Protein Banana Nut Bread

I love baking!  And popular recipes such as banana nut bread can be made healthier with a few changes to this famous recipe.  I am always trying  to find ways to increase my protein and fiber intake.  For this bread I added protein powder to help you feel fuller longer.  The walnuts are a great source of fiber, Omega-3s, and magnesium so I tend to be very generous with adding these to my dish.  If you have some ripe bananas in your pantry it is time to start cooking this delicious and healthy banana nut bread.

Ingredients

1 cup of flour

1 cup of protein powder (plain or vanilla)

2 ripe bananas

1/2 cup applesauce

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1 tbsp cinnamon

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat your oven to 350.  In a loaf pan, spray with cooking spay.  Begin by mixing your flour, protein powder, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl place your bananas, egg, brown sugar, applesauce, and vanilla.  Use a hand mixer to blend well to get out all the chunks.

Mix your wet and dry ingredients together. Add your walnuts, but leave a few tablespoons to top your bread with.

Pour your batter in the loaf pan and top with some walnuts.

Bake for about 30 min or until toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy!!

Simply Strawberry Smoothie

When I am in a rush in the morning, and I want to have a balanced breakfast,  I make me this easy smoothie.  This is the smoothie I always turn to when I need something fast and tasty.  My husband has to wake up extra early during football season, so making a full breakfast where you must sit down is near impossible.  Instead I make him smoothies and put them in to-go cups for the road.  He can drink them on the way to work without wasting any time.

So how do you make this easy smoothie?

In a blender add 1 cup of frozen strawberries, 2 scoops of protein powder, 1 6oz container of yogurt (I normally use vanilla),  and 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk.  Blend, Pour, and Go!

Yummy Date Breakfast Cookies

Start your day of with a yummy cookie!!  Not just any cookie,  a healthy date cookie with avocados, oats, cinnamon, and yogurt.  You know that sounds good, and it is.  Cookies are my favorite food, so this delicious healthy treat is just what I need to get my cookie fix and fill my morning with a wholesome breakfast.  This recipe is great for breakfast on the run.  You make a batch at the beginning of the week and you will have enough cookies to last you a few days.  Just grab and go!

Ingredients

3 cups of old fashion oats

1 1/2 cup flour ( you can use whole wheat for more whole grain goodness)

4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 ripe avocado, mashed

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup olive oil

1 cup plain low fat yogurt

2 eggs

2 cups of chopped dates (12 oz)

Preheat oven to 375.  

In a bowl mix oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

In a separate bowl use a blender to mix the avocado, oil, and sugar together.  Then add the yogurt and eggs.

Combine the wet and dry mixture.

Take your dates.  I found mine at Walmart in the produce section (by the nuts and seeds).  

Chop the dates into tiny pieces

Add the dates into your batter.  Using a 1/4 cup measure scoop the batter onto a cookie sheet 2 inches apart.

Bake for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Recipe modified from Fresh Avocado Love One Today Campaign  Loveonetoday.com

Protein Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a classic breakfast choice for many people.  This heart healthy whole grain is full of fiber which helps you stay full longer and aids in digestive health.  Unfortunately though, eating just oatmeal by itself is not considered a complete breakfast.  Oatmeal is mainly carbohydrate with some natural fat found in the oats.  It does not provide enough protein for your breakfast meal.  Unless you pair it with some eggs, and turkey bacon you are going to be behind on your protein needs for the day.  One trick I like to do is stir in protein powder with your oatmeal.  We know that many of the flavored oatmeals are jam packed with sugar which can spike your blood sugar.  But eating plain oatmeal can be boring.  By adding flavored protein powder, such as vanilla,  you will get that sweet taste you are looking for and get plenty of protein.  I like to use Natural Whey Protein by True Athlete which is found at Vitamin Shoppe.  It contains probiotics to help with digestive health. 

To make your Protein oatmeal is easy.  Pour the desired amount of oatmeal into a bowl ( 1/2 -1 cup is typical).  Scoop your protein powder in to your oatmeal, enough to get atleast 20g of protein.  I used 2 scoops with my True Athlete protein powder to make 20 g.  Then add low fat milk or almond milk.  Stir.  Them microwave to desired consistency as usual.  Yummy!!

Raspberry Orange Pancakes and Syrup

Pancakes are my favorite morning treat.  It is made more special with home made pancakes and syrup.  This delicious raspberry orange pancakes and syrup makes an morning special.  Using fresh oranges you will have a nice tangy flavor added to your pancakes, while the raspberries brings just the right amount of tartness and sweetness.  

Raspberry Orange Pancakes and Syrup

Maple Raspberry Syrup

Ingredients

1 cup fresh orange juice

Dash of cinnamon

2 tbsp of orange zest

1 cup real maple syrup

2/3 cup or raspberries

Pancakes

Ingredients

2-3 oranges

1 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

¼ cup skim milk or milk substitute

1 egg

2 tsp oil

¾ cup raspberries

In a sauce pan combine orange juice, syrup and cinnamon.  Simmer for 7-8 minutes.  Add orange zest and berries.  Mash berries.  Set aside.

For pancakes, zest the oranges and st aside.  Squeeze oranges to make ½ cup of juice. 

In a lg bowl mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add orange juice, egg, milk, and zest.

Place oil on griddle.  Pour some batter on griddle and cook pancakes evenly on both sides.  Top pancakes with syrup.

Blueberry pancakes

Pancakes are my favorite breakfast recipe.  However the added syrup that normally comes on pancakes is full of sugar and calories. 1/4 of syrup typically has about 200 calories.  Plus adding a tablespoon of butter adds an additional 100 calories.  So having a short stack of 2-3 pancakes ends up being an easy 600-800 calories.  Not necessarily the best way to start your day.  You can cut the calories by substituting the syrup with something lower in calories, such as blueberries.  These blueberry pancakes have become one of my favorite breakfast treats.  It is easy to make and much healthier.

Blueberry Pancakes

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup flour

3 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 cup milk

3 tbsp canola oil

½ cup frozen blueberries

½ cup fresh blueberries

Mix dry ingredients in bowl.

Add milk and oil. 

Pour batter in griddle.  Add frozen blueberries.  Cook each side for 2-3 min.

Serve with fresh blueberries.

Summer Squash and Corn Breakfast Tacos

Breakfast is the best time to sneak in some vegetables.  Many of us do not get in the minimum of 3 servings of vegetables a day.  By starting your day with vegetables added in to your breakfast, reaching that goal is more attainable.  I enjoy adding vegetables to my egg dishes.  It is easy and it makes a normal classic into something special and unique.  Try these breakfast tacos with squash, corn, onion, tomato, and cilantro.  Your taste buds will be in for a nice surprise.

Summer squash and corn Breakfast Tacos

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium white onion, diced

2 small yellow squash, diced

1 can of corn

2 medium tomatoes, diced

6 eggs

Salt and pepper

8 corn tortillas

5 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

½ cup cilantro

Heat oil in saute pan.  Add onion and cook for 2 min.

Add squash and corn and continue to cook until tender.

Season with salt and pepper

Beat eggs.

In a separate pan scramble eggs.

Warm tortillas

Assemble tacos with egg, vegetables, cheese, and cilantro.

Crepes

Crepes are very popular in many European countries.  It is a different take on pancakes that is higher in protein due to the higher liquid content of milk and eggs.  Crepes can also be used for more savory dishes by taking the place of tortillas or even pasta.  

For breakfast I choose to stuff my crepes with yogurt and strawberries for a sweet alternative to the high calorie syrup.

I have tried several crepe recipes in the past, so far this one is my favorite.  

Crepes

Ingredients

2 eggs

¾ cup milk or milk substitute

½ cup water

1 cup all-purpose flour (you can use whole wheat for a whole grain option)

3 tbsp melted butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp honey

In a bowl mix all ingredients together with a whisk until smooth.  In a non-stick sauté pan spray with cooking spray and heat on medium high heat.  Once warm pour a small amount of batter into pan.  Swirl batter around to make a thin circle.  Cook until edges are cooked and bubble, thin flip the crepe over to cook on the other side.  

Raspberry Protein Muffins

Protein muffins are my absolute favorite.  I love baked goods but many of them do not have enough protein to be counted as a full meal.  By adding protein powder you increase the amount of protein in the muffins.  These muffins are a delicious treat with yummy raspberries and white chocolate.  I ate these muffins for breakfast.  It is also a great way for a grab and go breakfast.  Make the muffins on Sunday and you will have breakfast for a few days.

Most individuals do not eat enough protein in the morning.  Many people pull a bowl of cereal or skip breakfast all together.  Protein at breakfast has shown many benefits including increased satiety so you do not splurge on extra calories later on in the day.  Individuals who ate protein during breakfast has shown to have a reduced waist circumference, blood pressure, and insulin compared to those who ate a high carb breakfast.  Aim to have 1/4-1/3 of your meal be from protein.  Some options include this great protein muffin or you can try eggs or smoothies.

Raspberry Protein Muffins

Ingredients

1 egg

3 tbsp butter, melted

1 cup of skim milk or milk substitute (I used almond milk, may need additional milk)

2 cup flour ( can use whole wheat or flour alternative)

1/2 cup sugar or Splenda

1 tbs baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup of white chocolate chips

1 1/2 cup of raspberries

few scoops of protein powder (varies on brand, I used 6 scoops, see description below)

Preheat oven to 400

Prepare muffin pans by placing cupcake papers in muffin pan and spray with cooking spray.

In a bowl mix eggs, butter, and milk.

In a separate bowl mix flour, baking powder, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix.

Begin adding protein powder a scoop at a time.  The batter will thicken.  You can add some more milk to thin it out if you want to add additional protein powder.

Fold in raspberries and white chocolate chips.

Pour batter into the cups.

Bake for 15 min.

Enjoy!

Breakfast Vegetable Hash

It is difficult for many of us to consume enough vegetables in the day.  It is recommended that we consume at least 3 servings of vegetables a day, but most Americans don't even get that.  And the vegetables they do consume don't even count as real vegetables, but are really starchy alternatives instead.  Adding vegetables to your breakfast is a great way to help  you get those servings in.  For my breakfast hash I decided to add broccoli and mushrooms.  Both of these vegetables are extremely healthy.  Broccoli is packed with vitamin K, C, and chromium.  It is also a good source of folate, vitamin B5, B6, B2, B1, E, and A.  Mushrooms are a great source of Vitamin B5, B12, and a good source of other vitamins B2, niacin, folate, biotin, phosphorus, selenium and copper.

Breakfast Vegetable Hash

Ingredients

2 cups frozen hash brown, thawed

4 eggs

8 oz jar of mushrooms

2 cups frozen broccoli

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 375

In a 8 x 8 dish spray with cooking spray.  

Pour hash browns in dish and cover the bottom.

Sprinkle  with 1/2 cup of cheese

Place mushrooms and broccoli on top.

In a bowl mix the eggs, milk, and seasonings.

Pour egg mixture evenly on vegetables.

Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake for 35 minutes or until egg is set.

Very Berry Banana Smoothie

 

 

Try this delicious smoothie to jump start your day.  This recipe is easy and delicious.  It is a great option for breakfast or for post workout.  This smoothie is jam packed with nutrients from strawberries and blackberries.

 

Strawberries are full of vitamin C and trace minerals including chromium, zinc, and selenium.  They are full phytochemicals that fight cancer and heart disease.  It contains ellagic acid which deactivates cancer compounds in the body.

 

Blackberries, also called brambleberries, dewberry, and thimbleberry, are really high in fiber and antioxidants.  The dark color indicates a large amount of antioxidants. One serving of blackberries provides half of your daily requirements of vitamin C.  It also contains potassium, iron, calcium, and phosphorus.  Blackberries are good for building blood.  It is beneficial for females to slow down excessive menstruation.  The boron content in blackberries help prevent bone disorders such as osteoporosis.  Blackberries have also been used to help with indigestion, heartburn, colitis, and urinary tract infections.

 

Very Berry Banana Smoothie
In blender add:

1 cup frozen strawberry

1 cup frozen blackberries

1 banana

½ cup vanilla yogurt

1 cup milk

2 scoops of protein powder

Purple Rain Blueberry Smoothie

Purple Rain Blueberry Smoothie

How about you start your morning of right with a healthy smoothie that will leave your tongue dancing for joy.  Smoothies are a great way to start your day full of nutrients.  It is a balanced meal in a cup!!  This smoothie contains 3 of the 5 major food groups. The main ingredient is the blueberries. Blueberries are considered a super food becare they are full of vitamin C,  potassium,  phosphorus,  and iron.  They contains more antioxidant power than most fruits and vegetables.  Antioxidants work by protecting our cells from damage from the environment.

Ingredients

1 cup of frozen blueberries

6 oz of low fat or fat free vanilla or plain yogurt

1 cup of white grape juice

1/2 banana

1 scoop of vanilla protein powder (I used Muscle Milk) 

Blend in blender and serve

We loved drinking the smoothie and didn't feel guilty about drinking it.  Because of the fiber and the protein it satisfied our hunger and kept us full longer.  This is a smoothie I will definitely be making again in the future.  It's quick, easy, and  yummy for my tummy.

 

Banana Nut Waffles

Banana Nut Waffles

Start your morning off with a yummy treat.  These banana nut waffles is the perfect start to any day.  Eating fun breakfasts make me feel as though my day will be great, so I decided to make these fun waffles.  The recipe was modified from the Food Network in order to meet my needs.  

The waffles were very moist due to the bananas and fat free sour cream.  They browned very easily due to the sugar in the fruit and if you add extra sugar that also helps with the browning.  When they first came out of the waffle maker they were very soft.  If you let them sit it will get hardened a little if you prefer your waffles that way.

Bananas are full of potassium and carbohydrates.  This is a great meal to have  along with a lean proteins source (ex: eggs) after a intense workout such as, running several miles. The potassium helps prevent cramping by acting as an electrolyte and the carbohydrates are stored in your muscles to prepare for your next workout.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup flour ( whole wheat or all purpose)

3/4 cup sweetener (sugar or Splenda)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

dash of nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 large ripe banana

1/2 cup canola oil 

1/2 cup fat free sour cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

In a large bowl mix flour, sweetener, walnuts, baking powder, baking soda, and spices.

In a small bowl mash banana with a spoon until it forms a puree.  Add the oil, eggs, vanilla, and sour cream and mix evenly.  Transfer to large bowl and mix evenly.

Spare waffle maker with cooking spray and pour about 1/2 cup of mixture on to the center of the waffle maker.  Allow to cook to desire crispness.  

Remove and serve.  Waffles are sweet enough that they do not need any syrup and can be eaten plain.

Make your own Muesli

Make your own Muesli

Every time I go visit my family in Germany I always ate some Muesli for breakfast.  Muesli is a type of cereal with raw oats, dried fruit, nuts, and seeds.  I went to the grocery store and saw that they started selling the cereal here in America, however it is very expensive and many of the cereals had wheat in it, an ingredient I can't eat because it makes me breakout.  I then realized that I can easily make this cereal at home and customize it to have the ingredients I want.

This morning I decided to make the cereal with the following ingredients.

1/2 cup of rolled oats

tbsp of dried cranberries

4 dried apricots, chopped

tbsp of chopped walnuts

sprinkle of flax seeds

Almond milk

Oats are  great in the morning.  It is a whole grain that contains 3 grams of fiber per serving.  Fiber is essential for digestive and immune health.  Most people do not get enough fiber each day.  We need 25-38g of fiber each day, however most Americans only get 12g.  What is a better way to start your day than with some fiber! Oats also naturally contain many essential B-vitamins which help aid in metabolism.  It is high in iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, and has a good amount of copper and zinc. 

The dried fruit adds a sweet taste to your breakfast without adding extra sugar.  I have used many different dried fruits in the past such as raisins, mango, papaya, and pineapple.  Dried fruit also has vitamins and minerals in it, however be careful of too much added sugar.  Some dried fruits are crystallized with sugar which adds extra calories and carbs to your meal.

Nuts and seeds give the cereal a nice crunch.  I decided to use walnuts and flax seed today, however you can use a variety of different nuts and seeds.  I have used almonds, pecans, and sunflower seeds in the past.  Nuts provide a great source of healthy fats.  Walnuts and flax seeds provide omega 3 fatty acids.  This fat is normally found in fish.  I don't know about you but I don't like eating fish in the morning, so eating nuts provides a great alternative to get some of the omega 3s in.

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I I used sweetened almond milk to make the cereal a actual cereal.  I also have unsweetened almond milk in the frig, however today I wanted something a little sweeter to go with my meal.  Regular milk will also work fine and is loaded with other nutrients that are not found in almond milk.  I just prefer almond milk over regular milk because regular milk sometimes makes my stomach hurt.  If you are choosing regular milk, I suggest skim or 1% milk.  Whole and 2% milk is loaded with fat and we tend to get plenty of fat with the other foods we eat during the day.  Save your fat for those things instead of your beverage.  

Applesauce Pecan Protein Bread

Delicious applesauce bread with a twist.   Adding whey powder increases the protein and decreases your guilt. I loved this bread.  It had a nice cinnamon taste with a crunch of roasted pecans.  We ate a slice for breakfast with some almond milk.  It felt like we were cheating but I knew it was full of yummy goodness!!

Ingredients
2 eggs
1 cup of sugar or sugar substitute such as Splenda
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup natural applesauce (no added sugar)
1/4 cup fat free sour cream
1 1/2 cup flour (whole wheat or regular)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup pecans
Cinnamon
1-2 scoops protein powder

1. Spray loaf pan and preheat oven to 350.

2.In large bowl mix eggs, oil, and sugar.

3.Add applesauce and mix.

4.Add sour cream and mix.

5.Add flour,  baking powder, and baking soda and mix.

6.Add desired amount of cinnamon.   

7. Add protein powder a little at a time.   The batter should be a little thick but not a dough. 

8. Add some of the pecans,  leaving some for topping the bread.

9.Pour mixture into loaf pan. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon and pecans.

10.Bake for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Yummy, Yummy for my tummy!!!!