Peanut butter Chocolate Banana Protein Pancakes
It’s important to fuel up with the right nutrition before and after a workout. Try this delicious peanut butter chocolate banana protein pancake recipe for a great way to start your day!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup instant oats
- 1 ripe banana
- 3 eggs
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter or 3 – 4 tablespoons PB fit protein powder
- 1/4 cup chocolate protein powder
- 2 tablespoons dutch cocoa
- 2 tablespoons flax seed meal or almond flour
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or butter
Instructions:
Blend all ingredients (except coconut oil / butter) until smooth. Heat frying pan on medium high heat and melt coconut oil / butter. Pour 1/3 cup batter into hot frying pan and cook for 2-4 minutes until edges firm. Flip pancake and cook another 2-3 minutes. Top with banana slices.
Turkey Avocado Grilled Cheese
Many different surveys have reported that grilled cheese is in the top 10 most common comfort foods in the US. Here’s a healthy twist on this classic comfort food – Turkey Avocado Grilled Cheese!!
Ingredients:
- 2 slices ezekiel bread
- 3 ultra thin slices of cheddar cheese
- 5 oz sliced turkey
- 1/2 avocado
- 3 slices on tomato
- 2-3 pats butter
Instructions:
- Butter both sides of the bread and put 1 piece of the bread into the frying pan (before turning the heat on) to assemble sandwich.
- On one side of the bread, put down 1 slice of cheese, then half of the turkey, avocado, tomato, and 1 slice of cheese.
- Then add the rest of the turkey, last cheese slice, and second piece of bread (again with both sides buttered).
- Turn on frying pan to medium high heat and cook until the the bottom cheese slice starts to melt.
- Flip to other side and cook until golden brown and all the cheese is melted.
Tips for Mindful Eating
Mindful eating is key to starting healthy eating habits! It helps you focus your attention on your food and the experience of eating, and being more present while you eat will add more joy to your life. Here are some tips on mindful eating:
- Eat slowly, this will allow your stomach to signal your brain that it’s full
- Savor each bite, really enjoy the smells, tastes, textures, and sight of your food
- Chew thoroughly, chewing your food 25+ times allows you to absorb more nutrients
- Sit down to eat at a table, do not eat at a desk or on the couch
- Focus on eating, do not multitask while eating
Start practicing mindful eating today by really savoring the first 2 bites or sips of each meal and drink!
Rosemary Garlic Mashed Potatoes & Cauliflower
Ingredients:
- 2 lb yellow potatoes
- 1 large head cauliflower (about 4-5 cups)
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 4+ cloves garlic
- 3/4 cup whole or 2% milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Pepper to taste
Gravy Ingredients:
- 1 large onion
- 8 oz button mushrooms
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 2 cups broth (chicken, beef, or vegetable)
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
Instructions:
- Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut into 1 inch pieces.
- Cut the cauliflower into small florets.
- Place cauliflower, potatoes, chicken broth, rosemary, and salt into large pot with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil and let cook 10 – 15 minutes.
- Add garlic and continue to cook for another 5 – 10 minutes or until the cauliflower and potatoes are tender.
- Chop onions, mushrooms, and parsley into a fine dice.
- Saute onions, mushrooms, parsley, and 1.5 cups broth until veggies are tender.
- Drain the potatoes and cauliflower and return to the large pot. Discard rosemary.
- Combine 1/2 cup broth, pepper, and cornstarch in a small jar. Shake vigorously until well combined, add to the sauteing vegetables.
- Bring gravy to a boil and stir occasionally, about 2 minutes
- Add butter, milk, and pepper to the potato cauliflower mixture. Mash to desired consistency. Garnish with chopped parsley.
Optimize Your Post Workout Recovery
Working out is great, but it uses a lot of your energy. In order to have optimum post workout recovery, you should eat the following foods 15 – 30 minutes after your workout:
- WATER
- Banana
- Dark chocolate (70%+ cacao)
- Greek yogurt or cottage cheese
- Eggs
- Tuna or salmon
- Quinoa
- Sweet potatoes
- Lean protein
Pork Fat is Healthy!
A recent research study analyzed and ranked 1,000 foods for nutritional content to rank the top health foods. Surprisingly, PORK FAT RANKED #8 HEALTHIEST FOOD, right after swiss chard and before beet greens!!! This is full of heart healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals!
Dark Chocolate Curbs Hunger Cravings
DARK CHOCOLATE CAN ACTUALLY HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT!!
Research studies have shown that people who smelled and ate unsweetened cacao nibs satisfied hunger cravings in a healthy, nutritious way and were able to prevent overeating.
Dark Chocolate Can Help Build Muscle
Did you know that eating dark chocolate can help you build muscle?
Dark chocolate has antioxidants called flavanols that help improve athletic performance and reduce the risk of stroke, cancer, diabetes.
Studies have shown that flavanols:
- Enhances blood circulation and lowers blood pressure, which improve athletic performance and muscle endurance.
- Reduces the enzymes that break down nitric oxide, which improves production of cell that rebuild muscles after intense workouts and improves recovery.
- Reduces glucose resistance, which improves glucose going into muscles cells and therefore improves muscle cell growth.
- Appetite suppressant, flavanols stimulate ghrelin which inhibits hunger.
- Indirectly enhances testosterone production, which leads to improved muscle strength, growth, and endurance.
Smokey Cauliflower Bacon Hash
Everyone knows that bacon is the best food ever! Here is a delicious, healthy recipe for smokey cauliflower bacon hash that can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner!
(Serves 4)
Ingredients:
- 1 large shallot
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 – 4 cloves of garlic
- 8 pieces of bacon
- 1 – 2 zucchini
- 1 – 2 lb mushrooms (shiitake, portobello, or white)
- 2 cup frozen riced cauliflower or fresh chopped cauliflower
- 8 eggs
- 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp chicken broth
- 1 – 2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Red pepper flakes to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (ensuring that there is a lip of parchment paper so that it can contain all the bacon grease). Put the bacon on the parchment paper. Bake in the oven for 13 – 17 minutes.
- Chop shallot into fine dice. Chop zucchini into small dice.
- Heat large frying pan on medium heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil.
- Saute shallots until softened, approx. 2 minutes.
- Add zucchini, mushrooms, garlic, salt/black pepper, paprika, italian seasoning, cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes. Saute 4-5 minutes or until vegetables soften.
- Add chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
- Add riced/chopped cauliflower and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- While cauliflower is cooking, cook the eggs by preheating a large frying pan on medium heat. Add olive oil, crack eggs and cook until egg whites are nearly set, then add 1/2 cup hot water and cover with lid. Let cook 30-60 seconds until yolks are a desired consistency.
- Remove from hash frying pan heat, stir in cheese and lemon juice.
- Chop bacon into bite sized pieces and add to hash.
- Divide into 4 servings and top with 2 eggs.
