Strawberry Hot Chocolate

It's that time of year again, the time of year when I start craving literally anything that has sugar in it. And by "year" I obviously mean day.

I have a MAJOR sweet tooth and can't go a day without some kind of chocolate in my lifestyle. One of my favorite ways to eat chocolate is when it's covered around a nice, juicy, strawberry. One of the all time best combos in my opinion is berries with chocolate (or pretty much anything with chocolate. Like even vegetables, I'm that much of a freak).

One of my mom and I's favorite things to do is watch cooking shows on the Food Network, specifically Barefoot Contessa and Giada at Home, and just completely heckle them while the show's going. I mean, I think Giada's cool and everything but for the love of God, just say "parmesean", not "parmagiano". We get it, you're Italian.

The other day, my mom and I watched Giada make a Strawberry Hot Chocolate and seeing how this recipe was easy enough that her toddler helped her to do the whole thing, I figured it was a recipe simple enough to where I couldn't mess it up. Here's my spin on it!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 TBSP cocoa powder (*tip - for an extra boost of protein, use chocolate whey instead!)
• 3-4 strawberries
• Chocolate chips (optional)
• Stevia to taste

Simply combine the almond milk and cocoa, heat it up until it reaches the desired temperature, blend it all up with the strawberries and chocolate chips, and enjoy!

Alternatively, to make this drink more summer appropriate, you could take this blended mixture, pour it into an ice tray, and blend it up once it's frozen for a frozen hot chocolate!

Hope you all enjoy!

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).

Healthy Eating: Dining Hall Edition

This post goes out to all my fellow college students out there. Plain and simple: eating healthy is HARD. And it gets a million times harder when you have to eat food that you have no control over, all while having to stare at buffet lines filled with mashed potatoes, greasy pizzas, fried foods galore, and ice cream sundae bars at the same time. It's taken me a long time to try and figure out how to eat healthfully in the dining halls all while still keeping in mind that moderation is key and that treating myself from time to time is important.

Here I've decided to include some of what my meals look like when I'm in the dining hall. No they are not 100% "clean" but they balance a mix of foods I enjoy with foods that are good for me.

Breakfast: Unlike most college students, this isn't my first meal of the day since I'm on the crew team and we practice at 5:20 a.m. six days a week. So usually on my way to the boathouse, I'll have a piece of fruit or a granola or protein bar of some sort. Then I'll get breakfast with my team. I mix it up either by having some plain greek yogurt mixed with cinnamon and some fruit, usually an apple or a banana, and some good old peanut butter of course. Other times I'll have some oatmeal; sometimes it's made already and other times the dining hall puts out instant packets of it. Again, with peanut butter. Lastly, I'll have cereal with soymilk (not because I'm a vegan but because I just really like the taste of it!) I mix up a bunch of cereals since I love them and douse it in milk. I don't eat this too often since I have a tendency to go a little overboard but it's definitely a favorite. Unpictured favorite meals of mine also include a bagel with some peanut butter or some toast.

Lunch: I won't lie, this meal tends to be the one I rarely eat in the dining hall. I'm just always pretty busy during the middle of the day and it's kind of a hassle to leave my dorm to go get some food so I tend to stick to eating whatever I have in my room. However, when I do venture into public, I love to go to my school's vegan/vegetarian dining hall since I'm a vegetarian and they have the BEST stuff. The second picture shows a favorite meal from that dining hall which is a Gardein chik'n cutlet, penne with spinach, some broccoli, mushrooms, and a few thick cut fries. Super delicious. The first picture includes a meal from one of the traditional dining halls where I filled up my plate with spinach and swiss chard, then topped it with a bit of pasta and pink sauce, and a small square of spanikopita.

Dinner: My school tends to have a variety of dinner options which I love. This meal also tends to be my smallest of the day since I'm less hungry as I work out in the mornings. I try and stick to having a meal mostly comprised of veggies since that's something I don't have in my room, and a few other sources of some healthy carbohydrates and proteins. Pictured first is a plate of spinach topped with a marinated zucchini and squash mix, as well as some black bean chili. On the side is a huge sweet potato; it's a great day when the dining hall has these. The second picture is some barbecued tofu, brussell sprouts, and some pasta salad/cole slaw mix. Also had some tomato soup with chips on the side.

**Note: This is NOT all I eat, not even close. I am always snacking on fruit or Quest bars or other random things. And I always, always, always, make sure to drink plenty of water. I aim for four 32oz. bottles of water a day as well as some glasses of green tea along the way.

Let me know what other posts you'd like to see from me! I'll be heading back home in just two weeks so the food I eat will definitely be changing a bit; keep your eyes peeled!

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.