MyProtein: Double Chocolate Chip Protein Cookie

Recently I was able to get my hands on the Protein Cookies from MyProtein and was way too excited. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a major sweet tooth, especially one for chocolate. Needless to say, I was beyond stoked to dig into this cookie.

When I took my first bite, I was amazed by how many chocolate chunks there were. (I'm allllll about that chunk factor being turned all the way up). I liked how the cookie tasted by itself, not too crispy or chewy, but perfectly soft. However, I decided that no harm could be done by warming it up. I popped it in the microwave for about 15 seconds and yeah, it turned out to be an excellent decision. The chocolate chips got all melty and the cookie was soft and warm....the only problem was that I got some chocolate on my fingers but um, let's just say that this was not an issue for long.

Overall, I was extremely impressed with this product. Great taste and quality in general.

Macros for one cookie are: 320 calories, 10g fat, 20g carb, 37.5 protein

Cinnamon Swirl Zucchini Waffles

If you follow me on Instagram, then you definitely know that I am obsessed with putting zucchini into any and all of my foods. It started as this weird need to eat something green in every meal of the day but now it's simply because zucchini is a great food for adding not only volume to recipes but also moisture for minimal calories (and yeah, yeah, yeah, it's good for you or whatever). It sounds weird but zucchini's taste is super mild and it can be masked relatively easily.

Once I acquired a waffle maker a few weeks ago (thanks mom) I knew that I could definitely figure out a way to make a zucchini waffle because, why not. It turned out amazingly and I've been having it almost every morning since I first made it! My recipe yields two almost full size waffles so bang for your buck + taste bud party = you should try this recipe (#DoIEvenMath)

Recipe:

 1/2 grated zucchini (squeeze excess water out with a paper towel)
40 g Kodiak Cakes mix
10 g whey (I used Cinnamon Swirl by Cellucor)
1/3 cup egg whites
1/2 tsp baking powder
Cinnamon and stevia to taste

Mix, cook, top, and devour!

Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Blondies

Made some Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Blondies today and they turned out great! I used the Jamie Eason Lean Body For Her Natural Whey Concentrate in Vanilla which I've been dying to try for such a long time now. It bakes SO well and the ingredients and flavor are both on point. Click here to check out this protein powder, you won't regret it! 

Recipe:
•1 cup chickpeas 
•3/4 cup pumpkin purée 
•2T sugar free syrup (I used hazelnut Torani but you could omit for just 2T more almond milk) 
•1/4 cup liquid egg whites 
•1 scoop Vanilla whey 
•2T almond milk 
•Vanilla extract 
•1/2tsp baking powder 
•Chocolate chips to taste 
•2 stevia packets
 
Blend all ingredients except for chocolate chips and pour into a greased dish. Bake at 350 for about 30-40 minutes.
 
Macros (serves 6): 96 calories, 2.1g fat, 12.5 carbs, 8.3 protein

Chocolate Peppermint Protein Brownies

Just because the holidays are over doesn't mean I still won't be baking all kinds of festive food.
Whipped up some Peppermint Chocolate Chip brownies a few weeks ago - they're not super fluffy but they are really dense and thick which is how I prefer my brownies anyway. I used pumpkin to make them a little more dense which sounds kind of funky but I promise you can't taste it; the peppermint extract does a good job at masking it. 


Peppermint Chocolate Chip Brownies: 

Dry ingredients:
1.5 cups old fashioned oats
1 T chocolate fudge SF hello mix
2 T cocoa powder
1 scoop whey (I used chocolate chip cookie dough by @cellucor)
1/2 tsp baking powder
Stevia to taste

Wet ingredients:
2 eggs
1 egg white
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
1/4 cup pumpkin purée
 
Mix both wet and dry ingredients individually and then add together. Fold in chocolate chips and pour into greased dish. Top with crushed candy cane pieces if you like.  

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes and cut into 9 slices. ✨Macros for 1 slice: 117 calories, 3.4g fat, 16g carbs (2.4 fiber), 7.2 protein✨
 
Macros will differ based on the chocolate chips/candy cane you use.

Tiramisu Egg White Proats

Like most fit foodies out there, I'm always looking to get the most volume I can get from my foods. Tricking myself into thinking I'm getting ginormous portion sizes is a great way to help me stay full longer, something that's pretty difficult to do. Egg white oats are something that I've always been skeptical of but have recently fallen madly in love with.

I recently took a trip to WalMart and picked up some rum extract which lead me to thinking this would be the perfect time to whip up some Tiramisu oats. These were amazing - the coffee, rum, vanilla, and cinnamon flavors all work together so perfectly. Definitely try these out and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup oats
• Rum extract
• Vanilla extract
• Stevia
• Cinnamon
• 1T Chia seeds
• 3T or 1 Egg white(s)
• 1/4 scoop Cinnamon Swirl whey (I used Cellucor)
• Toppings!

Directions:
Cook 1/2 cup of oats in 1 cup of water for about 3 minutes. Then, add in your extracts (the amount varies to your own personal preference), 1 stevia packet, and 3T egg whites. Microwave the oats in :30 second intervals, stirring vigorously each time, until the egg whites have cooked and the oats have fluffed up. This usually takes me about 3-4 intervals. Add 1T chia seeds and cinnamon to taste. I also took the time to add in a bit of my coffee I had made, just to get some flavor in, not too much though. Once the oats have cooled a bit, add in 1/4 scoop or 1T cinnamon swirl whey. Top and devour! I used some berries and a TBSP of all natural peanut butter for some classic perfection.

Macros, Intuitive Eating, and Finding a Balance

Numbers. Who would have ever thought that I would let something as silly as numbers control my life so much?

In the beginning of my weight loss journey, numbers were a vital ingredient towards my success. I'm sure most weight loss beginners feel the same. Counting calories and tracking macros all made me feel in control. I knew that if I tinkered around on MyFitnessPal for long enough and was able to fit in 11g of peanut butter into my sixth meal of the day, then I would hit my calorie goals and I would wake up with a flatter stomach and a happier brain. This kind of thinking kept me on track, held me accountable, and led me to lose about 50 pounds.

However, I'm realizing that there needs to be an end game to all of this. Like so many people I follow on Instagram, I am realizing that the numbers game cannot be forever. I know that I can't be tracking calories for the rest of my life and staying home while my friends are out to dinner because I couldn't find the restaurants nutrition information is a total waste of my time. Even while I was away at school for this past year, I am saddened thinking about how many meals I missed out on with friends because I was worried about being able to count calories.

This obsessive behavior has led me to gain weight as well. Our bodies need varying amounts of fuel each day depending on our activity level and telling your body you're only going to allow if 2000 calories, 60g  of fat, 250g of carbs, and 150g of protein (for example, not my own macros), is ridiculous. Some days I would be ravenous but wouldn't eat because I had already met my macros and some days I wasn't hungry at all but I would try desperately to meet my macros for fear of my metabolism slowing down.

I'm also realizing that this behavior has led me to make some pretty unhealthy choices in my eating. Rather than eating a salad or a vegetable dish at a the dining hall because I couldn't find the macros, I would eat a bagel or something because I could track that. Yes, I would still eat my macros and everything in moderation blah blah blah, but overall, I believe that eating a bunch of bagels and missing out on some great and healthy alternatives is not good for you. Simple as that.

So yes, I do support counting macros if you're a figure competitor or something and I worry about intuitive eating not because I'm scared I'll gain weight but because sometimes I'm scared I'll sell myself too short, but you know what? I've spent a full year of my life playing around on MFP and the time has come for me to move on. I'm 20 years old and should be enjoying life, not stressing about having a 6.5 oz sweet potato instead of 6.2 oz one.

I hope by proclaiming all of this on my blog, I will be held more accountable. For the next two weeks I am hereby making a promise to all of you and myself to:
1. Not track a single macro
2. Not weigh myself (another obsessive and stupid habit)
3. To eat wholesome and nutritious foods
4. To be spontaneous with my eating

I'm hoping in two weeks I'll feel healthier, look better, and will really be able to be on the road to a macro-less lifestyle. And after the two weeks? I hope to continue on with this! I'm just saying two weeks to make this goal seem a little less daunting.

"If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you". Let's see how true this holds up to be!

NuGo Slim Protein Bars Review

Hey all!

So recently I was sent two protein bars from NuGo nutrition to try out and review! I was so excited to try these out since, if we're going to be perfectly honest, protein bars are expensive and..um...#poorcollegekidproblems. But also because these bars are vegan and I love getting the chance to try protein bars that aren't made from whey isolate. One of my favorites is the Larabar ALT bars that are made with pea protein. They're also gluten free, perfect for all you Celiacs and others trying to be trendy (kidding!) ;)

These bars are also made with REAL dark chocolate and are the only protein bars out there to do so. Both bars I tried were entirely coated in rich and creamy chocolate, it was so freaking good.

The first one I tried was the Espresso flavor. The first thing I noticed about this bar was how rich the dark chocolate coating was. Not too thick, not too thin, jusssstttt right. The espresso flavor was also perfect. It came through nicely and wasn't overpowered by the chocolate; the two flavors complemented each other nicely. I also really loved how crispy this bar was! Not crumbly like a lot of protein bars and had a great and satisfying crunch.

Look at all those perfect crispies! So delicious.

 The  next bar I tried was the Crunchy Peanut Butter flavor. I knew this one would be good because, I mean, it's peanut butter and chocolate. Kind of hard to mess that up. Luckily, I was right. This bar was the perfect pairing of smooth and rich peanutty goodness paired with rich, dark chocolate. Again, same awesome texture as the Espresso bar and equally as crunchy.
                                             
All in all, these were awesome protein bars that I'm so happy I got to try out. Normally vegan protein bars have kind of a bad rap but I straight up forgot these were vegan while I was eating them. The macros for these bars are also great for those of you interested in that. I'll post them here:

Espresso: 170 Cals, 5g fat, 20g carbs (7g fiber), 16g protein, 3g sugar
Peanut Butter: 180 Cals, 7g fat, 18g carbs (7g fiber), 17g protein, 3g sugar

Click here for more information about these bars and here to use their store locator to find where they're sold near you (US and Canada only).

Nut Butters Galore!

I, like many other health foodies, love, love, LOVE trying out new nut butters. They are a great source of fats and proteins and are absolutely delicious. I can't even imagine anymore how I went through so much of my life having only known of plain peanut butter, chunky or smooth, when there are so many out there now that I couldn't imagine living without. In the last year or so I have tried quite a variety of brands so I figured I would start documenting my opinions on them in order to help some newbies out with selecting brands. I'll be constantly updating this list since I try and refrain from buying the same brands over and over again so keep checking back for more!

Peanut Butter & Co. - Smooth Operator: Your classic smooth peanut butter; no complaints here.

Peanut Butter & Co.- Crunch Time: Again, a classic. Perfect amount of peanut crunch in every bite.

Peanut Butter & Co. - Dark Chocolate Dreams: Absolutely love this one. Really rich and dark chocolate flavor but the peanutty-ness still comes through. If you don't like dark chocolate this one wouldn't be for you as it's definitely has a dark and rich taste, not like a regular milk chocolate.

Peanut Butter & Co. - White Chocolate Wonderful: This is a staple in my nut butter collection. It's just like a regular smooth peanut butter but it has these sweet notes in it that make the nut butter even more rich and delicious. Very sweet, very tasty.

Peanut Butter & Co.- Cinnamon Raisin Swirl: This nut butter is a favorite of mine as I love all things cinnamon. Unlike DCD and WCW, this one tastes very sugary. It kind of has a little crunch in it because of all the cinnamon sugar. If you're concerned about raisins for any reason, I actually don't see too many of them in this nut butter; definitely not overwhelming.

Peanut Butter & Co.- Mighty Maple: Sweeter than a regular PB but also has that sugary crunch like Cinnamon Raisin Swirl. The maple flavor isn't too prominent in my opinion, but it's definitely sweet in a different way than WCW is.

Justin's - Almond Butter: Smooth and rich and a little gritty. Definitely not liquid-y like some other almonds can be. I really like the consistency of this brand in general.

Justin's - Vanilla Almond Butter: GOLD. LITERAL GOLD IN A JAR. I am such a huge fan of this stuff; so so sweet and the vanilla complements the almond butter perfectly without overwhelming it. A little on the pricey side but I will definitely continue to repurchase.

Justin's - Maple Almond Butter: I've only had this in the squeeze/sample packs but it's been great every time. I love pairing this with graham crackers and apples. Sweet but not as much as the Vanilla AB. Still lovely though.

Justin's - Chocolate Hazelnut Butter: Rich and warm and very smooth. Beats Nutella every time in my book. The chocolate flavor is milkier and smoother than the PB&Co. Dark Chocolate Dreams in case that was too much for you.

PB Crave - Cookie Nookie: Great peanut butter. Smooth and sweet and the little chocolate chips in it make it so delicious and creamy. Not a healthier brand by any means but it's really great.

MaraNatha All Natural Creamy Almond Butter: A classic. Not as gritty as Justin's and definitely much more liquid-y but the almond taste is phenomenal and it pairs well with everything.

MaraNatha All Natual Crunchy Almond Butter: Gritter than the creamy version but delicious; the little chunks of almonds add an extra pop. This brand has more of a roasted flavor in my opinion as well.

Barney Butter - Creamy Almond Butter: This brand is definitely something different in terms of almond butters. It has the great taste of a classic almond butter but with the consistency of a regular peanut butter; no grit, just smooth and creamy. I am a huge fan. Even though it's just a regular almond butter, it's almost like a different flavor because of how different the consistency is compared to most.

Earth Balance - Coconut Peanut Butter: Absolutely NAILED the coconut flavor. A nice and smooth peanut butter but with sweet coconut notes that really kick it up a notch. 

Wild Friends - Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter: Not a huge favorite in my book. The chocolate flavor is great but I find it hard to taste the coconut. Sort of just like a regular Chocolate PB that's a little off.

Wild Friends - Chocolate Almond Butter with Sunflower Seeds: This one really nailed the pairing of chocolate with almond butter. The sunflower seeds also add a pleasant crunch that isn't too overwhelming and adds the perfect amount of savory taste to the sweet nut butter.The chocolate almost tastes fudge-y, it's amazing.

Barney Butter - Crunchy Almond Butter: Same great smooth texture as the creamy version but with almond chunks. Instead of MaraNatha's crunchy almond butter though, where the chunks are almonds with the skin on them, these chunks are just the inside of the almond. Resembles a crunchy peanut butter a lot.

Wild Friends - Vanilla Espresso Almond Butter: This was so exciting to try since I'd heard so much about it. The espresso taste was a lot stronger than I imagined it to be. Perfectly gritty, I really loved it.

Kolat Superfoods - Cherry Vanilla Almond Butter: The texture of this almond butter is out of control! Perfect balance of creaminess matched with grit. You don't get the vanilla taste as much as you do with Justin's Vanilla Almond Butter but it's still there, just a tad more mild. Little chewy cherry chunks are dispersed throughout the jar too; the combination of tart cherry with sweet vanilla is absolutely awesome.

PB Crave - Razzle Dazzle Peanut Butter: The texture of these brand's nut butters is great, really smooth and creamy. The raspberry flavor is definitely strong. It's surprising because unlike other nut butters with fruit where the fruit is just in chunks throughout, this one has the raspberry taste infused in. It's awesome. The white chocolate chunks are also a great addition as they add a perfect amount of sweet.

Wild Friends - Honey Pretzel Peanut Buter: Absolutely love. Perfect amount of salty, crunchy, pretzel chunks to complement the nut butter. It's like a regular crunchy peanut butter but better.

PB Crave - Choco Choco: Least favorite out of the PB Crave nut butter's that I've tried so far. Not bad, just nothing to write home about. Same as Cookie Nookie in terms of consistency but doesn't have that extra punch. Higher carbs than most nut butter's as well (11g for 2 TBSP) so overall not so worth the buy.

Trader Joe's - Crunchy Peanut Butter with Chia and Flax Seeds: Phenomenal. Texture is great, nut butter doesn't have too many peanut chunks but just the right amount as well as a good amount of chia seeds as well. Have already re-purchased.

Nuts N More - Toffee Crunch: OUT OF THIS WORLD. Everyone needs to bow down to this nut butter. Fantastic macros and tastes almost sugary, like it has that extra crunch to it. Sweet and creamy and melts wonderfully. Only downside is it's kind of hard to track down and fairly expensive but totally worth it.

Jif Whips - Maple & Brown Sugar: Amazing. Sweet without being overpowering and warm. Love the texture of the whips brand and how creamy they are.

Jif Whips - Pumpkin Spice: Same as the Maple Brown Sugar, but I think I like this one a little bit more. Has a great warmth similar to the maple flavor but a little more spice which I love. 

Trader Joe's - Creamy Cashew Butter: Literally liquid sex in a jar. Melty and salty and creamy and perfect. Have already repurchased and will do so time and time again. Best cashew butter I've ever had, wayyyy better than the Artinisa (?) brand IMO.