Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Carrot Cake Batter Shake

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It’s perfectly acceptable to drink your dessert.

My sister made me my faovrite carrot cake for my birthday.  It was amazing, but sadly I can’t eat like that every day.  Well, I could, but it would require me to live in a sugar coma.

I’ve been working on a healthy alternative to my favorite cake for a while now.  In protein shake form, of course. 🙂

After a few weeks of tweaks with the spice levels, I hit it spot on.  This protein-rich carrot cake batter even got the stamp of approval from my trainer.

He’s picky, so I kept the green out for him.  Feel free to toss in a handful of spinach as you see fit.

I love the ginger and cinnamon in the “batter.”  Those spices are what seals the deal to make it reminiscent of carrot cake.  The tofu makes it creamy, like batter.  Add some vanilla and nutmeg, and you have a cake batter you can feel good about eating.  Yes, you may lick the spatula.

Last night I tried it one last time pre-posting.  I increased the spices slightly so that I could add more ice to create ice cream in my Vitamix without losing flavor.

It worked.

Carrot Cake Batter Shake

Carrot Cake Batter Shake

  • 1/4 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1 carrot
  • 3 oz silken tofu
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 in piece fresh ginger
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 7-8 drops liquid stevia
  • Ice, to taste
  • 1/8 tsp Guar Gum (optional, but will add creaminess)

Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and mix until smooth.

Makes 1 serving.

***

I actually went back and checked the ingredients a few time because I couldn’t believe anything so cake-like could really be healthy.  True story.

What is your favorite cake flavor?

Do you add spinach to your smoothies?  I felt weird drinking one that wasn’t green!

Planning to Eat Healthy + WIAW

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Eating healthy on the go takes planning.

I’m sure this isn’t news to any of you.  It’s become particularly evident to make lately as I’ve changed my habits to incorporate more protein and begun eating 7 small meals a day.  Serious training goals take serious planning.

For starters, I keep track of my meals in a spreadsheet.  This way I’m never stuck searching for ideas and/or desperate and hangry for food.  By keeping it on Google Docs, I can easily edit and make additions as I get ideas throughout the day.

It also makes for easy grocery shopping – I can make my list in record time now!  (P.S. check out yesterday’s post for a chart to navigate grocery store.) 

Last week I mentioned that I was struggling to find a wider variety of vegetarian protein sources.  The resulting increase in dairy resulted in my skin is breaking out.  Since then I’ve reduced my dairy to 1-2 servings a day, and my skin has magically cleared up!

One way I’ve kept up my protein intake without the dairy is to incorporate fish into my diet.  If you’ve been reading for a bit, you know that I’ve dabbled with being vegetarian and even vegan.  For me, it was about how much better I felt without meat in my diet.

Mom and I learned together how to bake fish in parchment last Friday evening!

While I do intend to keep my diet as plant-based as possible, I am enjoying experimenting with seafood (something I only started to like a few months ago), and haven’t noticed it dragging me down like I did with meats.

July is becoming my favorite months for a few reasons:

  1. It’s my birthday month  (4 more days!)
  2. The fruits and veggies we’ve been getting at local markets have been particularly delicious
  3. Jenn’s What I Ate Wednesday theme for July is of “Food, Fun, and Fitness.”  You guys know that’s perfect for me these days!

Check out my latest adventures in protein-loading below; then click here to the WIAW round-up on Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to see everyone else’s fitness foods!

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Pre-Game:

I woke up early, but my weights workout isn’t until late tonight since I have a date with my trainer.  I’ve grown accustomed to  moving in the morning, so I decided to jump on the treadmill for a power walk while watching a little GMA.  Not wanting breakfast yet, but needing energy I drank down a glass of my Fitmixer Aminos. mixed with ~2T of apple cider vinegar (great way to start the day for energy and errr… digestion…).

Meal 1:

Anytime I have an appointment with my trainer, I try to eat a little heartier throughout the day.  Not stuffing myself, but I want to be sure I have adequate energy because he pushes me to the limit and then some.

I don’t repeat many meals, but last week’s Blueberry Protein Tart was so delicious that I couldn’t wait to eat it again.

Same tart base and peanut butter icing, but I this time used peaches rather than blueberries and sprinkled the top with ground flax and cinnamon.

Meal 2:

Did you know eggs can be cooked in the microwave?  It sounded weird to me at first, but it worked out perfectly.

I microwaved 3/4 C egg whites mixed with black pepper and ~1T water (to make them fluffier) for 2 mins.  Then I stirred it up with some tomato and basil before popping it back in for 15 secs.

 

Topped with pumpkin seeds and red pepper flakes.  I’m positive the work microwaves have never been used for such a creation. 🙂

Meal 3:

Lunch was last night’s leftovers.  Here’s where the fish comes in.  I baked a halibut in parchment with rainbow chard, shiitake mushrooms, Chinese 5-Spice, and a little coconut oil.  It was pretty tasty.  Even though my boss said it smelled… that is a problem with seafood.

Enjoyed with some sesame Wasa crackers. 

Meal 4:

Here’s my serving of dairy – a mixture of no salt added cottage cheese, peanut flour (a.k.a.: my crack), and a bit of liquid Stevia.  Side of cucumber sticks.  This is literally the tastiest cucumber I’ve ever had.  Unbelievable amount of flavor. 

Meal 5:

Remember yesterday’s vegan Protein-Packed Ancho Bean Burgers?  I took one to work for dinner!  Yup – I ate dinner at work.  My trainer appointment was at 9p and I had a Genius Bar appointment at 7p… no point in going home.

All wrapped up in a giant piece of chard with artichoke spread and radishes.

Meal 6:

This was a post-workout shake to cure my leg shakes.

I received a couple of protein powder samples from JBT Labs.  This was a chocolate flavor.  My first reaction was that it was ok… I decided to add chocolate extract to the mix, as well as some Stevia.  There was also 1/2 a zucchini, spinach, and ice in the mix.

At first I was worried because the blender made it frothy. Some people like that… I prefer creamy.

I stored it in the freezer most of the day, but it thawed a good bit between my errand and the workout.  Lo and behold, after it had sat all day the mix and de-frothed and was DELICIOUS.  It seems obvious now, but when faced with frothier powders I will let the mixture have time to rest and settle post-blend.

Meal 7:

Last meal = dessert.  I almost didn’t eat this one because I was so tired from the gym.  But… I knew my muscles would thank me.  Especially when I have an early morning workout planned.

Mashed up strawberries, vanilla protein powder, cinnamon, and almond milk.  Let chill in fridge for 30 mins or so.  Devour.  Go to bed.

***

This day of eats contained 6 different protein sources, and I managed 157g of protein.

Do you bring seafood for lunch?  How do you deal with the fishy smell?

How do you keep track of your weekly meals?

Vegan Protein-Packed Ancho Bean Burgers

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Sad, but true:

 

 

We are so lucky to have the knowledge we do about clean eating.  I am continually surprised by how many people legitimately have no clue how to make good food choices.  Not to mention those who just don’t care.

Remember then craziness most of us ate growing up?  Ding Dongs, Pop-Tarts, orange soda… I wouldn’t even think to buy those things now!  (Note: there is a restaurant in Atlanta that makes homemade Ding Dongs… those, I would buy. 🙂 ).

 

In my adult life, I shop the perimeters of the grocery store.  When I do buy packaged food, I read labels to ensure the ingredient list is recognizable.

 

Source: http://www.inshapeindiana.org

 

No one is perfect.  I’d be lying if I told you there weren’t a couple of questionable items in my freezer.  The point is to eat as clean as you can most of the time.

One of the items I’ve become more aware of are frozen veggie burgers.  I try not to eat many processed foods, but in my constant quest for protein I picked up a box of the burgers for a quick fix.  Then I realized I could quite easily make my own and keep them in the freezer for those times of need.

 

 

Beans are one of the top sources of vegan protein; however, I cannot eat enough beans to get my 25g required per meal.  I CAN mix them with other protein sources to amp it up though!

Note: I am not vegan, but I am striving to continue to eat as plant-based as possible while I train for a figure competition.

 

 

These ancho chile burgers combine beans, textured vegetable protein (TVP), and vital wheat gluten to deliver a homemade, protein-rich vegan burger.  The chili power and ancho chili pepper in chipotle give it a nice heat (if you’re sensitive to heat simply leave out the ancho chili).

I served one for dinner with sautéed shiitake mushrooms, onions, garlic, and spinach.  The remaining patties were wrapped up for later meals.

 

 

Between the liquid smoke and the grill marks (thanks to Mr. George Foreman and his grill), these bean burgers have turned my cubicle into a lunchtime picnic.  Ok, I exaggerate… but they are tasty! 

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Ancho Bean Burgers

Inspired by JL’s Chickpea TVP Burgers.

  • 1/2 C fava beans, cooked
  • 1/2 C cannellini beans, cooked
  • 1/4 cup TVP
  • 1/3 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1/2 C Vital Wheat Gluten
  • 1/2 C fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 C onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 ancho chili pepper in chipotle, diced
  • 1/4 tsp liquid smoke
  • 1/2 tsp ancho chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • S+P,  to taste

 

In a food processor, pulse the cooked beans (leave some larger pieces).

Combine the TVP and vegetable broth and let stand for 10 mins.  Stir in the Vital Wheat Gluten.

Add the TVP and all remaining ingredients and pulse until well combined.

Refrigerate 1 hour (or overnight).  Form the patties, making them fairly thin so the middle get “cooked” on the grill. Return to the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or over night.  At this point you may place in the freezer for future use.

Set out at room temperate about 30 minutes before grilling.  Cook on a grill pan (or grill if you have one) for ~6-7 mins on each side, or place in George Foreman grill for 6 mins.

Makes 5 4-oz burgers.

Approximate Nutritionals: 116 calories, 0.5g fat, 144mg sodium, 13.6g carbohydrates, 3.8g fiber, 1.7g sugar, 14.3g protein

***

In 5 days I will be 29 years old.  The last year of my 20s.  How did this happen?!

Is there anything shameful in your freezer or pantry? Make me feel better… lol!

Have you become more health conscious in your “old age,” or did you grow up eating clean?

 

Simply Happy Its Friday

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It’s a hard day to be appreciative.

Today marks 4 years since we lost my dad to cancer.  It seems the perfect time to focus on things that make me happy, especially since my dad always made me smile.

I’m copying a billion other bloggers completing the A-Z Simple Things That Make Me Happy quiz.

 

A – Antennas.  I’m busy and cheap.  That has equated to me not having cable for nearly 3 years.  I did invest $20 in an antenna so I can watch the basics (ABC, NBC, etc.), and that keeps me satisfied.

B –  Baseball.  I love baseball, even when my team can’t consistently beat the Cubs.  What’s up, Braves?!

C – Chocolate.  Need I say more?

D – Dad.  Anyone who tells you the pain of losing a parent will get easier is a liar.  However, I am grateful every day that I had such a great man in my life for nearly 26 years.  I couldn’t have asked for a better role model and coach.

At The Cloister @ Sea Island for Father’s Day years ago. He’d probably kill me for posting a pic of him in a robe… bwhahaha!

E – ESP.  Maybe not in the crazy sense, but the sort that just nudges you to go left instead of right.  Those times you look back on and thank god some inexplicable pull made you chose path A over B.

F – Food.  I love food.  Creating it, looking at it, eating it.  Food is the shit.

G – Goose & Fox.  It’s my sister and her boyfriend’s band and they make me smile.  They are really good!  I’m not just saying that because she’s my sister.

H – Hair Stylist.  I love mine.  Her name is Karen.  I’ve been going to her since I was 15.  I’d drive an hour to go see my friend and get my hair rocked.

I – Internet.  I vaguely remember going to the yellow pages for the pizza delivery number… weird.

J – Juice Plus.  It’s the supplement I take everyday and I swear I haven’t gotten sick since I started using these rather than regular multi-vitamins.

K – Kombucha.  It’s no secret I’m in love with the stuff.  Good for the digestion, if you know what I mean.

L – Legs.  I’m grateful that I have 2 strong legs that carry me wherever I want to go.

M – Music.  It can evoke emotion in me faster than anything else – smiles, laughter, or choked up with tears.

N – No Limits.  The only thing holding you back is you.  Once you own that, you can do anything.

O – Oatmeal.  Arguably the most versatile food.  It can be sweet, savory, spicy… you can blend it in smoothies, turn it into flour, cook it in your eggs.  In the words of the Texas Pete lady, “I put that shit on everything.”

P –  Protein Shakes.  Without them, I would NEVER be able to get the 150g pf protein a day that I need while training.  And you can easily funk them up like I did with this Zucchini Bread Smoothie.

Q – Quality Time.  We are pulled in some many directions, it’s nice to be able to take time to relax and really talk to those you love.

R – Recipage.  It makes life so much easier… even though I’m still only half way through transferring my recipes.

S – Summer Storms.  I love a good thunderstorm to lull me to sleep (and they cool down the city!).

T – Teams.  I love playing on a team.  Solo sports/workouts are great, but the camaraderie of a good team is something I hope everyone can experience in life.

U – Underwear.  Can you imagine how uncomfortable jeans would be without it?

V – Vacations.  I love traveling and seeing new parts of the world.  Like Navy ships in Chile!

W – Weight lifting.  It’s my favorite workout.  Lifting makes me feel confident and strong.

X – Xylitol.  This all-natural sugar-replacer allows me to have sweet treats without all the sugar.  Like my favorite Granola Cookies. 

Y – Your Dekalb Farmer’s Market.  This local market is open year-round and is THE spot to go in Atlanta for fresh, cheap produce, flours, and chia seeds.  They always have things I’ve never heard of, which I consider to be an added bonus.

Z – Zero.  I don’t drink soda… but I do love a Coke Zero with a bag of pretzels on an airplane.

***

My Strawberry Smoked Almond Tart made the FoodBuzz Top 9 yesterday!  Thank you SO  much for the Buzz! 🙂

How about you?  What simple thing are appreciating today?

Any fun weekend plans, or lots of lying low after the 4th/Canada Day?

4th of July and Paleo Oatmeal

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Can you imagine running a 10K in 27:36?

 

The 24-year-old winner of this year’s Peachtree Road Race (the largest 10K in the world) did it.  His name is Peter Kirui.  He’s Kenyan.  Surprise, surprise.

Peachtree runners

 

I spectated for a bit this year, but didn’t run.  It’s a little disheartening because it’s the first I’ve skipped in 5 years.  My knee and my trainer both have put a halt to my running, so I passed my number along to my boss’ wife.  She didn’t win the women’s division.  That prize went to Mamitu Daska from Ethiopia, who finished the 6.2 mile run in 32:22.

After a little cheerleading, I hit the gym to lift weights before heading to the lake for a day of getting sunburned fun in the sun.  Having done shoulders with my trainer on Tuesday, chest and biceps yesterday, a jet ski ride, and a sunburn… I can barely lift my arms.  Good thing its leg day!

 

Post-lake there were fireworks.  My BFF and I hit the country club where we grew up for a 20 minute display that would rival and city production.

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The breakfast I began the day with for-sure kept me moving all day.

 

 

Several people had told me about Paleo “Oatmeal,” but I wast in a hurry to try a Paleo meal when I can have the real thing.  You see, the Paleo diet shuns bread-y carbs.  This oatmeal doesn’t actually include oats.

Despite my hesitation, curiosity got the best of me and I’m so glad it did.  This creamy oat-less oatmeal is going in constant rotation.

 

 

The banana gets that yummy caramelized taste, and I was surprised and how much this actually LOOKED like oatmeal.

Even better, it came together quickly and delivered and TON of protein to my tired muscles.  I amped it up more in my version with protein powder (I used Sun Warrior Vanilla here).  The addition of butter extract really have it that oatmeal taste – you know the one.  When you were a kid and would have a glob of melty butter on top of your oats… alongside wayyyy too much brown sugar.  It’s cool, we didn’t know and better

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Paleo Oatmeal

  • 1/2 C egg whites
  • 1/2 scoop protein powder
  • 2 T unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or other liquid)
  • 1 T ground flaxseed
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 banana, well-mashed
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract
  • 1/8 tsp butter extract

 

Whisk together ingredients in a small bowl until well-combined.

In a small saucepan, cook mixture over low-med heat, stirring frequently to avoid lumps and reach oatmeal-like  consistency (~5 mins).

Top your “oatmeal” with your favorite oatmeal topping.  I went with blueberries.

Serves 1.

***

I’m a little annoyed with myself for getting so badly burned.  Doh.

Did you run a race?  Enjoy a fireworks show?  Both?

Have you tired one of the Paleo oatmeal bowls before?  Any thoughts on the program?  It wouldn’t work for me right now, but I’m curious about others’ experiences!

 

Blueberry Protein Tart + WIAW

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Happy 4th of July!

I wasn’t going to post today, but how could I miss my favorite day of the week – Jenn’s What I Ate Wednesday.

Last week I talked a lot about the nutrition plan I’m on to achieve my new fitness goal (competing in a figure competition).  I’m still packing in the protein and keeping it (mostly) vegetarian.  I’m struggling to find a wider variety of protein sources.

One thing I noticed last week was that my skin is breaking out from the increase in dairy.  Greek yogurt and cottage cheese had become protein-staples.  I’m aiming to just cut back a bit this week, limiting it to 1-2 servings of dairy per day, to see if that helps.

Jenn’s What I Ate Wednesday theme for July is of “Food, Fun, and Fitness.”  Girl reads my mind with these themes!

Check out my protein-filled fuel below; then click here to the WIAW round-up on Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to see everyone else’s fitness treats!

Meal 1:

Last week I talked about how I’m now eating 7 meals a day.  Meal 1 occurred yesterday at 8am.  Knowing I had an appointment with my trainer later, I focused on getting as much energy as possible from my morning eats.

Workout energy can be quite tasty!

This is a Blueberry Protein Tart.  I ate it for breakfast, but it would make one helluva dessert too!
The inspiration for this creation was Tessa’s own creation.  I am not allowed the peanut butter she added, and I needed to reduce the size because when you eat 7 meals a day they need to be a tad smaller (yet still protein rich – that’s a whole other challenge).
Despite the omission of peanut butter, my crust was fantastically chewy and fudgey.  And the “cream filling” was just perfect.  If you haven’t invested in peanut flour, you should do so ASAP.  I’m not kidding.
Recipe at the bottom of this post.

Meal 2:

This was my pre-workout meal.  In effort to limit the dairy, I made a massive tomato and egg white scramble with basil and a drizzle of balsamic.  I’m also allowed 1 T of sunflower seeds, which I sprinkled on top of the mix.

Meal 3:

This meal is like lunch.  Since it was also my post-workout meal, a protein smoothie was in order.  I have to eat immediately after my workout to build muscle, so portability is key.  I also packed cereal for some carbs to top my smoothie and a water mixed with Amino Energy to drink during and after the workout for energy and recovery.

This is one of my new favorite smoothies.  Carrot Cake.  I’ve tried it before, but I think this particular combo is the winner.  A couple more trials and I’ll post the recipe.

It did get the thumbs up from both trainers who sampled it.

Meal 4:

This is like an afternoon snack.  That means I can have a protein source (25g) and a 3/4 C serving of veggies.  Hmmmm… a protein-packed nori roll?  Is that possible?

Yes, yes it is.  I mixed a scoop of protein powder and ~1 tsp of wasabi with water to form a paste.

I slathered my nori rolls with it and filled them with sprouts, beets, raw asparagus, and raw cauliflower.  Not too shabby for a snack on the fly!

Meal 5:

Usually I have some sort of dinner in mind, but today I was drawing a blank on where my dinner protein would come from.  My protein ended up being partially in the form of beans, and some of the secret was in the sauce.

Note: I know several will comment that I should eat more to beans, quinoa, and lentils for vegetarian/vegan protein sources.  The problem with that is that they count as carbs.  I am limited to 3/4 C of carbs at meals 1, 3, and 5.  3/4 a cup of beans is about 12g of protein.  That leaves 8-13g protein I’d still need for that meal!

For this protein-rich salad, I combined 1/2 cup of fava beans and cannellini beans with 3 oz Greek yogurt, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and lavar flakes.  Then I tossed it all with beets, sprouts, green pepper, and onion.  Topped with 1/4 C edamame, basil, more nooch, and red pepper flakes.

Sort of like a bean-based chicken salad.  Sort of.

Meal 6:

By this time of day I am sick of eating.  That’s something I never thought I’d say!  Meal 6 was a quick scramble of soy-based ground “beef,” egg whites, and zucchini topped with nooch and radish.

Meal 7:

Last meal.  This – I am told – is my “dessert.”  I’ve pulled some good ones, but tonight I was just proud of myself for getting in the 7th meal.  Typically I’m too stuffed by meal 6 to get anything else in mah belly.

1/2 banana covered in Greek yogurt and frozen with bowl of peanut butter protein pudding (protein powder, peanut flour, almond milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon).

Blueberry Protein Tart - delicious (mostly) make-ahead clean breakfast!

Blueberry Protein Tart

For the Crust:

  • 1/4 C cereal
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 T vanilla protein powder
  • 1 tsp chia seeds
  • 2 T unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or liquid of choice)
  • 5-6 drops vanilla liquid stevia (or your favorite sweetener)
For the Cream:
  • 3 oz (1/2 container) Greek yogurt
  • 1 T peanut flour
  • 5-6 drops vanilla liquid stevia

For the Crust:

Place your favorite cereal in a blender and mix until it’s dust.  Pour into a small bowl and stir in cinnamon, protein powder, and chia seeds.  Stir in stevia and milk.  (Note: You may have to adjust liquid amounts depending on the powder and cereal you use.)  It should form a sticky ball.  

Spread the crust mixture evenly across a small plate (~1/4 in thick).  Refrigerate over night, or at least 20 mins.

For the Cream:

In a small bowl combine yogurt, peanut flour (you could sub more protein powder here), and stevia.  

Spread evenly atop your crust.
Top with the fruit of your choice and enjoy!

Makes 1 serving.

Approximate nutritionals (without toppings; can vary widely depending on cereal, powder, and yogurt used): 219 calories, 6.9g fat, 22.4g carbohydrates, 6.8g fiber, 4.3g sugar, 23.6g protein

***

In case you’re curious, I managed 154.5 g of protein with these eats. BAM.

How do you refuel post-workout?

What is your favorite 4th of July dish?

Loving Friday + Zucchini Bread Smoothie

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On Wednesday I thought it was Friday.

 

That makes for a looooong week.  It’s not even a holiday weekend.  We only get 1 day off for the 4th.  Grrrrr…  Let’s focus on the good.

 

It is indeed finally FRIDAY!!!  And I have a cheat day!  After 1 week on the nutrition plan, I’m more than ready.  I’m sure most people look forward to these days so they can have pizza or cookies.  I’m just looking forward to a day where I don’t have to eat 7 protein-packed meals.

Vegetables are what I crave.  Raw, leafy delicious vegetables.  In fact I’m going to a vegetarian underground dinner tonight.  I love veggies.  *blissful sigh*

 

Here are 5 other things I’m feeling love for today:

1. Sunshine and Sunroofs

It may be 100 degrees, but I still love the sunshine.  Also, I love my car.  I couldn’t own one that lacks a sunroof!  Smog be damned.

 

2. Olympus Greek Yogurt

One of the packages I returned home to post-Chile was from Olympus.  They sent me a TON of yogurt to sample, and I am so grateful.  This is one of the best I’ve had in a long time.  Theirs is directly from its namesake – one of the only Greek yogurts in the US to be imported from Greece.  It’s SUPER thick and creamy, and it only has 88 calories (as opposed to the typical ~130).  This leaves plenty of room for me to add my own mix-ins.

 

In my bowl:

  • 1 6oz container non-fat Olympus Greek Yogurt
  • 2 T peanut butter flour
  • 2 T unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1/2 C blackberries (cut in half and roughly mashed)
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp cardamom
  • 4-5 drops vanilla liquid stevia

 

3. Fitmixer

I swear I’m not a product whore.  This stuff has legit been a lifesaver in this first week of heavy weights with my competition training.

The Fitmixer Amino powder has made a big difference in my recovery time and energy level (note: I like the fruit punch much better than the grape flavor), and their chocolate protein powder is actually tasty.

 

4. Nutty Butter

Ok, I do admit to being Sarah’s pimp.  I order my first batch of her Nutty Butter and I am in nut heaven.  Whatever you do, get the Cookie Dough.  The Oatmeal Cookie is a close second.  You really can’t go wrong with any of them.

 

5. Zucchini Bread Smoothie

I came up with this little oddity when trying to find a snack that had 20-25g of protein and a vegetable (Meal 4 of the nutrition plan).  When I threw everything in the blender I was nervous.  This was a weird one even for me.

Miraculously, the combo worked!  Despite the arctic temperature of my office, I slurped down this creamy glass of goodness faster than you can say “protein.”

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Zucchini Bread Smoothie

  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1/2 medium zucchini
  • 1 C spinach
  • 1/4 C 1% cottage cheese
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 in piece fresh ginger
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract
  • 7-8 drops vanilla liquid stevia
  • 1/4 tsp guar gum
  • 1/4 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • Ice, to taste
Place all ingredients into blender and mix until smooth.

***

I might even have a salad for breakfast.

What would/do you crave on a “cheat” day?

What are you loving right now?

 

A Protein-Filled Wednesday + a Snack Giveaway!

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Snacking is the new name of the game for me.

Yesterday I revealed my new fitness goal to you all – to compete in a figure competition.  This means HUGE change in my plant-based diet.  Now I have to focus more on protein than plants, and I’m eating constantly… but my goal is to to keep to a vegetarian protein diet.

The Basic Plan:

  • 7 “meals” per day (I eat every 2 hours)
  • 20-25g of protein at each meal
  • 120 oz of water daily
  • 1 serving of fruit for the first 2 meals, and at meal 7 (“dessert”)
  • 1 serving of veggies for meals 3-6
  • 1/2 C carbs at meal 1, 3, 5, and 7 (beans, lentils, and sweet potatoes count as carbs)
  • Limited fats – flax at meal 1, nuts at meal 2, olive oil at meals 3 and 5

The good parts: no calorie counting or macro tracking; I get a cheat day once a week; I already love protein shakes

The hard parts: only eating 1 serving of veggies at a time is hard; eating that much protein on a veg diet is REALLY hard; eating all the time sounds fun at first, but I am really never hungry (except for when I wake up); eating every two hours take a ton of planning; all of that water has me running to the bathroom every 30 mins.

Jenn’s What I Ate Wednesday theme of “Sensible Snacking” this month is just perfect for my new plan.  I am snacking all day!

Check out a day in  the food life of a wanna-be figure competitor; then click here to hop on to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to see everyone else’s day of eats!

Meal 1:

Janetha hipped me to the fact that I was appropriately celebrating National Chocolate Pudding Day at breakfast

I made a chocolate-peanut butter protein pudding/spread to top my Ezekial bread.  This was accompanied by 1/2 cup of cherries (good for inflammation/muscle recovery).

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Pudding:

  • 1 T GNC Soy chocolate protein powder (check out the review here)
  • 1 T peanut flour
  • 1 T ground flax seed
  • 2 T unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/8 tsp vanilla extract

Meal 2:

It’s blueberry season!  They are so sweet right now, making of an especially tasty shake… even if it did splash on my brand-new white shirt.  Note to self: don’t drink smoothies and drive.

Blueberry-Ginger Smoothie

  • 1 scoop Vega vanilla protein powder (see review here)
  • 1/2 C blueberries
  • 1 in piece of fresh ginger
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 C spinach (I “cheated” and added veggies… I can’t help myself!)
  • 1 T sunflower seeds
  • Ice + water, to taste

Meal 3:

Leftovers!  Some of you may have seen the vegan quiche I posted on Instagram.  With a chickpea flour base, this high-protein dish made 6 slices which I will be bringing for lunch all week.  I enjoyed it with a side of sprouts.  For those that asked, I promise the recipe will come tomorrow!

While the quiche is high-protein, it’s not quite high enough.  No worries – it gave me an opportunity to have dessert with my meal.  A little sweet and a little savory, I loved this cardamom-laced treat!

Cardamom-Cinnamon Cottage Cheese Mix

  • 1/2 C cottage cheese
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp cardamom
  • 4-5 drops NuNaturals orange liquid stevia
  • 1 T unsweetened So Delicious coconut milk

Meal 4:

Here is where it gets hard to keep eating.  At this point I’ve downed 60g of protein and I’m feeling satisfied.  However, I’m not even half way through my daily meals!

Remember this seitan chorizo I made a couple of months ago?  I froze what I couldn’t eat for future uses.  I’m beyond happy I did that!  It gave me the protein I needed for the meal, re-heating well and retaining its flavor and moisture.  It was fantastic with the last of my Ultimate Veggie Trail Mix.

Meal 5:

I had an appointment with my trainer at 8p (more legs – OMG), so I wanted my dinner-time meal to be easy to digest.  That can only mean on thing.  Liquid Sweet Potato Pie-Shake.  Meal 5 requires veggies, carbs, and protein.

Since sweet potatoes count as a carb, I ate a side of celery sticks as well.

Meal 6:

This also served as my post-workout recovery meal.  It was also my favorite meal of the day!  This rendition of overnight (over-day?) oats was cool and refreshing after a excruciating really hard workout.  If you’re from Georgia, you know it doesn’t get any better than peaches and cream this time of year.

Creamy Peach-Ginger Overnight Protein Oats

  • 1 peach, mashed
  • 1 scoop GNC Whey vanilla protein powder (see review here)
  • 1/3 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1/4 cup raw oats
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 4-5 drops vanilla liquid stevia
Stir it all together and allow to chill for at least 1 hour, or overnight.

Meal 7:

I cheated.  I ate meal 7 as meal 6 (fruit, carbs, and protein).  Truth be told, I’m having a really hard time working in 7 meals.  I am hitting the protein goal of 150 grams, so I’m not going to worry about it until I’m told otherwise.  🙂

Now for the part you really wanted to hear about – the giveaway!

I was contacted by Special K just before heading to Chile with an opportunity to try their new granola bar.  I don’t eat a lot of processed foods/bars, but I was intrigued by their new concept.  They sent me the samples just in time for me to pack these up as a tasty plane snack.

Of course, I shared with my concierge, Kim, who was in love with the sweet treats.  She couldn’t believe that the bars are just 110 calories and contain only 7g of sugar.  Perfect for sating your mid-afternoon sweet tooth.  They also deliver 4g of fiber and 4g of protein.

My favorite part? The Special K Granola Bars come in my favorite flavors – Dark Chocolate and Chocolatey Peanut Butter.  The chocolate-peanut butter will rock your socks off.  

Yes, they are processed and they have more than 5 ingredients.  If you’re that isn’t a problem for you, you will be really happy with these bars.  They have a great crunch and won’t leave you feeling weighed down.

The lovely people at Special K have offered to let one reader try a box of each flavor.  Here’s how to enter to win:

  1. Follow me on Twitter or Subscribe to the Sprint 2 the Table RSS feed or email
  2. Tweet: You could say something like: I’ve entered to win 2 boxes of @SpecialKUS granola bars at @sprint2thetable http://wp.me/p16jDn-1po #giveaway
  3. Be Social: Twitter Follow Special K, Pinterest Follow Me and/or Pin Something of Mine, Instagram Follow Me
  4. Comment: What is your favorite sweet tooth satisfier?

Please leave a *separate comment* for each entry!

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Monday, July 2nd.  The winner will be announced on Tuesday, July 3rd.

***

And again with the sore legs/glutes.  Thank god the counter is close enough to my toilet to provide support for lowering down.

Do you prefer to eat 3 solid meals, or snack throughout the day?

What is your favorite protein-rich meal?

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