Store bought protein ball find!

I love making my own protein balls-they are easy, cheap and I know exactly what goes into them. BUT I found one at Trader Joe's that isn't gross or unclean :) I just ate one on my way to a meeting and it is super filling, gluten free, 13 grams of protein and under 2 bucks. I say it's a win! 

Check it out if you need a little meal on the go! 

Playlist for Power

Simple, tasty Wednesday night meal

Last night, I made a super quick, tasty meal packed with tons of protein, fiber and some complex carbs. Sometimes I get stuck in a rut with my week day meals and totally forgot how easy salmon is to make (put your choice of seasoning on it and bake it at 400 degrees for 20 minutes-perfect). I completed the meal with a big old roasted head of cauliflower and just a little bit of brown/long grain rice. Yummy!

Gluten and dairy free protein bar FAIL

I am always on the lookout for a good, clean, gluten and (preferably) dairy free bar. So I grabbed these to yummy looking ones below today at the store in hopes I had found something new to throw in my purse/gym bag/diaper bag. Sadly, these are the worst things I've had in a while; and I'm not some kinda taste diva. I take apple cider vinegar shots for goodness sake. Maybe someone out there loves these bars...not me. For $2.50 a pop (on sale), it's a hard pass for me. I'll stick to my Quest Bars and continue to search for good on-the-go nutrition.

Tasty and simple power packed granola

I thought I'd try my hand at homemade granola this year for my neighbors in the New Year because I wanted to give a healthy and tasty something but a something that I wasn't going to be tempted to eat myself. FAIL! I normally don't even like granola, but this, my friends, is truly addictive. So consider yourself warned. It's a great energy boosting snack but stick to 1/4 cup or so since it's so calorie dense (the nutrition facts will vary greatly depending on how you make this to your liking). The recipe below is adapted from "100 days of real food." There are a ton of great, whole food recipes on their website. Check it out. 

What you need:

• 3½ cups rolled oats 
• 1 cup raw sliced almonds
• 1 cup raw walnuts
• ½ cup raw sunflower seeds
• ½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1½ teaspoons ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg
• 6 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Also need – parchment paper

What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Cover a rectangular baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix the dry stuff together (oats, nuts, seeds, spices)
3. Heat the coconut oil and maple syrup together in a saucepan over low heat. Once melted and combined stir in the vanilla and salt.
4. Pour the hot liquids over the dry ingredients and stir together with a rubber spatula until evenly coated.
5. Spread mixture onto prepared pan in one even layer. Bake for 75 minutes.

Try to wait until it cools before digging in :) 

Sweet Potato Cranberry Muffins (gluten free)

These guys are a fun and different way to get some nutritious  sweet potatoes (packed with vitamin A, beta carotene and antioxidants). You can add whatever kind of fruit or nut combination or keep them fruit/nut free for a leaner muffin. 



Sweet Potato Cranberry Muffins

What you need:

• 3 medium sweet potatoes
• 1/3 cup vanilla protein powder (I like Isagenix IsaPro...just find one that doesn't have sugar or other sweeteners in it)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg (or a pinch)
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt (or a dash)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla (or a smidgen)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3 large eggs lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup cranberries (optional)
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (optional)
• cooking spray or muffin tin liners

What to do:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
2. Peel your sweet potatoes and make them into rice-sized pieces. I'm too lazy to get out my food processor so I just spiralize mine  and then run a knife through them until they are small (takes about 3 minutes total this way-see photo below for what it should look like)
3. Put all ingredients into a bowl and mix well
4. Use a 1/3 cup to fill your sprayed or lined muffin tins
5. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until golden on top

They are great straight from the oven (after cooling a bit, of course), but even better the day after or after freezing and thawing. 

The recipe makes 12 muffins and this is what you are eating nutritionally speaking:

Per muffin:

96 calories, 2.5 grams fat, 13 grams carbs, 1.5 grams fiber, 4.5 grams protein

Aren't these the cutest? I never know what a "dash," a "smidgen" or a "pinch" means...so that's why I have these measurements, which I 'm pretty sure defeats the purpose of the care-free cooking terms :)