Strawberry Protein Ice Cream

Overview:

Did you ever feel like something was missing on a diet? Something “essential” to life IS missing: ice cream! There are some delicious diet-conscious ice creams on the shelves, but there is an issue: when you are craving ice cream at, say…2 a.m., do you feel like driving to the supermarket and then paying as much as $5 a pint for it?

Well, now you don’t have to and don’t even have an ice cream maker! How about them apples? It does help to have a good blender that turns ice cubes into slush, but you can get this done with a $20 special like I have and still make some decent dessert.

Without further ado, I bring you the easiest, cheapest, healthiest, highest protein ice cream you can get! Try not to get a brain freeze like I did…Blonde hair and brain freezes can be a dangerous combination!

Ingredients:

Directions:

Put 6-7 ounces of the almond milk into the blender with the other ingredients and set aside the rest of the almonds in the fridge.

Blend; add to an ice cube tray, and then freeze. When frozen, put the ice cubes in the blender with the rest of the almond milk. If you have trouble getting the cubes out of the tray, fill the bottom of your sink with hot water and rest the tray in it for a few seconds, and they will pop right out. You can use even more almond milk if that’s what it takes.

If you have a cheap blender like mine, you may need to mess around with the blending part until it all gets blended. Once it’s ready, enjoy your guilt-free cheat meal!

Nutrition:

Calories: 234
Fat: 7 g
Carbs: 17.5 g
Protein: 26.5 g
Fiber: 4.5 g
Sugars: 9 g

Cinnamon Raisin Protein Cookies

Overview:

Sometimes, an accident can occur when you do something, and it ends up beyond your wildest dreams, and these cookies are such an accident. It all started back when I was little. (Don’t worry—it’s not a long story.) My mom used to buy me these cookies that were amazing. They were not too sweet but sweet enough, and they had raisins in them. They were super-thin and rectangular with scalloped edges. Nothing too fancy; they just had a wholesome and yummy flavor and texture.

Just out of high school and in search of some comfort food, those cookies came to mind. I could not find them anywhere. Year after year I looked and looked for them but to no avail. Last week I set my mind to developing a recipe for some cookies not intending for those exact cookies, but Viola—there they were! They were, of course, a different shape, but they tasted the same! The search is finally over! 

Note that I haven’t named them protein cookies. Unlike many supermarket protein bars, if something has less than 7 grams of protein, I will not call it a protein anything. Once, a friend and I were shopping and saw a popular cereal use the word “protein’ on the label. Before adding any milk, it had less than 2 grams of protein! It has been the brunt of many food jokes since then. When I label something “protein this or protein that,” it will have at least 7 grams if it’s a small thing like an ice pop, but ideally for a larger thing it should have 20+ grams of protein.

These cinnamon raisin protein cookies contain some protein but also lots of yummy carbs, so they are ideal for eating after a workout! I ate a few too many (which translates loosely to all of them except for one) last week, but I was trying to make up for the years I lived without them! I hope you enjoy this fun little recipe. 

Ingredients:

Directions:

Prepare the oatmeal as the directions on your oatmeal say to prepare it (this is what the water is for). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix into the prepared oatmeal and mix in 2 tbsp of the sweetener, the coconut oil, and everything else BUT the raisins and the egg. Taste it, if it’s not sweet enough add another tablespoon of sweetener. Once it tastes how you want, add the egg, mix well, and then fold in one of the boxes of raisins. Line the cookie sheets with parchment paper and spoon 12 circles of the mixture, adding the raisins from the second box to the cookies.

The cookies will run into each other if you don’t leave a couple of inches between them. Bake for 20 minutes and shut off the oven. Leave them in there for an hour to properly dehydrate, and you can store them in the refrigerator and throw them in your gym or work bag for a satisfying snack! I can’t tell you how long they last because they have not had the opportunity to sit for any length of time with me around! 

Nutrition:

Calories – 68
Fat – 3 g
Carbs – 6.69 g
Protein – 3.37 g
Fiber – .5 g
Sugars – 3.52 g

Shamrock Shake

Overview:

On March 17th, everyone is Irish, regardless of their country of origin! If you can’t party because of your diet, this delicious Shamrock Shake will allow you to join the festivities without trashing your fitness goals.

You can now politely pass up the green hamburger on the green bun, the green beer, and all of the other guilt-riddled green things in favor of something that tastes just as good (and is just as green)—a mouthwatering green protein shake!

If you are battening down the hatches and going after your goals hard right now with a strict diet, leave off the whipped cream and sprinkles. One trusted brand makes a sugar-free whipped cream that I have yet to try (but it may be an option for you). When your diet calls for more carbs than I’ve included in my shake, add a scoop of neutral-flavored Karbolyn.

You can get sugar-free Irish Cream flavoring syrup at specialty stores or online. If you wish to use regular Irish Cream coffee flavoring, beware it may have some pesky calories or corn syrup.

There are a few great-looking recipes online for making your own sugar-free Irish cream, but I’m going to spare you the effort and do it the easy way by using ready-made store-bought syrup.

You can color the shake in two ways: I used regular food coloring bought from the baking section in the supermarket. If you don’t want to use regular food coloring, you can find organic food coloring online or at a health food store or spinach leaves. Spinach leaves are lovely because they don’t have too much flavor but are packed with color and vitamins.

Ingredients:

Directions:

Put everything in the blender. Since all flavoring syrups are different, you may want to err on the ‘less is more’ side at first and only use a little. Blend and taste.

Then, add more until it tastes the way you want. If you are using green food coloring, it may take a few squirts to get the desired level of ‘greenness.’ If you are using spinach leaves to color your shake, let the shake settle before pouring it into a cup so you don’t get ‘leaf chunks’ in your last sip. Ick! Pouring it through a strainer will help, too.

Top with whipped cream and sprinkles if desired. May you experience the luck of the Irish and find yourself some sweet muscle gains at the end of the rainbow!

Nutrition:

Regular (without toppings):
130 calories
1g fat
2g carbs
26g protein

With Karbolyn:
330 calories
1g fat
2g carbs
26g protein

Healthy French Toast

Overview:

Ingredients:

Directions:

Let’s make some delicious, Healthy French Toast. First, pour the egg substitute into a shallow bowl or high-sided plate. Add 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 packet sweetener, and ½ tsp cinnamon, whip with a fork. Spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray, and put the pan on medium heat for 1 minute. Dredge bread slices in egg mixture then put them in the pan. Cook until golden brown on each side, then put on a plate, add a small amount of sugar-free syrup and the other ½ tsp cinnamon.

Nutrition:

Using Paleo Almond Bread:
Calories: 213
Protein: 20g
Fat: 6g
Carbs: 13g
Fiber: 5g

Using Sprouted Grain Bread:
Calories: 253
Protein: 17g
Fat: 1.5g
Carbs: 13g
Fiber: 3g

Banana Nut Protein Muffins

Overview:

Here is a fun and easy Banana Nut Protein Muffin recipe that will give you great post-workout fuel and protein! These wonderfully moist and delicious muffins are perfect for taking to work, throwing in your gym bag, or giving to the kids.

They are a crowd-pleaser for those who want something sweet and nutty without added sugars or high fructose corn syrup. They are perfect for breakfast with coffee or a guilt-free snack between breakfast and lunch or between lunch and dinner.

I cannot tell you how convenient it is to have a bunch of muffins like this pre-made! They are there when you need them—when you are “angry” and about to eat something stupid. What do you know? There they are!

Ingredients:

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a muffin tin generously with nonstick spray. Peel the banana and put it in a large bowl with the rest of the ingredients except the walnuts. Mash it all with a potato masher, then mix it with a hand mixer until all the lumps are gone. Stir in the walnuts with a spoon—you can save 6 of the prettiest walnuts for the tops of the muffins if you care. Spoon the mixture into each muffin mold, and if you saved the nice-looking walnuts, place one on top of the muffin. Bake for 20 minutes. Poke one with a knife, and it’s ready to be enjoyed if it comes out clean!

Nutrition:

Calories: 188 each
Fat: 7.6 g
Carbs: 15.3 g
Fiber: 2.28 g
Protein: 15 g

Salted Caramel Protein Oatmeal

Overview:

After making this once, I am a total addict. I have eaten Salted Caramel Protein Oatmeal EVERY SINGLE MORNING for the past week. It’s so darn mouthwatering that I almost can’t handle writing about it! Sorry about the outburst, but this oatmeal is positively DIVINE. This is one of the reasons I look forward to waking up in the morning! I have always been a fan of sweet and salty together, and this recipe works it to the fullest.

You can make this as salty (or not) as you want. I like it moderately salty without overdoing it. Using Himalayan pink salt or Celtic salt is wise because both types have many health benefits and contain 60-80 different minerals the body needs. Many people think salt is evil and the worst thing on the planet for your heart; there is a grain of truth to that—pun intended! This is because many people overeat processed foods containing entirely too much sodium. If you don’t eat processed foods or cook with salt, you should use it to flavor your food. The human body requires sodium to function, so have it in moderation.

Ingredients:

Directions:

Cook oatmeal according to directions on the package of the type or oatmeal you have. Different types of oatmeal have different cooking times. Once it is finished cooking, add the coconut oil and protein and stir well. Add the caramel syrup and salt and mix it all in, or serve it poured on top for looks! It doesn’t get much easier than that to enjoy such an excellent and highly addictive breakfast. I’ll see you at the next OAA meeting (Oatmeal Addict’s Anonymous).

Nutrition:

Calories: 290
Protein: 29 g
Fat: 5 g
Carbs: 31 g
Fiber: 2g

Strawberry Mango Protein Shake

Overview:

As summer draws to a close, you will want to take advantage of the season’s last delicious fresh strawberries. Since mangoes are grown in tropical climates, they are available most of the year. The combination of the strawberries’ tartness, the mangoes’ sweet creaminess, and vanilla is a wonderful tropical taste that will keep a few breaths left in summer!

Strawberries are low glycemic index berries packed with vitamin C, fiber, folate, anthocyanins, other antioxidants, and bioflavonoids. A study published in The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry deduced that anthocyanins are also potent fat burners.

Animals fed a high-fat diet, and anthocyanins gained 24% less weight than animals not fed these nutrients. They also can boost short-term memory by 100% in only eight weeks, so remember to eat up! Oh, that reminds me…I have to stop at the store later!

Along with strawberries, mangoes have fiber, vitamin C, vitamin A, carotenoids, potassium, and fiber. They contribute to helping prevent cancer and enhancing eye health. What’s not to love?

Ingredients:

Directions:

Take the leafy tops off the strawberries and chop them in half. Throw them in the blender with the cashew milk and EFX Sports Vanilla Cream Wafer Protalyn® Whey Protein Isolate. Blend for a minute, and then leave it in the blender. Chop the mango into 3 pieces long ways; the pit will be in the middle slice.

Take slices from the sides and make cuts (not through the skin) in one direction, then the other, creating a checkerboard. Pop it inside out, slice off the cubes, and then drop them in the blender. Do this for both sides. For the middle slice, lay it flat, cut around the pit, and then slice the skin off. Throw the usable stuff in the blender, along with the ice. Blend, pour into a glass, and top it off with a pinch of coconut flakes, and toast your good health!

Nutrition:

Calories: 373
Protein: 25.5 g
Fat: 8.52 g
Carbs: 46.7
Fiber: 5.3 g