High Protein Sweet and Salty Trail Mix

I am loving this trail mix concoction.  It's a great combination of sweet and salty!  I personally love to pick out the pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries and eat those together.  Great duo.  Then you can never go wrong with nuts and chocolate.  I know dried fruit has a lot of sugar and I know nuts are high in fat, but I think this is a better snack option than eating two or three of our favorite chocolate chip cookies.  But oh how we love those cookies.

High Protein Sweet and Salty Trail Mix

Yield: About 3 cups

Ingredients
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup cashews
1/2 cup peanuts
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a bowl or ziplock bag and stir or shake until combined.  Store sealed in the pantry.

Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Don't Waste the Crumbs

Greek Quesadillas (or Salad if you'd like!)

The combination of these ingredients is so good to me that heck - leave out the tortilla part and just give me a bowl and a fork and I'm good to go!  If you want the salad version of this recipe then do just that... add all the ingredients together in a bowl and you're set!  Making it into a quesadilla is great too and helps with portion control - so I don't eat the entire batch - and makes it feel more like a start to finish meal.

This recipe also makes great for leftovers so when I open the refrigerator and I'm hungry but not in the mood to make anything and don't want to rely on the cookies in the pantry but want something healthy, then having a bowl of this is ta-dah... wonderful!  How'd you like that run-on sentence?

Here's a picture of the salad version...

Here's a picture of the feta and dill Greek yogurt dressing.  I got it at Walmart.  It really is pretty amazingly delicious.

Greek Quesadillas (or Salad)
Yield: 2-4 servings

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 cups spinach
1/2 cup feta cheese
1 cucumber, peeled and diced into small pieces
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, diced into small pieces
1/4-1/2 cup olives, diced
1/2 cup feta and dill Greek yogurt dressing
Tortillas
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine shredded chicken, spinach, feta cheese, diced cucumbers, diced tomatoes, diced olives, and dressing into a bowl.

Place a tortilla on a baking sheet and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top.  The add a couple spoonfuls of salad mixture on top of the cheese.  I like my quesadillas pretty stuffed so I add a lot of the salad.  Sprinkle a little more mozzarella cheese on top of the salad mixture and finish by adding a tortilla on top.  Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes, until warm in the middle and slightly crisp on top.  Remove from oven and cut the tortilla into fourths.

Serve with additional Greek yogurt dressing for dipping if desired.

*For the chicken: I always like to add a few chicken breasts to my crockpot, sprinkle with pepper, add some chicken stock, and cook for about 6 hours on low.  Then I shred the chicken and stick it in a tupperware and put it in the refrigerator so I always have some tasty cooked chicken on hand to add to recipes or throw into burritos for the added protein.  Plus it makes making recipes like this one so much faster and easier!

Recipe Source: adapted from www.womanista.com

The source where I found this original recipe from said there were:
Protein: 44g
Carbs: 29g
Fat: 17g
Fiber: 13g
Sugar: 4g

Avocado Egg Salad Sandwich

With Easter just around the corner you might find yourself with a lot of hard boiled eggs.  I've always enjoyed a good egg salad sandwich, but when I recently discovered that you can replace mayonnaise with avocado I became really excited because substitute the bad for the healthy, right?!

This is a very simple, easy, classic recipe so feel free to adjust it to your liking.  I hope it will help you want to not throw away all those hard boiled eggs after your kids have died them.

Avocado Egg Salad Sandwich
Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients
2 large hard boiled eggs, cooled and peeled
1/2 avocado
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 of a small lime or lemon, juiced
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Add the hard boiled eggs, avocado, Dijon mustard, lime/lemon juice, and salt and pepper to a small bowl and mash with a fork until fully combined.

Serve on a slice of toasted bread and if you'd like add some tomatoes, lettuce, and additional spices or herbs.

Serve immediately and eat the same day you prepare it.

Recipe Source: myfitnesspal.com

Chocolate Protein Brownies

I love these chocolate protein bars from Jamie Eason.  They only take a few minutes to make and they are a great option when you are craving that chocolate treat or snack.  Of course they aren't as moist or ooey-gooey as the brownies in a box, but they are a much healthier option and satisfy that craving just as good as the boxed-brownies.    

Notes:  For the ground oatmeal I use the fast cooking oats and blend two cups in my Vitamix.  It turns out great.  I've also made this recipe using chocolate whey protein powder and it doesn't turn out as good -  a little more granulated.  Is that a word?  So I recommend sticking to the vanilla, but if chocolate is al you have you can still use it.

Chocolate Protein Brownies
Yield: 16 brownies, 8 servings (2 brownies per serving)

Ingredients
2 cups ground oatmeal
2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder
3 tablespoons baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 egg whites
1/2 cup Splenda or Truiva (or 6 teaspoons Stevia)
8 oz. berry-flavored baby food  (Gerber Apple Blueberry is excellent)
4 oz. water  (One of the plastic containers of baby food)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish and set aside.

Whisk dry ingredients (ground oatmeal, protein powder, baking cocoa, baking soda, and salt) together in a large bowl.

In a smaller bowl add the egg whites and Splenda.  Whisk together until it becomes a little frothy.  Add the baby food and the water and whisk until all is combined.  The baby food takes place of any oil you might use and the water helps keep these little brownies moist.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until well combined.  Pour into the prepared 8x8 inch pan and cook for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Allow to cool before cutting into 16 equal squares.


Nutrition Facts (per serving):
Total Fat  1.4 g
Total Carb  12 g
Protein  10 g


Recipe Source: Bodybuilding.com

Cheesy Pumpkin Macaroni

I know it's no longer fall and pumpkin season might have come and gone, but I am still loving this Cheesy Pumpkin Macaroni.  It's a simple casserole to put together on a busy weeknight, especially if you have leftover chicken or turkey you want to use!  I really like the flavor all the spices in this recipe give to this casserole.  And with the whole wheat pasta, chicken, cheese, and spinach we're looking at about 25 grams of protein per serving.  Up high!

Cheesy Pumpkin Macaroni
Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients
8 oz., whole grain pasta, cooked
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon sage
3/4 teaspoon thyme
3/4 teaspoon rosemary
3 cups spinach
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup low-fat milk
15 oz. can pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Cook the pasta in a large pot according to package until "al dente".  Set aside.

Cook the butter and garlic over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Stir in the nutmeg, sage, thyme, rosemary, and spinach until the spinach wilts.

Stir in the chicken broth, milk, pumpkin puree, flour, and 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese.  Add cooked, shredded chicken now and simmer on low for 8-10 minutes.

Transfer all the ingredients into a large, greased 9x13 dish and top with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the top turns just barely golden brown.  Serve immediately.

Recipe Source:  I can't for the life of me find the source of this recipe, but I modified it a tad.

Turkey Chili {Body Building Version}

I love this chili recipe I came across last week on the Body Building website.  It comes together so quickly and easily and is packed with protein (approximately 20-24 grams of protein per serving).  It's filling but doesn't leave me feeling heavy after I've eaten it... even after two servings (oops!).

Turkey Chili
Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients
1 lb. extra-lean ground turkey
1 small onion, chopped
3/4 tablespoon garlic powder
2 - 4oz cans diced green chilies
1 - 15oz can organic kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 - 15oz can organic black beans, rinsed and drained
1 - 8oz can tomato sauce
3/4 tablespoon brown sugar
3/4 tablespoon chili powder
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons mustard (yellow or dijon work)
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
fresh cilantro, optional
cheddar cheese, optional

Directions
In a large pot add onion and turkey, sprinkled with garlic powder and cook until no longer pink and cooked through.

Add the green chilies, beans, tomato sauce, brown sugar, and spices (except cilantro) and stir until combined.

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer for about 10 minutes.  You can add some water if you would like it not so thick.

Add cilantro and a light sprinkle of cheese if you would like.  Serve hot.


Recipe Source: adapted from Jamie Eason's recipe.