Quick Snack: Banana Flaxseed Crackers

Looking for a quick and easy snack with an added protein boost? Then look no further! Banana flaxseed crackers are simple to make and are totally delicious.



You only need two ingredients for this recipe:

• 1 banana, medium in size
• 1/2 cup flaxseed

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with tin foil, or parchment paper.

Cut the banana into chunks and mash it up. I find it is easiest to mash a banana with a fork.

Once the banana is completely mashed mix in the flax seeds.

Finally once you have the banana and flax seed totally mixed together drop 1 tablespoon of batter onto the cookie sheet and press flat.

Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes. You will know the crackers are done because they will be slightly golden on the edges. You can enjoy hot or allow them to cool and enjoy. I keep mine refrigerated but you do not have to. 

There are so many ways to enjoy this delicious snack. Personally I like to add a little PB2 on top for even more protein. I hope you like this quick and easy snack recipe!! 

Nutrition:

Calories: 82

Fat: 5.4 grams

Sodium: 0 mg

Potassium: 42.2 mg

Fiber: 5.1 grams

Sugar: 1.4 grams

Protein: 3.7 grams

Blueberry Chia Seed Muffins

Happy Sunday everyone!! I am so excited to share this recipe with you because it is one of my favorites!! I eat a blueberry chia seed muffin almost every morning for breakfast because they are packed with protein to help fuel my morning workouts; they're also delicious! 

Chia seeds are sort of a well kept secret. Chia seeds are an ancient super food and translated from Mayan it literally means strength. What makes chia seeds so super? They provide the maximum amount of nutrients with minimal calories. The benefits of chia seeds are seemingly endless as they provide calcium, fiber, protein, antioxidants, and omega fatty acids. These tiny seeds pack a powerful nutritional punch!!

To make blueberry chia seed muffins you will need:

• 1.5 cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 cup oats, regular, rolled, or old fashioned all work
• 4 Tablespoons of chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil, safflower oil works as well
• 1 egg
• 1 cup skim milk, you can substitute any kind of milk including almond milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 cup mashed bananas, between 1.5 and two medium bananas 
• OPTIONAL 1/3 cup chocolate chips

First, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Also grease or line a muffin pan. I make 18 medium sized muffins, but you can make 12 jumbo muffins if you prefer.

Next, in a medium bowl combine the chia seeds and the milk and set aside to thicken.

In a large mixing bowl combine all the dry ingredients: whole wheat flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Once you have thoroughly mixed together the dry ingredients set it off to the side.

Next, you will want to cut up the banana and mash it. Personally, I find it easiest to cut the banana into chunks then use a fork to mash it up.

Now in a separate mixing bowl combine the mashed banana, egg, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. A "batter" should begin to form. Carefully stir in the milk and chia seed combination and blend well.

Next, take the wet ingredients and slowly begin to add it to the dry ingredients. Thoroughly blend together the wet and the dry ingredients but do not over mix!! The batter will be lumpy not smooth.

Gently fold the blueberries and the chocolate chips (if you're adding them) into the batter. Again, you don't over mix the batter so blend well with as little stirring as possible. 

Finally, fill the muffins tins approximately 3/4 full. If you are making jumbo muffins your tins will be almost completely full. Regardless of how many muffins you make they will expand to become very fluffy!!

Bake at 375 degree for 18-20 minutes depending on how powerful your oven is. The tops of the muffins will be golden when they are done. Allow muffins to cool for an hour before placing in bags to freeze, or for two hours (or until completely cool) if you plan on storing them in the refrigerator, and I do recommend storing them in the refrigerator for optimal freshness. 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and I hope you enjoy these blueberry chia seed muffins as much as I do!! 

Nutrition: (based on 18 muffins)
Calories: 154
Fat: 5.3 grams
Cholesterol: 17.1 mg
Potassium: 261.8 mg
Sodium: 350 mg
Sugars: 4 grams
Protein: 7.2 grams

10 Calorie Frozen Yogurt Fudge!!!

Who doesn't love a reward after a hard week of classes or work? And who doesn't love a sweet treat as a reward?! Well this sweet treat is totally guilt free!!

I cooked up this recipe in my mind while studying between classes and I could not wait until the weekend so I could have time to try it out. Sometimes inventing new recipes doesn't always turn out so good, but this one did and I couldn't be happier!! Prepare yourself for an insanely easy, guilt free sweet treat!!

You only need two ingredients for Frozen Yogurt Fudge:
-2 Cups Dannon Light and Fit Vanilla Yogurt
-1 Cup Frozen Unsweetened Blueberries

It is ok to have a heaping cup of blueberries.
Because they are not flat it makes it
difficult to measure an exact cup.

First, line an 8x8 pan with tinfoil. This will make it easier to lift the fudge out once it is frozen.

Next, in a mixing bowl or just a large bowl combine the frozen blueberries and the yogurt, thoroughly mixing them together. The yogurt may turn blueish or purplish because of the frozen blueberries. 

After mixing together the blueberries and yogurt carefully pour the yogurt into your already lined pan. Spread the yogurt evenly throughout the pan, using a spoon was helpful to do this. 

Once the yogurt is spread evenly in the pan place the pan in the freezer for 2.5-3 hours. If it is not completely frozen after three hours let sit in the freezer for an additional hour. 

Delicious and guilt free, what could
be better!?!

Finally, once the yogurt is completely frozen lift the tinfoil out of the pan so you can cut the fudge into pieces. I cut mine into five rows with five pieces each. You can make the pieces bigger or smaller if you wish, but the caloric values will differ slightly. After cutting the fudge, and enjoying a piece or two, you will want to keep it in the freezer for optimal freshness. 

I hope you enjoy this sweet treat and have a wonderful weekend!!

Nutrition: 

Calories (per piece): 10

Total Fat: 0.0 grams

Cholesterol: 0.0 mg

Sodium: 6.1 mg

Potassium: 21.7 mg

Fiber: 0.2 grams

Sugar: 1.4 grams

Protein: 0.4 grams