Mean Green Post-Weights Smoothie

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I went to BodyPump this morning and either tied or increased my weight on every single track (one music track per body part). Every time I have a rocking BodyPump class, I have to be cognizant of what it means for my body - I could end up sore and hurtin'. To avoid it, there are two things I do... and, when I remember to follow both of them, it works like a charm.

First, stretch. Duh. 

Second, a mean smoothie. I don't know why I'm calling it that, it just feels right. It's packed with vitamins, protein, and healthy fats (but not a lot of them, unless you add some kind of nut butter). 

Mean Green Post-Weights Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 2 Strawberries, washed and cut
• 1/3 banana
• 1 cup Spinach
• 1 Scoop Protein Powder 
• 1 cup Almond Milk
• OPTIONAL: 1 tbsp Chia seeds, 1 tbsp Nut butter

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender. Add ice if the fruit is fresh, but skip this step if you've frozen your fruit. Blend until smooth and serve.

Notes:

• What kind of protein powder should you use? Whatever you like! I have tried it with Gold Standard Double Chocolate Whey, and a Vanilla, as well as a Sweet Cream Visalus, which is more of a meal shake than a protein shake... more on that later.
• To freeze... or not to freeze... your fruit? I am a big advocate of frozen. I buy strawberries and banana and, when they're perfectly ripe or just a bit past their prime (like when I realize, "Oh crap, I have a thing of strawberries in my fridge that will go bad if I don't use them ASAP!"), I cut the banana into small pieces, add some washed and cut up strawberries, and freeze them in single serving bags with spinach.
• What's in each single serving freezer bag?
• 1/2 to 1/4 of a Banana (depends on how I'm feeling when I cut them up)
• 2 Strawberries, washed and with the green part cut off
• 1 cup Spinach

Check out the stats on these babies... I'll call that protein perfect.

What about you?

• What do you eat/drink after a workout to re-fuel?
• What do you do differently after a weights workout vs a cardio workout?

Protein Honey Cheesecake

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My Dearest Readers,

I am writing to let you know that I think you deserve the best. We're talking the absolute best. No cheap imitation, no dishonest fakery, nothing that pretends to be one thing and turns out to be another. Just the pure, honest to goodness, delectable best.

I think you deserve to eat something that is utterly delicious. You deserve to drool over the mere thought of such a sweet, tasty bite... and then, you deserve to consume it.

You also deserve to have all of these things without feeling guilty. After all, where is the beauty in consuming something so deeply gratifying, only to be left with regrets? I contend that it would be much more beautiful to ditch the guilt in favor of satisfaction. Contentment. Joy. Thankfulness.

And so, I made you this cheesecake. So that you can not only indulge your senses and give in to temptation... but feel proud of it. That's right. I said proud. You can eat this for breakfast to start your day out with a butt kicking of protein. You can eat it after a workout to repair your muscles. You can eat it day and night without feeling guilty, because you're not consuming empty, sugary calories.

It's just plain good.

Love,

Carly

Protein Honey Cheesecake

Adapted From: Blogilates (Her recipe includes berries - head on over and check it out if you'd like!)

Prep Time: <5 Minutes

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Total Time: <25 Minutes

Ingredients for Cheesecake:

• 1 cup 0% Fat, Plain Greek Yogurt (Oikos, Chobani, or Fage will all work, among others. I tried out Oikos for this recipe)
• 2 tbsp Low Fat Cottage cheese (I used 1% milk fat)
• 1 tbsp Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 2 Whole Eggs
• 1/4 Cup Vanilla Whey
• 1/4 Cup Stevia

Indredients for Crust:

• 6 pitted Prunes
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds (they break up faster than whole ones)

Directions:

1. If making a crust, combine prunes and almonds in a food processor and blend until they form a rough gravel. If you don't have a food processor, you can finely chop the prunes and break up the slivered almonds with your hands into tiny pieces and then mix well with your hands. Then, distribute crust into a greased cupcake pan and press down to make it a compact layer.
2. Combine all cake ingredients in a blender and blend for about 20 seconds or until smooth. 
3. Pour the mixture into the cupcake pan (if you included a crust, you'll pour this over that), filling to about 3/4 full. This mixture will not rise the same way a real cupcake would.
4. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes.

Notes:

• Blogilates includes a recipe for the crust. While I did make a few of these with crust, I contend that it's not particularly necessary. They're just as delicious without the crust. That said, I did modify the crust recipe to make it slightly lower calorie. It's a very thin crust that pretty much only serves to add just the tiniest bit of crunch.

Protein Chia Seed Chocolate Pudding

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Cha-Cha-Cha-Chia! ....Sorry. It had to be done.


I've already ranted and raved about Chia Seeds a few times, now. They're low-cal, they keep you full, they're filled with Obega-3 Fatty Acids, Protein, and Fiber... and, best of all, you can add them to just about anything.

So I began by adding them to a delicious berry Muesli recipe. They thickened it up a bit. You see, as Chia seeds sit in a liquid, they begin to "gel" (remember those commercials... I'm gellin' are you gellin'? I'm gellin' like a felon, want some melon?). As they gel, they create a thicker, almost pudding-like consistency.

Pudding. PUDDING?! PUDDING!!!

Yes, folks. Pudding. Like the snack packs from your ten-year-old lunch box. The ones that were like gold when it came to trading for dunkaroos. 

And yet, this pudding is a bit different. Instead of being filled with... excuse my language... fake crap, this pudding is filled with healthy goodness. Instead of using pudding mix, I used chia seeds, truvia, and chocolate protein powder.

See that protein?! Your muscles need it to recover after you shred them during an intense workout (maybe one of these?). With 18g of protein, this pudding can totally be a substitute for a post-workout protein shake! It still has the same protein goodness but is in pudding form! Post-workout dessert? I think YES!

This recipe is also low in saturated fat, high in vitamin B12, and EXTREMELY high in dietary fiber!

Protein Chia Seed Chocolate Pudding

Calories Per Serving: 170

WW Points (Old): 3

WW Points Plus (New): 4

Prep Time: At least 30 minutes (but overnight would be best!)

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon Chia Seeds
• 1 scoop Chocolate Protein Powder
• 1/2 cup Water
• (Optional: Shredded Unsweetened Coconut)
• (Optional: 2 tsp Truvia)

Directions:

1. Combine Chia Seeds and Water in a bowl and stir well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, but overnight will yield the best results.
2. When you're ready to eat it, stir in 1 scoop of protein powder. Stir well to break up any powder pockets.
3. Garnish! I garnished with a bit of shredded, unsweetened coconut. Another awesome option would be fresh mint sprigs (with perhaps a drop or two of mint extract stirred in?!).

91 Calorie Berry Protein Muffins

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These muffins are crazy good for you. Like fiber-filled, cancer-fighting, protein-packed kind of good.  It's also yet another no-milk, no-egg, no-oil recipe. It is becoming a staple in my recipes, I dare say...

These muffins ALSO have raspberries and blueberries. As in double the berry. Double the pleasure. Double the fun. That's the statement of the great-ness? of protein muff-funs. <--How was that? Did you enjoy it?

For the record, I popped in a bit of Lingonberry jam to make some of these three-berry and they were delicious. Why actually, yes, "Yum" is my middle name! If you're digging the lingonberry idea, add a tablespoon. And you really should consider it, given how fun it is to say the word "Lingonberry."

Recipe | Peanut Butter Banana Protein Shake

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For those of you who are fitness buffs like me, protein shakes are a must. Even if you're not hitting the gym on a regular basis, protein is still a must-have in your diet. Most studies suggest that the average adult needs between 40 to 55 grams of protein each day. 

The icing on the cake (or on the protein shake, I guess?) is that this recipe makes one mean yet delicious shake. I often crave it. Proof that it is delicious.

Picking your protein? There are many options. Look for a Whey protein. Whey protein is the same protein found in milk and is best for post-workout supplements because it is fast-absorbing and as a result can quickly get to work repairing your muscles.Try to get this in your system within 40 minutes of working out if you're using it as a post-workout shake!

 

Want the full recipe? Read on, my friends! :)