Nuttzo Over Nut Butter + Giveaway

November 8, 2012 By Laura

Lame jokes are my favorite.

Q: What did the fish say when he hit a wall?

A: Damn.

I’ll spare you more jokes and get right to the point. Remember my post competition treat of choice?

NuttZo was a big treat for me because I hadn’t been “allowed” nut butter on my training plan for a while, and because at ~$15 it’s a pricey jar of creamy, nutty deliciousness (worth every penny, btw).

That’s not a problem for one of you… The lovely people at Nuttzo have offered to give away a jar of the good stuff! this is a jar of the Original flavor (my favorite). It contains peanuts, cashews, almonds, Brazilian nuts, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, hazelnuts, sea salt. All organic. No added sugar or oil.

Other reason NuttZo rocks:

Legumes + nuts and seeds = a complete protein (all your amino acids)
Provides 50% of your DV of ALA Omega 3 per serving (650 mg)
A 16-ounce jar of NuttZo Original provides 14 servings – less than $1 per serving of organic nut-nutrition

Receive up to 4 entries by:

Follow me on Twitter or Subscribe to the Sprint 2 the Table RSS feed or email
Tweet: You could say something like: I’ve entered to win a jar of nut butter in the @NuttZoCEO giveaway at @sprint2thetable http://wp.me/p16jDn-1hN #giveaway
Be Social: Facebook Like NuttZo, Pinterest Follow Me and/or Pin Something of Mine, Instagram Follow Me
Comment: What is your favorite way to eat nut butter?

Please leave a separate comment for each entry!

Contest ends at 11:59pm EST on Tuesday, November 13th. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, November 14th.

Just in case you need some ideas for using nut butter, here are my top 5:

(Note: many of these call for peanut butter or peanut flour, but you can sub in NuttZ or your favorite nut butter.)

1. Nut Butter & Aggs

All-time favorite breakfast invention.

2. Nut Butter-Baked Oatmeal

Perfect on a cold morning. Like now.

3. Chili Nutty Tofu

Lauren can vouch for me – baked tofu is fantastic fluffy goodness.

4. Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

These are only 100 cals and have just 2g of sugar. And you’d never know it.

5. Sweet Potato Nut Butter Ice Cream

To my fellow addicts: this is also amazing with pumpkin.

***

I get my new nutrition plan today… I’m at once relieved (this has been a junk food bender) and sad.

What’s the most #strangebutgood way you eat nut butter?

What is your favorite lame joke?

Semi-Normal Eats + WIAW

November 7, 2012 By Laura

Freedom.

It makes me happy.

After a week of boring, #stinkypee eats, lean white protein and asparagus are NOT What I Ate Wednesday.

My post-competition trip to Whole ~~Paycheck~~ Foods was the stuff of dreams. I had a list and nothing but time.

2 hours later I emerged from Whole Foods almost $200 poorer and without a single piece of meat in my cart. I even skipped the bacon (the line at the meat counter was too long).

Of course I had to fuel up properly before making this epic grocery trip. Toad in the Hole made with P28 High Protein Bread and a local farm egg. Cooked in truffle oil and topped with sriracha. Welcome back, #yolkporn.

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I’m so happy to get to post a semi-normal What I Ate Wednesday! I say semi-normal because It has been a busy day and I didn’t get to be quite a funk with my foods… and I went to an election night gathering… so I had a bug ‘ol treat dinner. Woot!

Also different is how my meals are labeled. No “Meal 1, Meal 2,” etc. this week! I ate a proper Breakfast-Lunch-Snack-Dinner. I’ll have another meal plan soon, but these are my days “off” before we start training again. I hate to admit it… but I kind of missed eating more meals!

Check out my semi-good habit eats below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how everyone else ate on Election Day.

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Breakfast:

Somethings will never change. I started out with my morning cocktail (mix of Apple Cider Vinegar, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos).

This was followed by my TVP “Oatmeal” done up apple pie-style. I add apple pie spice and mixed in fresh apple at the end. Topped with a peanut butter drizzle and cinnamon.

Lunch:

I brought my leftover’s from last night’s dinner to work. Roasted brussels, cauliflouwer, and baby bellas. I tossed then in salty fish sauce, red peppe flakes, and coconut oil pre-roasting.

The noodles are kelp noodles. I heated them in hot water to soften and toss in a pad thai-ish sauce. I’m enjoying my freedom from measurement, but here are the ingredients for the sauce:

Peanut flour
Unsweetened almond milk
Grated ginger
Lime juice
Cayenne
1 drop lemon Stevia

Still trying to get my protein in (and because I wanted them), I had a bag of Veggie Pizza Protein Puffs from Kay’s Naturals. I ordered online; click here to find them and get 20% off your order.

Snack:

Pumpkin hummus, cauliflower, and edamame.

Eating carbs mid afternoon still feels so scandalous!

Dinner:

I spent the evening with my friends Todd and Jeff watching the election results like some people watch football games. If people watch football with Malbec and cookbooks…

Election Day = pizza night! Mellow Mushroom pizza (side note: I worked there in college for a hot minute) with meatballs, red peppers, and feta cheese with a side salad.

Look at this plate and that glass of wine above. Then multiply it by 2. It was a 2x dinner.

Dessert:

A celebration bowl of pumpkin ice cream (real ice cream – full fat and yummy) topped with a crumbled cinnamon muffin and chocolate syrup.

***

The protein count for the day: KIDDING!!! I have NO idea. Freedom from numbers.

What’s the most you’ve ever spent on groceries?

Did you do any election night partying?

5 To Go + Healthy BBQ Sauce

October 29, 2012 By Laura

This week is a lesson in endurance.

“Prolonged endurance tames the bold.” – Lord Byron

When I was playing roller derby, we used to have Monday night endurance practices. After 2 hours of balls-to-the-wall skating ~~until you wanted to puke~~, Coach Jim would line up up for 30 more laps. He’d always announced the little “surprise” at the end of practice by saying “30 to go!”

I always started out going as fast as possible to get it over with, but by the last 5 my legs were shaking and the only reason I was still moving was so I could go home.

Today I only have “5 to go.” My first figure competition is Saturday. I’m tired. Each day I’m pushing myself as hard as possible with every workout, running sprints, doing 30 mins of posing practice, and keeping up with my 100 pull ups. That familiar “if I can just push through this last bit, I can rest” feeling has returned.

Not to mention the diet changes… more on that Wednesday!

With those diet changes, I can’t even eat this BBQ sauce. I’m glad I did it when I did!

For those who aren’t 5 days out from a competition, this is a great open for a clean BBQ sauce. It has no sugar or sodium added… and it’s actually good.

There are two schools of thought on BBQ Sauce – one likes a more ketchup-like sauce, and the other is a vinegar-based sauce. I don’t feel the need to choose! My sauce is tomato-based and laced with that satisfying vinegar tang.

Thick and satisfying, this is the perfect topping for just about any protein. You could even toss some red pepper and broccoli slaw in it for a quick BBQ veggie roast. That was a really a really tasty combo.

In this photo shoot, I sliced tempeh into thin strips and coated one side with the sauce. I baked it at 375 for 10 mins, then flipped and coated the other side and baked for another 8 mins. Easy!

Served here with side of roasted winter squash, asparagus, zucchini, carrots, red onion and sage. My leftover sauce is n the freeze for safe-keeping for when I can have this again!

Recipe after workout recap…

Workout Recap

There’s nothing more disappointing than seeing a light at the end of the tunnel and having it suddenly shut off. Friday I got my final workout plan from my trainer. I thought Sunday was going to be a rest day… it wasn’t. Turns out you don’t workout 2 days before a show, so there will be no rest until Thursday. Lovely.

We took measurements at Saturday’s workout. I haven’t gained much in terms of inches – my waist and chest are actually smaller – but my body fat is certainly lower! I’d like to find one of those Bod Pods to get an accurate measurement at the end of the week. I’d also like to have to time to actually go do it.

There will be pic ad nausea post-comp, but for now a little sneak peak…

Workout Recap (10/20 – 10/28):

Monday – Rest
Tuesday – Legs, 2 mile walk 100 pull ups
Wednesday – Back/Tris, Calf raises, 1 mile incline walk, 100 pull ups
Thursday – Shoulders/Glutes, 1 mile incline walk, 100 pull ups
Friday – Chest/Bis, 100 pull ups, Calf raises, 2 mile incline walk
Saturday – Legs (with trainer), 100 pull ups, 2 mile sprints/incline walk
Sunday – Shoulders, 100 pull ups, Calf raises, 1.5 mile sprints/incline walk

Healthy BBQ Sauce

15 oz can tomato sauce (no salt added)
1/3 C apple cider vinegar
2 T ancho chili powder
1 T smoked paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Liquid smoke, to taste

Place tomato sauce in a small pot over medium heat. Add vinegar and spices, stirring and tasting as you go. Add the liquid smoke to taste. Start with 5-6 drops and add from there – a little goes a long way! Allow to simmer 5-6 mins more to allow flavors to combine. Taste and adjust flavors again before serving.

Note: You might add a bit of Stevia or other sweetener here if you like a sweeter BBQ sauce. I prefer the vinegar-based.

***

It sounds like I’m complaining… but I’m just tired. I’m really excited/nervous/ready to get ‘er done!!!

Do you prefer vinegar or ketchup-like BBQ?

What inspires you to push through? Any good quotes or songs to share?

Cinnamon-Flax Baked Chicken + WIAW

October 24, 2012 By Laura

You don’t realize how much you love something until it’s gone.

I only endorse this statement as it relates to food. 😉

This week’s diet change s to seriously cut sugar to help my abs come in. *crossing fingers* This means I go from 3 servings of fruit a day to 1 serving of berries (they are low in sugar) at Meal 1.

Next week I cut fats, which will suck. I’m cherishing my nuts (#thatswhatshesaid) and salmon while I can this week!

In other news, I finally bought and hung my pull up bar!

I did 100 pull ups UNASSISTED yesterday. Don’t be too impressed – I did 10 sets of 10 and it took a while. 😉

I didn’t do so well at making my eats Halloween-themed for What I Ate Wednesday. It’s getting harder to do anything super-creative, but I did my best! Check out my “special” low sugar, low sodium, high protein, super-clean eats below (it makes me tired just listing all that), and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how normal people ate in spirit of Halloween this week!

Meal 1:

I’m repetitive. Yes, I had my morning cocktail (mix of Apple Cider Vinegar, Glutamine, and Fitmixer Aminos). Followed by TVP Protein “Oatmeal.”

Today’s was a vegan version (no egg whites). To get a little more protein, I used Greek yogurt to make it Strawberries ‘n Cream. All I did was mash up strawberries with the yogurt, stevia, ginger, and vanilla. Simple and delicious!

Meal 2:

I made Cinnamon-Flax Chicken! Does this count as #strangebutgood? If you don’t eat meat, I would bet money that this would be delish with tofu. Recipe at the bottom of this post.

It was good, but the sides were even better. Kale chips coated in a sugar-free simple syrup and apple pie spice. Simple syrup sounds fancier that it was. I mixed together some sugar-free maple syrup and water so it was thin enough to coat my kale, then added apple pie spice. I also tossed in some zucchini, which was also tasty!

Meal 3:

Once again… the steak of the sea makes an appearance in my kitchen! Every Sunday I make a big batch of protein, and Swordfish is my #1 favorite. It is such a rich fish that it tastes buttered.. but it’s not! This was grilled with Herbs de Provence, garlic, paprika, and lime juice.

Eaten with pre-roasted calabaza squash with sage and onion, portobello slices, and parsnip “rice” with celery leaves. I would eat this competition diet or not!

Meal 4:

I had to attend a conference, so into a cooler went a salmon salad. This week’s salmon was baked with lemon juice, mint, and sage. I chopped it up and tossed it with chopped celery, beet, and zucchini.

Meal 5:

It was legs day, so I had a date with my trainer to do my hack squats (blech), followed by posing practice.

I took a liquid dinner to go. This shake is a combo of my Sweet Potato Pie and Carrot Cake shakes. Sweet potato, carrot, tofu, protein powder, spices… and some celery for good measure. Oh, and I hand mixed in some oats. The Vitamix will blend anything. Literally.

Meal 6:

Is it weird to crave brussels at 9:30pm? That’s what I wanted, so that’s what I had. Roasted in a sauce of nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, cumin, paprika, garlic, and a little coconut extract. The coconut was the perfect pair with my (low-fat) coconut-curry marinated grilled chicken. Fun-flavored protein, ftw.

Meal 7:

Dessert! No more fruit at night… I’ve missed my cherries on top, but this didn’t disappoint ~~despite the fact that it looks like a giant poop~~.

Pumpkin-Chocolate Bread Pudding

1/2 slice no-sodium Ezekial bread, ripped into tiny pieces
1/2 C no-salt cottage cheese,
1T peanut flour
1T cocoa powder
2T pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cocoa extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Stevia

I added some water to mix it, then microwaved it for a few seconds. Warm chocolate-pumpkin bread pudding. It looks odd… but I assure you it tasted incredible. New protein dessert staple.

Cinnamon-Flax Baked Chicken

1 chicken breast
2 tsp ground flax
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees (I used convection).

Rise your chicken, and place on a hard surface to pound with meat tenderizer.

Mix together flax, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Coat chicken with the mixture. It should be wet enough from rinsing for the coating to stick without using an egg.

Place in oven for 8 mins, then flip to bake for an additional 6-8 mins. If using convection, simply bake ~10 mins. The chicken is done when it is white all the way through.

Note for my plant-based friends: This would rock with tofu too!

Serves 1, easily doubled (I made 4).

***

The protein count for the day: 170.9g. The sodium count: 574.9mg. And my new one to watch – sugar – was 28.6g.

I also want to thank everyone for your encouraging words on Monday’s post. It’s a little scary, but all of your support means the world. I did feel much calmer after your comments and tweets! XOXO

Do you pay attention to the sugars in your diet?

Have you had any delicious Halloween treats yet? Let me live vicariously through you!

Friday Peeves and Positives

October 19, 2012 By Laura

It’s Friday, Friday Friday!

I thought it would never get here.

After a long week my pet peeves tend to peeve me even more. I want to get a few off of my chest so that I can move on to more positive things going in to the weekend. Stick with me for a few and then we will end on a lighter note.

The Peeves:

Instagram

If I post a pic of something and you would like the ingredients, posting “recipe” is not the way to get it. There wasn’t even a question mark after it! Are you making IG demands now? In the words of Stephanie Tanner, “How rude!” #sorryimnotsorry

The Last 15 Minutes

You know tone ones. The period where you should leave soon but don’t need to leave yet. It always flies by and I leave late. Yep… someone was running through the airport again… only to find my flight was delayed 2 hours.

That Guy

The one in the gym that’s propped up on a machine, playing on his phone or reading TIME magazine (yes, this did happen). It’s a gym. We’re not here to read or tweet. I need to get through my work out too, so move it or lose it buddy!

The Positives:

House Guests

Allie has decided to start working with my trainer after visiting a couple weeks ago and is coming back today to train this weekend. I’m so glad I’m going to get to see her regularly!

Hair ‘Dos

Saturday I’m going to see my stylist to get a pre-competition hair cut and color. It’s probably on my Top 5 Activities list. Now I just need to decide whether to go more blonde or brown for the stage…

Recipe Wins

My Maple TVP Protein “Oatmeal” has been a hit! Check out this vegan coffee version with Coffee Mouse from Danni.

***

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen some of my healthy BYOP (bring your own protein) travel meals. I cannot WAIT to write a post next week with some of my “how tos” … and some of the more interesting things I did to make it work on this week’s business tip.

What peeves you most?

In the spirit of positive, what’s something good that happened this week, or that you’re looking forward to?

Pumpkin Pie TVP “Oatmeal” + WIAW

October 17, 2012 By Laura

Just when you you’re getting used to a “special” diet…

…you have to go on a business trip.

I actually like travelling for work. Airports and hotels don’t phase me one bit. Unless I’m 17 days from a figure competition and have a diet more strict than I ever thought possible. Between the protein, super-clean eating, and max of 500 mg of sodium per day the trip I’m taking today has been a lesson in food prep.

#sorryimnotsorry

I’m hoping to put all this together for a fun post… but that requires me remembering to take pics tomorrow! In the meantime, my friend Kat is going to write guest post for me tomorrow! She’s awesome – a rockstar endurance athlete, avid foodie, and law student. I think she unlocked the secret to adding hours to a day.

Kat is going to be doing a bi-weekly feature, so please drop by and say hi to her tomorrow when she introduces herself!

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We’re still rolling with this month’s Halloween-themed What I Ate Wednesday. I did alright for breakfast and meal 7…. I’m not sure if the rest ties in, but it was delicious and seasonal!

Check out my “special” low sodium, high protein, super-clean eats below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how festive everyone else got this week!

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