Blueberry Pie Proats

I've said it once, I've said it twice, I've probably said it a million times... 

DON'T SKIP BREAKFAST!!!

For me and many other health & fitness fanatics, breakfast really is the most important meal of the day.  I have read countless studies that confirm that people who eat a healthy balanced breakfast daily have lower body fat percentages than those that pass on a morning meal.  Why?  When you do not eat breakfast, your metabolism plummets.  If you are trying to lose weight, this is the last thing you want!  Eating a healthy breakfast helps you control your impulse to eat junk food when you're bored or stressed, prevents you from snacking between meals and overeating at lunch time, and jump starts your metabolism for the day, revving up your fat burning ability for enhanced weight loss!

While a nutritious breakfast is vital, eating an unhealthy, heavy breakfast can be just the opposite.  Avoid foods high in added sugars, sodium, saturated fats and calories. Cut back on sugary breakfast cereals, high-calorie pastries, and meats like bacon and sausage that are high in saturated fat and sodium.  Make sure you eat a well balanced breakfast containing protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber.  My favorite is egg whites (scrambled, sunny side, hard boiled, omelet, however you like!) with added vegetables (onions, spinach, peppers, zucchini, etc.) and oatmeal with cinnamon, honey, nuts, fruit, the list can go on and on!  

So, speaking of oatmeal, let me stop my rant and start with my recipe!

Which by the way is under 200 calories and packs 17 grams of protein.

Blueberry Pie Proats

Protein + Oats = PROATS!

Proats are a quick and easy way to start a healthy day :) 

Just add your favorite protein powder to your oatmeal and voila! 

Ingredients:

- 1/3 cup Quick Cooking Oats

- 1/4 tsp All Natural Ground Cinnamon

- Water

- 1/2 scoop Vanilla VPX SRO Zero Carb Whey Protein

- 1/4 cup Lifeway Blueberry Organic Kefir

- 1/3 cup Organic Blueberries

Instructions:

- Mix oats, cinnamon, and water (the amount of water depends on how dry or wet you prefer your oatmeal) in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 1 minute and 30 seconds.

- Take bowl out of the microwave (carefully, it's hot) and mix in vanilla protein powder.  

- Pour blueberry keifer over oats and stir in organic blueberries.

- Sprinkle a little cinnamon or add unsalted nuts on top if you'd like ;)

And that's it!   It's as easy as... blueberry pie!! :) lol!

Question:
What is keifer?

Answer:
"Kefir’s tart and refreshing flavor is similar to a drinking-style yogurt, but it contains beneficial yeast as well as friendly ‘probiotic’ bacteria found in yogurt.  The naturally occurring bacteria and yeast in kefir combine symbiotically to give superior health benefits when consumed regularly.  It is loaded with valuable vitamins and minerals and contains easily digestible complete proteins.  For the lactose intolerant, kefir’s abundance of beneficial yeast and bacteria provide lactase, an enzyme which consumes most of the lactose left after the culturing process." 

References:  

http://www.kefir.net/what-is-kefir/

Serves 1

Nutritional Information:

197 calories, 2g fat, 2mg cholesterol, 51mg sodium, 95mg potassium, 28g carbohydrates (4g fiber, 9g sugar) 17g protein

Enjoy!

Turkey Muffins

In preparation for upcoming photoshoots and fashion shows, I decided to alter my eating and become more strict with my meals.  Therefor, I decided to make fitness model (and my personal role model) Jamie Eason's Turkey Meatloaf Muffins (click for her recipe) which I found on one of my favorite websites, Bodybuilding.com.

This is a picture from my first time making her exact recipe!

*Tip*

I like my food caliente, but if you are not into fiery foods (or can't stomach spice).

I recommend cutting down on the chipotle pepper because they are pretty spicy!

Turkey Muffins make the perfect grab and go snack!

When I went to go make my turkey muffins for the week last night, I realized I did not have all of the same ingredients, but, I made it work!  So this is my recipe below.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs lean ground turkey
• 1/2 cup egg whites
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1 tsp Mrs. Dash Original
• 1 tsp Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb
• 1 tsp Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy
• 2 tsp yellow mustard
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp garlic 
• 2 celery stalks (chopped)

  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Spray muffin pan with olive oil.
3. Mix all your ingredients together in one large bowl.
4. Roll the mixture into balls and place in muffin pan. Muffins should be about the size of a racquetball.
5. Bake for 50 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins.

Serving Size:

Women: 2 muffins

Men: 4 muffins

Enjoy! :)

Warm Carrot Cake Oatmeal

This recipe is absolutely perfect for fall!

I was so excited to try it out and was blown away by how scrumptious it was!  Inspired by a recipe posted on sarahfit.com which used quinoa, I decided to try quick cooking oatmeal instead.   It's wonderful because it incorporates fruits and veggies for a delicious balanced breakfast.  I made it as a hearty snack to satisfy my sweet tooth.  Using basic ingredients, it is super simple to prepare, taking only about 10 minutes total!  Wow!

Warm Carrot Cake Oatmeal  

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:
- 1 cup Cooked Oatmeal 
  (Cook according to directions, you only need 1 cup COOKED, should be about 1/2 cup uncooked)
- 2/3 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk (I used Vanilla Almond Breeze)
- 2 tablespoons Raisins
- 1/2 cup of Shredded Carrots (I shredded mini carrots in my VitaMix)
- 1/2 tablespoon of Stevia
- 1/2 tablespoon of Cinnamon (I probably used more like 1 tablespoon because I love cinnamon)
- 1 wedge Laughing Cow Smooth Sensations Cream Cheese Spread Classic Cream 1/3 Less Fat
- 1/4 cup walnuts or slivered almonds (optional topping)

Instructions:
- Prepare oatmeal according to directions.  
  (I used quick cooking oatmeal which took about 2 minutes in the microwave).
- In a small pot, combine almond milk, raisins and shredded carrots.

- Heat for about 5 minutes or until the raisins are plump.

- Add in the cooked oatmeal, Laughing Cow wedge, cinnamon and Stevia.

- Stir until the Laughing Cow Cream Cheese is dissolved.

- This recipe yeilds 2 servings, but, I broke it down into 3 servings to share with my parents!

- Top with your favorite chopped nut (I used walnuts of course).

Be prepared for euphoria in your mouth :)

 

 Enjoy!

Chocolate Protein Pancakes with Peanut Butter & Banana Topping

This is my FAVORITE meal to make! And for numerous reasons; 

It's quick, easy, uses minimal ingredients, healthy, and of course, delicious!

You can always experiment with different ingredients and toppings ;)

Recently, I added spinach and vanilla extract to the pancake batter and it was amazeballz!

Ingredients: Chocolate Protein Pancakes
- 1/4 cup Quick Cooking Oats
- 1/4 cup Low Fat Cottage Cheese
- 1/2 cup Egg Whites
- 1 scoop VPX SRO Chocolate Whey Protein

Ingredients: Peanut Butter & Banana Topping
- 2 tbsp All Natural Peanut Butter
- 1 medium Organic Banana

Instructions:
- Blend all protein pancake ingredients in a blender (I use my Magic Bullet) until mixture is of pancake batter consistency (this should take less than 30 seconds).
- Spray pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Pour half of the mixture into pan and cook on Low heat for about 2 minutes on each side.

*Tip* When air bubbles form on top that is a good indicator that you should flip your protein pancake!

This recipe produces 2 medium sized protein pancakes.

*Tip*
Spread 1 tbsp of peanut butter on each protein pancake when warm for a gooey syrup consistency.

Slice banana and layer half on one protein pancake and half on top.

*Note*
If you are watching your sugar and carbohydrate intake be advised that peanut butter and bananas are high in both.

Enjoy! :)

Egg White Muffins & Cinnamon Peach Oatmeal

I saw several egg white muffin recipes on Pintrest and decided to try them this morning!  

I also spiced up my oatmeal with some diced peaches! Yum!

Ingredients: Egg White Muffins
Egg whites (I use Crystal Farms - All Whites 100% liquid egg whites)
Organic vegetables of choice (below are some great examples)
- Spinach
- Peppers
- Onions
- Garlic cloves
Seasoning
- Mrs. Dash (it contains zero sodium but lots of flavor!)
- Ground pepper

Ingredients: Cinnamon Peach Oatmeal
- Quick cooking oatmeal (I use Publix brand!)
- All natural cinnamon
- 1 ripe organic peach
- Almond milk


Instructions: Egg White Muffins
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2) Spray muffin pan with non stick cooking spray
3) Chop up vegetables and fill about halfway
4) Pour egg whites over vegetables to the top
5) Season to taste by sprinkling Mrs. Dash and pepper on top
6) Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes (mine took closer to 30)
*Make sure you remove them from the muffin pan and place them on a rack to cool*

Instructions: Cinnamon Peach Oatmeal
1) Place 1/3 cup of quick cooking oats in microwave safe bowl
2) Sprinkle cinnamon over oats
3) Pour water to cover oats and mix cinnamon in
4) Microwave on high for 1 minute and 30 seconds
5) Take bowl out of microwave and mix in diced peaches
6) Pour almond milk over oatmeal

Enjoy!

Tip: You will have left over egg white muffins, my muffin pan allots for 6 muffins, so I saved 2 muffins each in plastic bags for a quick and healthy breakfast tomorrow! Hooray for planning ahead and saving time! :)