Amazingly simple recipe for delicious banana peanut butter muffins packed with protein (and some veggies!)
These muffins are MOIST. There – I said it.
This recipe was inspired by a client who was looking for a change of pace for breakfast…..enter the peanut butter banana muffin with a secret ingredient – riced cauliflower!
I’ve come to appreciate the versatility of cauliflower for baking. It’s flavor neutral and can add a lot of moisture and volume which allows for a reduction the amount of flour and fats used used. Nutritionally, it helps us met our daily fiber requirements, and is also a great source of Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and Folate.
Rather than rice my own cauliflower, I purchase it frozen. It can be found at most stores, the one that I used for this recipe is from Costco. Many recipes call for squeezing out as much water as you can after cooking. However, for this recipe we want the water so no need to squeeze.
This recipe is soooo easy – in just over 20 minutes you’ll have a whole batch of tasty peanut butter banana muffins. I recommend using silicone cupcake molds so they pop right out after cooling. I highly recommend using a bit of extra peanut butter as “icing”. Yum.
Super simple recipe for delicious banana peanut butter muffins packed with protein (AND veggies!)
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Super simple meal prep! These egg and sausage breakfast bites are a great on-the-go breakfast when you have limited time in the morning.
Egg white-only version (lower cal, lower fat).
In the morning, it’s all about fast and easy. These delicious egg and sausage breakfast bites are designed for bulk meal prep to get a high protein breakfast without extra fuss in the kitchen every morning. They provide the full flavor of sausage with a fluffy texture from the egg, and a nice finish with cheese baked on top. Pop in the microwave for 20 seconds, grab some fruit or toast, and go!
I made a pan of home made sausage crumbles to mix in these egg bites so I can control the ingredients and focus on eating less processed foods. The homemade sausage spice hits just the right flavor. To save time, make a large batch of sausage seasoning and store in the pantry.. If you want to kick it up a bit, red chili flakes are a great addition.
The secret ingredient to add deeper flavor is Peri-peri sauce which provides a mild peppery kick and light garlic flavor. I buy this one but there are many available on the market.
I’ve found the best molds to make these are 12 well silicone muffin pans. The egg bites pop right out after cooling. Be sure to place a metal baking sheet underneath for rigid support and heat conduction.
Egg White Bite Nutrition Comparison:
Starbucks Egg White & Roasted Red Pepper Sous Vide Egg Bites (2 bites): 170 kcal, 12g protein, 11g carbs, 8g fat
Who says veggies can’t be delicious? Simple sweet balsamic roasted broccoli and peppers dish is great side dish for lunch or dinner.
For this balsamic roasted broccoli and peppers, ensure your cut veggies are spread out on your baking sheet and that the pieces aren’t touching. Like most vegetables, raw broccoli has a very high water content so by spreading it out we ensure that moisture can escape during cooking and the broccoli roasts instead of steaming.
Really, you could use a number of different vegetable combinations, cooking time may vary. Other great options that taste amazing roasted is cauliflower, brussels sprouts zucchini, and even kale. Play around with it!
You’ll be surprised how much the veggies shrink after baking. I recommend making multiple batches and storing them in the fridge for eating throughout the week with lunches and dinners.
Roasted veggies are a delicious way to get some of the key nutrients you need every day. This recipe uses simple balsamic and salt & pepper seasoning, and is a perfect side for any lunch or dinner.
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These veggie and cheese packed buffalo-style quesadillas are a great swap for typical quesadillas and will also crush a hot wing craving. Serve with veggies and homemade ranch dip.
I created two options for this recipe: peppers only or peppers plus chicken (see notes). The combo of mozzarella and feta make them super cheesy, and the peppers add a nice sweetness in combo with the buffalo sauce. Very filling too!
Cheese & Pepper Only version – 275 kcal, 25g Protein, 18g Carbs, 14g Fat
Cheese, Pepper & Chicken Version – 335 kcal, 35g Protein, 18 g Carbs, 15g Fat
As a basis for comparison, the child size chicken quesadilla from Rubios has 580 kcal, 33g Protein, 49g Carbs, and 29g Fat.
These buffalo-style quesadillas are an awesome swap for typical quesadillas and will also crush a hot wing craving.
Please let me know if you made these and enjoy!
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These high protein frozen peanut butter cups are the perfect cure for an evening sweet tooth and a go-to treat to help stay on track.
If you are working to get more protein in your diet, it can be a struggle at first. Incorporation from lean whole foods – poultry, meats, dairy, eggs, tofu, is the foundation, and protein powder supplements can be used as a supporting option, especially to help with a sweet tooth. These frozen protein peanut butter cups are a great example.
Before we get started talking about the recipe, you’re first going to need some silicone molds for your cups to ensure they pop out perfectly: https://amzn.to/2FSPB4N
Plan ahead, you need to freeze them for at least two hours before enjoying. I encourage you to make a large batch to eat throughout the week…. YES you could eat these every night! If they have been frozen for a prolonged period, thaw them at room temperature for 15 minutes before eating.
The macros are highly adjustable. I used a ~50:50 mix of peanut powder and peanut butter. Use 100% peanut powder to decrease fat, or use 100% peanut butter to increase fat. For the protein powder I’m using Chocolate Trutein (whey-egg-casein) blended with a bit of coco powder for extra chocolatey-ness. The flavor combos are endless. If you are using a different type of powder, you will likely need to adjust the amount of nut or seed milk.
Non-peanut alternative
If you are allergic to peanuts, almond powder plus almond butter can be substituted directly. If you are allergic to all nuts, sunflower butter works great as well.
These high protein frozen peanut butter cups are a delicious bedtime treat and can help you stay on track when tempted to eat Reese’s!
I hope you enjoy this recipe – send me a picture of yours
Get your holiday gingerbread fix while staying on track – these soft and chewy cookies are sure to curb your cravings.
Classic ginger, molasses, cinnamon, and nutmeg flavors combined with vanilla protein powder provide amazing flavor with the right macros. Perfect with a cup of coffee and a healthy swap for a coffee shop pastry.
A high protein alternative to traditional Ginerbread cookies to get your holiday fix while staying on track. Soft and chewy!
Give this recipe a try and let me know how it goes!
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These lean little turkey burgers pack a lot flavor thanks to Trader Joe’s Green Dragon Sauce.
Lean ground turkey (99/1 or 93/7) is a staple food in my weekly meal prep. Usually I throw it in a pan as-is with whatever seasoning I’m in the mood for….lemon pepper, taco seasoning, hot sauce, harissa, or simple salt and pepper.
One great way to turn ground turkey into a portable snack is to make sliders. For this, my go-to seasoning is Trader Joe’s Green Dragon Hot Sauce plus Everything But the Bagel Seasoning. It takes boring dry turkey and converts it to magical deliciousness – that’s all I’ll say. If I’m in a huge rush sometimes I throw these in a plastic bag and eat as a snack on the road. More often than not, I put them in pitas with some lettuce – and extra Dragon Sauce.
Green Dragon Hot Sauce is a mild sauce, and NOT made with bits of real dragon. No dragons are harmed in the making of these burgers.
Not true.
Important note for this recipe to ensure you get juicy sliders – as you form them in your hands use only your fingertips and just enough pressure to make the shape. We want to keep them airy. If you over-compact the mixture the burgers will turn out tough and dry. During cooking, the patties will puff up a bit, make them flatter again by lightly pressing down on them with a spatula.
An entire 16 oz package of 99/1 lean ground turkey has 104 g of protein, 0 g carbs, and 6 g of fat. I chose to divide the mixture into 11 patties to get just under 10g of protein per burger. Divide how you wish – make fewer or more depending on your plan and how you want to eat them.
Green Dragon sauce is an awesome blend of hot peppers, tomatillos, and garlic that when mixed into extra lean turkey creates a juicy flavorful burger with just a tiny kick of heat. These sliders are great as a stand alone on-the-go protein snack, or in a sandwich. Tasty, simple, and quick weekly meal prep food!
Please let me know if you’ve tried this recipe for your meal prep, and how you like them!
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I’m not ready for Thanksgiving to be over. Seasoned with sage and garlic, this healthy turkey cranberry hash uses riced cauliflower as the base with a bit of crunch from almonds and celery. This dish takes very little time to make and is great for meal prep!
Cauliflower is a staple food in my diet. It is awesomely versatile – on it’s own it has little taste, but readily absorbs other flavors while cooking. Just as importantly, it has an outstanding micronutrient profile with high a content of dietary fiber, Vitamin C, K, and folate.
Frozen riced cauliflower is sold at all major grocery stores, Target, and Costco. I keep a stock in my freezer for whipping up quick meals – all it takes is about 5 minutes in the microwave. If you have the time, you could also buy fresh cauliflower and rice it yourself.
Regarding the macros, I set up this recipe for 20 g of protein, 10 g of fat, and 13 g of carbs for a total of 220 Calories per serving. It is readily adjusted to your needs:
Increase/decrease protein by adding more or less turkey
Increase/decrease fats by modifying the amount of almonds
Increase/decrease carbs by modifying the amount of cranberries
All of the thanksgiving flavors, without the bread, sugar, and extra fats 🙂 This is healthy turkey-cranberry hash uses riced cauliflower as the base. Great for meal prep and makes great use of leftovers! Macros are adjustable to meet your needs.
Please let me know if you tried this recipe!
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Deliciously sweet baked apple stuffed with high protein oat vanilla maple filling. Amazing flavors with a fraction of the sugar and fat!
This is a great snack to get an apple pie a la mode flavor fix with lower calories, while also getting dose of protein. This beautiful treat is delicious direct from the oven or cold. These apples are also highly portable – I’ve been packing them in Tupperware this week as part of my meal prep to snack on after a workout. Half of one of these apples is only 150 Calories.
Honeycrisp apples were used here, but any variety will do. Size and type may impact the baking time; you want the apple to still be a bit firm after cooking.
Given the apple already has a relatively high amount of carbs, I used a minimum amount of rolled oats in the filling mixture – just enough for taste. Steel cut oats also work great if you prefer those.
For the fats I incorporated sunflower butter, however almond butter also works nicely. The addition of hemp hearts adds a delicate nutty flavor and some texture to the filling. Crushed toasted almonds or walnuts would be a great substitute if you don’t care for hemp hearts.
For protein, Trutein Vanilla was used. For the cinnamon, adjust the amount to your liking. After baking, the core is dense and cake-like. The additional filling placed on top of the apple makes it really decadent and its a great dip for the “lid”/top slice.
Given that apple has plenty of natural sugar, to keep the sugar lower I used Walden Farms sugar-free pancake syrup in the filling and also drizzled on top of the apple after baking. Traditional maple syrup or pancake syrup also works if you don’t like the taste of artificial sweeteners (however it will add additional calories).
Enjoy!
High protein baked apple with warm vanilla maple filling.
Give this recipe a try and let me know how it tastes!
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Friends don’t let friends eat nasty chicken! This is a fast, simple method to cook juicy chicken breasts – perfect for weekend meal prep.
Chicken breasts are a staple in my diet, so I make sure they taste good. They are high in protein, lean, and relatively flavor neutral so can be spiced up in almost any combination imaginable.
They are one of those foods that are super delicious when prepared well, but can also be a rubbery or dried out nightmare if not done right. I don’t like eating things that taste like tires, so I went on a mission to identify a fast, failsafe way to cook chicken tenderloins and breasts.
This chicken comes out MOIST, every time. The best part is that you don’t need to turn on the oven or stove…. it’s all about the George Foreman tabletop grill! Using a batch style process, you can cook 1-2 lbs of chicken breasts in less than 30 minutes. I like to use breast tenderloins as it saves me the step of butterflying whole breasts.
In this example, I use just salt and pepper for seasoning however you could use just about anything. I keep a supply of this chicken in the fridge and eat it throughout the week. I usually throw it on lettuce, toss on cooked vegetables, or put in soup. It also makes great chicken salad.
You Will Need:
1-2 lbs of chicken breast tenderloins, or butterflied chicken breasts, fridge temperature
Cutting board
1 extra large bowl
1 piece of aluminum foil
Tabletop grill, such as the George Foreman grill
Canola spray oil
Cracked black pepper and sea salt
Instructions
Lay out the chicken on the cutting board while the grill heats up
Add salt and pepper to the top side of the chicken
Chicken on the grill!
After 4 minutes of cooking
Place cooked chicken in bowl
Cover bowl with foil immediately
Before starting, ensure your chicken is not frozen. It should be cold, at refrigerator temperature. If you are using full size chicken breasts, butterfly them first.
Step 1: Plug in your tabletop grill and allow it to heat up. Do not spray any oil on the grill just yet.
Step 2: Take your chicken out of the fridge and lay out the pieces on a cutting board.
Step 3: Add salt and pepper on the top face of the chicken, amount to your liking.
Step 4: When your grill reaches temperature, lightly spray the top and bottom grill surface with oil.
Step 5: Place your chicken tenderloins, (salt and pepper side down), onto the grill. The size of my grill let’s me cook 6-7 tenderloins at a time.
Step 6: Sprinkle salt and pepper onto the top side of the chicken pieces, amount to your liking.
Step 7: Close the grill, cook for 4 minutes
Step 8: THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP: Remove your chicken pieces from the grill and place them into the large bowl. Immediately cover the bowl with the aluminum foil.
Step 9: Set the bowl aside, and repeat the entire process again for your remaining chicken, making sure to transfer each batch to the bowl and re-covering with the foil immediately after.
NOTE: allow the entire covered bowl of chicken to come to room temperature on the countertop before transferring to a storage container and putting in the fridge. This resting time ensures the chicken stays juicy. Note that the bowl will contain some extra juices, which you can also dump into the storage container and use when you eat.
Enjoy and let me know if you tried out this method!
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