Healthy Banana Nut Muffins

These muffins are one of the best guilt-free, low-calorie, satisfying snacks for your everyday needs. Also, our bananas were nearly black. And that’s when you know it’s time for one of the many banana recipes. And being right after Thanksgiving, this was an easy choice. I added pecans for a little extra protein and healthy fat. Also, they were leftover from our sweet potato casserole. You gotta use what you got! This recipe is ridiculously easy, in fact I made two batches. And it’s uber healthy with plenty of fiber since it uses whole-wheat flour. Only takes about 15 minutes to cook and less to prepare.

Look how black these are

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
Baking Time: 15-18 minutes

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2-3 bananas
2 eggs
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup hot water

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease your muffin tin
Mix together the dry ingredients (flour, salt, & baking soda) in a small bowl

In another bowl, pour the honey and oil in and whisk it up until it’s totally mixed together
Now crack those eggs and mix it up with the honey and oil

Next, we want to mash those black bananas into a nice gooey mess. I like a few chunks of banana because that’s always fun to bite into when it’s cooked. Spoon in the bananas and stir into the wet mixture.

mashmashmash

Okay! Now it’s time to marry the dry and wet ingredients. Slowly stir in the dry mixture into the wet, alternating with the hot water. Do this until both the flour mixture and hot water are gone.

delicious batter

Now it’s time to chop up those pecans into quarters and stir them into our beautiful mix.

Chop chop!

Almost there! Now we want to spoon the mixture into each spot in your muffin tin, and try to make them all equal if you can.

Put into the oven for around 15-18 minutes. Stick a fork or toothpick in the middle to see if they’re done. If there’s tons of batter on the toothpick, leave it for a few minutes.
Let cool for a few minutes and then slowly scrape them out!

Oh, the glory!

This recipe came out beautifully. The muffins were moist, not too sweet, and full of whole-wheat goodness. They are perfect for Chris when he has to eat breakfast on the run and perfect for me to shove in my face between clients. Don’t miss out on this easy, healthy recipe! Bake these delicious muffins to stay hungry and fit!

Question of the Day: What are your favorite quick baking snacks?

BONUS KITTY PIC

Nymeria and Piper, the dog, got along great!

Sep292013

Easy Peasy Oat Bars

This has been on my recipe to-do list for a while now. An easy, healthy snack to bring on the go if I needed to. And to share with friends, of course. I also love recipes that are very customizable, you can add anything to this…within reason. Chris also really liked these, so I know they’re a good hit. Try this recipe out and play around with it, have fun! I got it from here, a famous blogger, but tweaked it for my own needs.

Square of happiness

Serves: 9
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Baking Time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients

2 cup oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup turbinado sugar (I will probably play around with this one too–using honey or trying without!)
3/8 cup olive oil
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup dried cherries

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F
Grease up a baking pan that’s a few inches deep
Mix up the wet ingredients first and then mix in the dry. Stir it up until smooth

Scoop the smooth mixture into the baking pan and make even

Get ready to bake

Pop it in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Mine was ready in about 23 minutes. Let it cool for a bit and then cut into squares

Cut it up!

Yes, that’s how easy it is. I’m already planning to bake another batch tonight for the upcoming week. They are the perfect snack, below 250 calories and full of fiber and healthy fats. They’ll keep you satisfied for those busy hours when you don’t have time to put together a good snack or meal. And like I said, feel free to play around with it! I’m going to try chocolate chips, maybe throw some nuts in there, use honey instead of sugar, etc. Use this recipe to stay hungry and fit!

You might also like…

BONUS KITTY PIC

Nymeria watching Spongebob…obviously has good taste like me ^.^

Sep112013

Chocolate Protein Rounds [No Baking Required]

My friend made me a batch of these for my birthday last week and I devoured way too many. Like wayyyy too many. But who cares, you only have a birthday once a year, right? Luckily, these things are pretty healthy and help me get my daily protein intake, so I wasn’t too worried. She had given me the recipe a long time ago, but I just never got around to making them. The original recipe doesn’t necessarily call for chocolate protein powder, but it’s all we have so I decided to give it a go. Really glad I did–super easy. And it’s nice not to bake when it’s 80 degrees out! I altered it somewhat and it turned out well!

My own version of a Hershey’s Kiss…without the slave labor!

Ingredients

1 cup oats
1 cup chunky peanut butter
2 cups chocolate protein powder (you could do vanilla, though)
1 tbsp honey
2/3 cup Silk Vanilla Unsweetened Almondmilk (you can use regular)
1 tbsp dried cherries (you can use any dried fruit)
1 tbsp raisins
2 tbsp walnuts
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions

Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl

Dry ingredients mixed together

Mix the wet ingredients in a smaller bowl. It’s tough at first because of the peanut butter, but I just whisked it down until it was well-mixed and of one mixture
Slowly mix the wet into the dry ingredient bowl. First I used a whisk, but in the end I had to use a wooden spoon to really mix it well.

Take out a cookie sheet and place wax paper on top. Then scoop out bite-sized pieces of the mixture and line it up on the wax paper.

Put into the freezer for 30 minutes. Remove from the freezer and then wrap them individually with wax paper, otherwise it’s a sticky mess. Place in fridge until ready to eat!

Ready to go in the fridge

I am so glad the chocolate protein powder worked out. This is such a good snack before or after a workout. Gives you a bit of energy, but doesn’t weigh you down and has a good amount of protein to keep your muscles happy. It’s an unbelievably easy recipe and a great way to stay hungry and fit!

You might also like…

BONUS KITTY PIC

Sajah caught sleeping on the job

Aug222013

No-Bake, No-Sugar Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Woah, what a title. Are you out of breath? Well you should be, because these are delicious. I took the recipe from this blog (which I think will be a new favorite of mine) and took out the sugar and reduced the butter. The other day, I was simply craving to bake something, but we didn’t have many ingredients in the house. We did, however, have these ingredients. This is such an easy recipe to make such decadent cookies. And you don’t even have to turn on the oven! Amen to that for hot summer nights.

Piled up, ready for eatage

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
Baking Time: …0 minutes
Makes: 9 (I cut the recipe in half, if you want to double it, the way OMFG So Good did it, go for it!)

Ingredients

2 cups oats
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup heavy cream (or whipping cream)
3/4 stick butter
1/4 cup agave or honey

Directions

Line a baking sheet (or two) with parchment paper
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream, cocoa powder, butter, and honey.

I just thought it looked pretty

Mix and stir until butter is melted.
Bring to a boil for a little over a minute and then take off heat

Boiling boiling boiling

Once off the heat, stir in the peanut butter, vanilla, and oats. Stir it real well, getting it as smooth as you can with such ingredients.

All stirred up!

Use an ice cream scooper (this is the perfect way to do it!) and scoop a ball of each and plop it on your baking sheet.
Once they’re all lined up, let them cool for a bit and then put them in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Once nice and cool, go ahead and serve! It’s delicious with a glass of milk (almond or regular, your choice)

Ready to be gobbled up

And that’s it! Pretty simple, huh? I give thanks again to OMFG So Good (brilliant blog title too) for bringing this to my attention. And by bringing, I mean I hunted the recipe down. These are very decadent cookies, rich with the mixed combination of chocolate and peanut butter (Reese’s, anyone?). That is a combination I can near never refuse. This recipe has plenty of protein, fiber, and unsaturated fat to keep you satisfied in the afternoon! Use this recipe to stay hungry and fit!

You might also like…

BONUS KITTY PIC

Nymeria exploring the shower…

Aug182013

Green Protein Smoothie

This may surprise you, but I’ve never really done “juicing” or used spinach in my smoothies. Sure I’ve had carrot/apple juices, but it’s just not something I’m into (nor am I against it–just don’t have a juicer). However, when I saw this recipe from one of my favorite bloggers, I had to try it immediately! Yes, it has spinach in it, but don’t let that deter you! It also has peanut butter, banana, and greek yogurt in it! Those are the ingredients that pulled me in. I actually wanted to make this a few days ago, but we had everything except bananas (I had just made these muffins). I was heartbroken. So the next day, we went and got bananas so I could make this first thing. I changed this recipe a little: went from smooth to chunky peanut butter, used almond milk instead of regular, and, of course, threw some protein powder in there.

Macros (per serving)

Calories: 261
Fat: 5.7g
Carbs: 28g
Protein: 28.6g

Ingredients

1 cup raw spinach
1/3 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup Silk Vanilla Unsweeted Almondmilk
1 tsp chunky peanut butter
1 tsp honey
1 scoop unflavored protein powder (but a vanilla flavor would do well too)
5 ice cubes

Directions

Throw the ice, milk, yogurt, banana, spinach, peanut butter, and honey into the blender. Press “ice crush” a few times to get that ice down to bits. Then blend.
Once it starts to become mixed, throw the protein powder in.
Serve!

Yum

Pretty easy directions and it serves well anytime of the day. I was a little cautious about trying it, with spinach being the main ingredient of the smoothie. However, I threw a straw in and went for it. I was so pleased and surprised–it was delicious! You could taste all the subtle flavors. The spinach didn’t overpower it at all but rather shared the palate well with the peanut butter and banana. I wish I had two servings because it was so tasty, but I was actually quite full and satisfied just after one. And I absolutely love the natural color the spinach brings out–a light fresh green. Use this recipe to stay hungry and fit!

You might also like…

BONUS KITTY PIC

Jul242013

5-Minute Protein Pancakes

So I’m still prepping for contest, so I’m upping my protein and lowering carbs somewhat. It’s about two hours before my second workout (just cardio) and my tummy is rumbling. Hmmm…what to eat? I don’t want to eat any straight-up carbs (during this LAST week of contest, I’ll get my carbohydrate grams from other sources like veggies and shakes) like cereal or oatmeal, I don’t feel like having tunafish or a salad, but I could always use more protein. Hmm…oh yes–protein pancakes! I had played around with a recipe before, didn’t quite get it how I wanted it, so I used this recipe and altered it a bit to fit my needs. It’s extremely easy and filled me up without feeling sluggish.

Oooooh yes!

Jul142013

Chocolate Strawberry Lean Protein Shake

By complete accident, this is the most delicious, simple, and healthy protein shake I have ever made. It’s been about 90+ degrees all week here, and today I chose to wear long-legged under-armor (I’m a trainer so I wear workout gear to work), and unfortunately, the AC in the trainer office was broken. On the ride home, my heat kept rising and I knew I needed something cold, refreshing, and nutritious. After all, I am still prepping for contest. This is also the first time I’ve had protein powder since my protein shake hell week, so I was a little nervous because my at the end of that week, my body started feeling disgusted towards that stuff. But don’t worry, it was allllll good. Please follow this SIMPLE on-a-whim recipe for a healthy delicious protein shake. Here are the macros:

Calories: 193
Fat: 5.7g
Carbs: 11.5g
Protein: 26.5g

DELICIOUS.

Ingredients

1 cup Silk Vanilla Unsweetened Almondmilk
6 frozen medium strawberries [if you don’t have frozen strawberries, you can use regular and throw some ice cubes in]
1 scoop MTS Machine Whey Chocolate Protein

[Yup. That’s it.]

Directions

Measure out a cup of unsweetened almond milk

Place 6 frozen strawberries in the blender

Put one scoop of protein powder in and blend! I let it blend for a while longer than usual, probably about 20-30 seconds.

DELICIOUS.

THAT’S IT. Ridiculously simple. I was actually in awe when I first tasted it. I really didn’t expect it to be that delicious. What’s better than chocolate and strawberries? Exactly. Look at those macros and tell me this isn’t perfect. You will feel so full and so satisified after (I felt like this was a cheat meal because it was so delicious, but it was the opposite). DEFINITELY use this to stay hungry and fit!

You might also like…

BONUS KITTY PIC

Cuddle demons

Jul072013

The Perfect July 4th Treat: Stuffed Strawberries

Now that I think about it, it doesn’t need to be July 4th…it can be any nation’s pride day who has red white and blue. And you aren’t limited just to July 4th either because it’s a healthy and delicious treat! I may have served these on July 5th, but that’s only because we already had rhubarb pies made by my grandma. This special dish involves fruit, dairy, and happiness and doesn’t take longer than 15-20 minutes to make! I got it from here and added a bit of lemon into it and took out some sugar.

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes

Cooking Time: …non-existent

Ingredients

a tin of strawberries (I just usually get the regular pound at the grocery)
a tin of blueberries (same thing)
5 oz marscapone
juice of a lemon
lemon zest
2 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Wash the fruit and pat dry all of it

Beautiful sight

Take the strawberries and cut the green ends off and also a little portion of the tip so they can stand upright on a platter
Take a melon baller and ball out of the bottom, creating a crevasse.

Once your strawberries are all “pitted” and plated, let’s turn to the filling. Put 5 ounces of marscapone cheese and put it in a small-medium bowl

I would next do the lemon juice. Cut the lemon in half and squeeeeeze all that juice out.
Next, grind the lemon on a grater and get a good amount of zest (people say 1 tsp, but I eyeball it)
Then, throw the powdered sugar and vanilla in and stir! Mix it all up really well

Hard not to eat it all

Now comes the most difficult part: take the marscapone mixture and put it into a re-sealable bag and snip a corner off. Use this contraption to fill the pits in the strawberries up with the mixture

Once all the strawberries are filled to perfection, place the blueberries on top of the cream in the strawberries. And that’s it!

Yum yum yum

This is an easy, healthy treat you can substitute for pie or something else you’d like to stay away from on those holiday food feasts. Fresh fruit and sweet cheese. How could it go wrong? It’s easy to do, pretty to the eye, and delicious enough to impress. Make this recipe if you’re looking to stay hungry and fit!

You might also like…

Jul032013

2-Ingredient Healthy Energy Rounds

Some of you may know that we are travelling to Iowa tonight (yes, we’re driving over night, 7pm-9am probably) for a 4th of July family reunion. Some may run screaming at the words, “family reunion,” but I always look forward to the chaos of it all…and the delicious food of course. I love family! And many of you know that I’m currently prepping for contest so I’m doing very clean eating. My meals mostly contain tuna, other fish, vegetables like spinach and peppers, almonds, oatmeal and brown rice. Sounds boring, but I’m alright with it (especially with hot sauce). OKAY GET TO THE POINT–I need healthy, clean food for the road trip there for my attempt to stay awake. Luckily I stumbled upon this blog for the idea.

Of course, we’re bringing fruit and fiber cereal to snack on, but I wanted to bake a little something so here we are. Basically, 2-ingredient rounds full of energy and electrolytes! I can’t even tell you how easy this was to make. Perfect and delicious for snacks on the go.

Simple and delicious

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Baking Time: 12-15 minutes

Ingredients

1.5 cup oats
2 bananas (mashed)
almonds (optional)
cinnamon (optional)

Directions

You’re probably saying, “That’s IT?” to the above. Yep. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
To start off, mash up your bananas really well, get it nice and smooth.

mash mash mash

I had some almonds I wanted to use, so I decided to add it into the mix. Again, you don’t have to do anything more than oatmeal and bananers. If you want to use almonds, cut or grind them up.

Pathetic amount of almonds (I HATE cutting them)

Now you want to mix it all together in a big bowl. Start with a base of oats and almonds and then add the mashed bananas in and stir.

Mixed up!

Make sure you mix it all up really well. I added cinnamon to it because I LOVE cinnamon and put it in everything. Now line up a baking sheet with wax paper or you can use a cooking spray/oil. Plop those rounds on there. Should make about 12.

Ready to bake

Bake for about 12-15 minutes (mine took 13). Let cool and then EAT.

Ready to be EATEN

They are so easy and delicious, it’s the perfect energy snack for on-the-go. And it is HEALTHY. No crap in it! And I’d imagine they’d be lovely with milk. Again, this takes no time at all, I did it while packing to show that it’s easy. Enjoy this quick, delicious, nutritious recipe to stay hungry and fit!

Simple and delicious

You might also like…

BONUS KITTY PIC

Sajah sleeps for EVERY kitty pic…sigh

Jun022013

Fit’s Favorite Spot: Yogurtland (Los Angeles, CA)

For the past few years or so, frozen yogurt has started to trend and is now a craze. I am certainly not separate from this craze–I love it too! It’s refreshing, delicious, and cheap! If you go to the right place, of course… And that leads me to Yogurtland. It is always a must-stop when I visit home in California (as there are none nearby in Boulder, CO). They call themselves “the land of endless yogurt possibilities,” and it is so true.

You can find yogurt places everywhere, we even have a favorite here in Boulder. But for me, Yogurtland tops them all. Why? Many reasons. First, let’s start with the incredible flavor selection: there’s always something for everyone, whether you feel like chocolate, tart, fruit, or any of the crazy flavors they come up with. When we were there, they were doing some “travel the world” mission to get different flavors from all over the world. They always have the best. And ENDLESS toppings too.

Second, they put real ingredients in their yogurt. If you get pistachio yogurt, there’s pistachio in there. They do it with real milk and use seasonal fruit. It always leaves you feeling refreshed and happy, unlike other places that will make you feel bloated and a little off. Third, they make sure to stock your yogurt up with all the probiotics you need, leaving you with a healthy gut and a happy belly with their deliciousness. And another big one, the price. You go to a lot of these yogurt places (one near our college comes to mind) and they are crazy expensive. Sometimes it’s just not worth it. But not at Yogurtland! 35 cents per ounce. Guaranteed for a delicious, healthy (depending on toppings), cheap treat.

My latest cup

This is a raving review of this place. I have loved this franchise since I first had it and no other yogurt place could ever stand beside it. I used to be a Pinkberry person, but never again. My favorite combo is tart with some other fruit flavors (acai if they have it) and I put toppings like mochi, lots of fruit, and sometimes yogurt chips (redundant, I know) on as well. I’ve turned on lots of family and friends to this place and it’s always worth the trip to Little Little Tokyo (not in Downtown LA, but in Westwood). If you have one in your state, make the trip there and go to froyo heaven.