Protein Packed Lunch In the Midst of Chaos!!

Yesterday morning was total chaos!! I was in the midst of making no bake protein bars, cutting up a pound and a half of salmon into single servings to freeze, and preparing a weeks worth of breakfast smoothie mixes. It's fair to say I washed more than my share of dishes! 

Before I knew it my tummy was grumbling alerting me that it was lunch time. I really did not want to make anything elaborate for lunch and I certainly did not want to dirty a ton more dishes that would have to be washed (again). I decided on salmon, fresh cut up veggies, cottage cheese, and banana. 

I put the salmon in the oven (400 degree) for twenty minutes and let it bake while I finished cutting up fruit for my breakfast smoothies. 

I had a veggie platter I had picked up at the grocery store so I used one cup of that. It was a variety of carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and cherry tomatoes. 

I also added 1/3 cup of cottage cheese for extra protein and three Ritz crackers to eat with it. To finish it up I cut up half a banana and mixed together one tablespoon PB2 powdered peanut butter. I smeared PB2 on the banana slices and whala! I had a low effort but highly nutritious lunch. I also had a glass of skim milk with my lunch.

I only had a few dishes to wash after and not a sink full of dirty dishes again! Nothing fancy, but still yummy and all the protein helped keep me full for a long time.

No Bake Homemade Protein Bars

It's officially the weekend!! While the weather might be less than perfect outside inside it is the perfect time for some homemade goodness.

I grew up eating chewy bars, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Frankly I'm not sure why parents let their kids eat chewy bars though. They are loaded with artificial sugars and chemicals, if you don't believe me take a look at the ingredient list on a box. One of the ingredients listed is citric acid. When was the last time you were baking and had to reach in the cabinet to grab a pinch of citric acid, let me think...hmmm never.

So how do products continue to sell even if they do contain harmful ingredients? One reason is people simply are not aware of what they are consuming, another reason is companies use a technique called leanwashing to make products more appealing. Leanwashing is the practice of making a product look healthier than it actually is through marketing and advertising. It's a common practice especially when marketing food towards kids. Watch Nickelodeon while a show is on commercial break and you will see what I am talking about. 

Anyway, enough about that. In my process of getting rid of processed foods chewy bars went out the window, figuratively not literally of course. However, I am here to offer you a simple, tasty alternative: homemade protein bars. 

You will need:

• 2 cups oats, I used old fashioned but quick oats also work
• 1/4 cup PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter
• 1/4 cup chocolate Protein Powder, vanilla also works
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips, can substitute nuts if desired 
• 2 packets Truvia (you don't have to include this, they will still taste delicious)
• 1 large banana or 2 small bananas 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

First, in a large mixing bowl combine oats, PB2, protein powder, truvia, and chocolate chips. Thoroughly mix ingredients. 

Next, mash the banana.

Combine mashed banana in mixing bowl with dry ingredients.

Add in the vanilla extract.

Then, mix all ingredients together. Folding the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients works best. 

Once all the ingredients are mixed together press "batter" into an 8x8 or a 9x9 pan, depending on how big or small you want your bars. 

Press the "batter" flat in pan and refrigerate for one hour.

After cool, cut into bars. I cut mine into four rows of three bars each. Keep bars in an airtight container and refrigerate for optimal freshness.  

Nutrition per serving (one bar=one serving, based on 12 bars):
Calories: 85, 128 for a pan of 8 bars
Carbs: 14
Fats: 2 grams
Protein: 5 grams
Sodium: 21mg
Sugar: 4 grams

Island Style Salad

Happy Friday everyone!! There are so many reasons to be blissfully happy on this rather gloomy day. It's basically the weekend and Christmas music has officially started on the radio!! I hope you had an awesome Halloween, if you didn't get rained out or blown away...

I apologize for not posting any new recipes since Monday. The semester is beginning to wind down and things are getting rather chaotic. Seems like whenever I begin to make progress on homework another project or exam is announced. I have a back load of posts to create and tons of new recipes I can't wait to share with you guys!!

The gloomy weather lightly definitely made me miss the sun and summer. While I can't bring back the tropical weather I decided to infuse island style in my food. I hope you're ready for a delicious salad, Island Style!!

You will need:

• 1 boneless skinless medium sized organic chicken breast
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon olive oil 
• 2 cups organic romaine lettuce
• 1 cup crushed pineapple, if you buy it in a can/jar make sure there is no sugar added and it is unsweetened
• 1/4 cup diced sweet onion
• 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/3 cup frozen peach slices
• 1/3 cup fresh pineapple cut into chunks

Place 2 cups of romaine lettuce on a plate and set aside.

Spray a skillet with nonstick cook spray and turn to a medium heat. 

Cut the chicken into chunks and put it in the skillet with the olive oil and brown sugar. Allow the chicken to cook for one minute and then add 1 cup crushed pineapple to the skillet. Stir occasionally. Cook until the chicken is fully cooked and glazed with pineapple. Set aside to cool.

In another skillet over medium heat sauté the onion and bell pepper until lightly browned. Scoop onion and pepper onto the lettuce. 

In the same pan used for onion and bell pepper add fresh pineapple and frozen peaches. Allow them to sauté for a few minutes until they are lightly brown. It should take no longer than five minutes MAXIMUM. Scoop pineapple and peaches onto salad.

Finally, top the salad with the chicken and pineapple and pour any remaining pineapple glaze over the salad as a "dressing." I did not add any other dressing because the fruit, especially the pineapple, gives the salad a naturally sweet flavor. Enjoy your taste of the tropics!!

Nutrition per serving (makes 1 serving):

Calories: 260

Carbs: 34

Fats: 3 grams

Protein: 27 grams

Sodium: 143mg

Sugars: 24 grams (this may seem high, but it is natural sugars found in fruit)