder, applesauce, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Add the oats and nuts, and mix well. Finally, fold in the chocolate chips. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a spoon to place to the dough on to the parchment paper, forming balls about 1-1.5 tbsp big, and then flatten them slightly. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Let them cool and enjoy! Store in a container in the fridge to make them last longer.

Cauliflower Bun Chicken Sliders

Trade in your high calorie, high carb bread burger buns for low calorie, low carb, gluten-free, dairy-free, and grain-free cauliflower buns! These sliders were not only clean and healthy, but they were delicious and so cute too!  I made this dairy-free by using a vegan, dairy-free cheese because dairy doesn't really agree with me, but you can definitely use any low-fat cheese of your choice in place of the cheese I used.  

Ingredients:

-1 cup of cauliflower, riced

-2 egg whites

-2 tbsp daiya cheddar cheese (this cheese is vegan friendly...it's dairy, gluten, and soy-free and still tastes so good!)

-1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast

-Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb and Italian Seasonings (or you can use garlic powder, regular italian seasoning, salt & pepper if you'd like)

-Any chicken of choice, already made. I always have extra lean chicken already made from meal prep

-2 leaves of baby spinach

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425F.  To rice the cauliflower, I use my food processor or you can use a blender.  Combine the riced cauliflower, egg whites, cheese, nutritional yeast, and seasonings in a bowl (I don't usually measure seasoning I kind of just eyeball it...but probably 1/2 tsp each) and mix.  Take a muffin pan and spray 2 of the muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray.  Divide the mixture into 2 portions and pour into each muffin cup.  Cook for 15 minutes, then broil for 4-5 minutes.  Let cool, then cut the two "muffins" in half, creating a top bun and bottom bun for each.  Heat up your chicken and put it on the bun, then add the spinach.

This makes two sliders, so feel free to double the recipe or adjust it to make more! For 2 sliders (just the buns...with the chicken it varies depending on what you used) it's 135 calories, 3g fat, 8g carbs, 2g fiber, 12.5g protein.

Protein Crepe and Zeggs

Hey everyone! I still have so many recipes I need to put up, I'm slacking!! Here are two delicious and super simple recipes that I make almost every day!

Protein Crepe
Ingredients:
1/2 scoop whey protein powder (I use Cellucor of any flavor or Sun Warrior, a vegan protein)
2 egg whites (6 tbs)
Splash of unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Mix ingredients well in a bowl. Cook it as you would a pancake on a pan (make sure to use non-stick cooking spray!) on medium-high heat, but it should be thinner than a pancake is.  Then you can put whatever you want in the middle and roll it up.  In this picture I used Cellucor Cor-Performance Peanut Butter Marshmellow protein and put Peanut Butter & Co. Mighty Maple Peanut Butter and part of a banana in the middle. Sometimes I put protein fluff in the middle too (plain greek yogurt + protein + stevia).

Nutritional Information for crepe without filling (varies based on protein you use): 118 cal, 2g carbs, 22.6g protein

Zeggs (Zucchini Eggs!)

Ingredients:
As many egg whites as you want- I usually have 2.5-3
Shredded Zucchini
Optional: Cinnamon, Stevia, Other spices, whatever you want to make it sweet or savory

Zeggs are something I discovered on Instagram.  It's literally just egg whites and shredded zucchini cooked as you normally would cook scrambled eggs.  I like to add other things like cinnamon, stevia, and a mashed banana to make it sweet.  Other things I've seen added are raisins, almonds, the possibilities are endless! So delicious and low in calories! :)

Sweet Potato Protein Waffles

I got a waffle maker as a gift for graduation and so I'm obsessed with it! I love breakfast food and I've been dying to make waffles, so now that I can I've been trying out different recipes everyday.  This is the first waffle recipe that I've made that came out perfect on the first try! These waffles are high in protein as well as complex carbs from the sweet potato, so they're a perfect post-workout meal... or whenever :)

Dry Ingredients:
-1 scoop whey protein powder (any would probably work. I used Cellucor Cor-performance Cinnamon Swirl... just make sure it's a hefty scoop!)
-1/4 tsp baking powder
-3 packets stevia
-lots of cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:
-1/2 baked sweet potato. (The one I used was small/medium sized. Bake it in the microwave-- I fork it and heat it for ~7 minutes)
-2 egg whites (or 1/3 cup)
-Splash of Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

While your waffle maker is heating up, make the baked sweet potato in the microwave, and mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. When the sweet potato is done, peel off the skin and mash it into the bowl of dry ingredients. Then add the rest of the wet ingredients.  Make sure you are mashing the sweet potato into the mixture well.  Note: The batter may seem a little liquidy (I'm not sure how thick waffle batter is supposed to be) but don't worry they turn out thick and fluffy!
Pour the batter onto the waffle maker and let it bake until it's golden brown! I topped mine with Walden Farms calorie-free syrup and that's all it needed :)

Nutrition Information (will vary depending on the protein you use): 237 calories, 18g carbs, 36g protein

Protein Frozen Yogurt

Hey everyone! It's been a while since I've posted anything because of finals, but now I'm officially done with college and I have my B.S. in Nutritional Sciences! It still hasn't hit me that I'm done with college! I will be going on to do more school eventually. but in the mean time I'm so happy that I get more time to relax, go to the gym without having to squeeze it in between classes, and make up new recipes of course :)
In honor of it being warm out now I figured I would post one of my favorite things that I've been having every night for my last meal of the day-- protein frozen yogurt aka profroyo! It seems like a weird combination but I promise it's delicious.  It's high in protein and a perfect pre-bed meal because it contains greek yogurt and cottage cheese which are good sources of casein (see my Supplements section for an explanation of casein!). You can customize the recipe to make it to your liking and add whatever toppings you want! I don't usually measure it but here is the general base recipe:

Ingredients:
1/4 cup no fat cottage cheese
1/4 cup chobani plain greek yogurt
1/2 scoop protein powder (I use cellucor cor-performance either cookies n cream or cinnamon swirl. any protein works!)
1 packet stevia
splash of unsweetened vanilla almond milk

After mixing the base recipe, you can add whatever flavors you want.  Some examples of things I add: unsweetened cocoa to make it chocolatey, any extracts (vanilla, coffee, etc.), cinnamon, pumpkin puree, the list goes on!

After mixing everything together, freeze for about 90 minutes.  Then when you're ready to eat, add your toppings! Examples of some toppings I use: Walden Farms calorie-free syrups (chocolate or maple), half of a warmed up quest bar, nuts of any kind, peanut butter, Barbara's Puffin cereal, anything really! Make it your own, and enjoy :)

Casein Protein

Casein a high quality protein and is abundant in milk.  It has a slower rate of digestion than whey protein, and results in a slow but steady release of amino acids.  It has been shown to have anti-catabolic effects by supporting muscle growth and blocking protein breakdown. It also can promote fat loss by increasing your metabolism and reducing hunger.  This is why a good time to take casein is right before bed, where you are going a long period without the chance to refuel.  The most effective form of casein is micellar casein (this should be the first ingredient for the best results).

Chocolate Strawberry-Banana Protein Shake

There are so many different protein shake and smoothie recipes out there, but this is the one that I have pretty much everyday after my workout. Looks and tastes like a milkshake (actually better), but is low in calories and high in protein!

Ingredients (for 1 serving):
1/2 frozen banana
2 frozen strawberries
3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (you can add more or less depending on how thick you like it)
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed (Optional)
1-1.5 scoops chocolate whey protein (I have GNC 100% Hydrolyzed Protein right now)

Combine all ingredients & blend in a blender for about 30 seconds.

Protein Powder

A lot of people have been asking me about protein powder so I figured I’d talk about it a little. I use to work at GNC so I do know quite a bit about it—however I am no expert! This is just what I’ve learned from work and my nutrition classes. I take a lot of supplements, and protein powder is one of them. A lot of people don’t support taking protein. Yes, it is best to get most of your protein from whole foods. However, some people, such as vegetarians, don’t get enough protein. I know that I don’t get enough because I rarely eat meat. Also, getting all of the protein you need from whole foods can also be expensive, because let’s face it—eating healthy comes with a price! Protein powders can be more cost efficient. And, if you are more active, you definitely need more protein and may not be getting it.

Protein comes in a lot of different forms, but the most common are whey, casein, and soy. Whey is the most commonly used because it’s a complete protein (contains all of the essential amino acids), is fast absorbing and easily digested.

Lean sources of protein increase your metabolism, increase your muscle mass, increase recovery, and leave you feeling full so you eat less which eventually lowers body fat, increases adaptation to training demands, lowers your risk of cardiovascular disease, boosts your immune system, and more.

So, whey protein powders are definitely good for those looking to lose weight. Protein is they key nutrient involved in muscle repair and growth, so using a high-quality protein source allows for maximum absorption and can help you build muscle (whether you’re trying to get big, or just build lean muscle). For best performance, it’s important to take around 25-30g whey protein within about 30 minutes to an hour after your workout, and pair it with a fast-absorbing carbohydrate.

When looking for a whey protein, there are different types: hydrolyzed, isolate, and concentrate. Hydrolyzed whey protein is the fastest absorbing of all three, followed by whey isolate, and then whey concentrate. Hydrolyzed whey protein is the purest, most easily and quickly absorbed, and pretty much free of any allergens. It’s a little pricey, but definitely the most ideal for post-workout. Whey isolates, although not as purified as hydrolysates, still have a high protein concentration. Whey concentrate has some fat and lactose, and has less protein. I typically use an isolate because it's still a good quality and not terribly expensive.

As far as how much you should have per day, it really depends but a general rule of thumb is 1-1.5 grams/pound of body weight. However, it really depends on your age and your body, as well as your goal.  This website has a good calculator and chart for about how much protein you should take:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bbprotein.htm