Gluten Free No Bake Protein Bars

If you've ever taken a protein bar from the shelf in a gas station or even some health food stores, you know that 90% of them are pretty equal to that of a snickers bar in terms of ingredients and macro-nutrients. The only difference is that little bit of added protein which most of the time is from a source of protein your body has a hard time breaking down anyways.

I'm sure many of you are thinking "are there ANY healthy yet convenient ways to get in some quality protein without drinking protein shakes all day long??" I have good news- THERE IS! It's called make your own protein bars and keep them stored in the fridge or on your counter top in portioned sizes so they're super simple to just grab and go! PROBLEM SOLVED!

Oh, and you'll save a ton of money doing it this way also ;)

What you will need:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 3/4 cup organic almond butter (no sugar added)
• 2 tsp raw honey
• 1 cup vanilla/chocolate protein powder (I used shakeology for the added nutrition)
• 1.5 cups gluten free rolled oats
• 1/4 cup flax seeds
• 1/4 cup popped amaranth 
• 2 tbsp dark chocolate chips (I used ENJOY dairy, nut, soy, and gluten free chips)\

What to do:

1. In a medium sized bowl, toss old fashioned oats, flax seed, protein powder, and popped amaranth together. Set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine milk, almond butter, and honey over low-medium heat. Stir until the almond butter is melted and mixed well. 
3. slowly fold in the oat/seed mixture and stir until well combined.
4. Press mixture firmly into a 9x9 pan.
5. if using, sprinkle dark chocolate chips on top. 
6. let sit until cooled and slightly hardened before cutting into bars.
7. Cut into 9-12 bars.

Note** you can add in whatever you like to spice it up! Next time I may add some unsweetened coconut and cacao powder for a "almond joy"makeover :) 

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Brianna

Hersey's Makeover

I don't know about you, but when my sweet tooth hits, it hits HARD! Although I avoid keeping "temptations" in my house, when I start craving something sweet I make every effort possible to create a sweet treat from what i've got... when that doesn't work, Publix here I come!

Luckily i've found an alternative that:

1. Tastes amazing
2. I can keep in the freezer - out of sight
3. A few small pieces is the PERFECT amount of satisfaction
4. IT'S CRAZY HEALTHY!

Yep, you heard me! Chocolate that tastes better than a Hershey's bar and is also insanely healthy. Today is a GREAT day in my book!

Oh, did I mention it's peanut butter AND chocolate?? So like a reese's remix?! :)

Are you ready to see how simple these are to make?

Step 1: Melt 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and then mix it with 1 scoop of chocolate shakeology

Step 2: Pour on to a plate prepared with parchment paper

Step 3: Mix together 2 tablespoons of PB2 and 1 tablespoons of coconut oil

Step 4: Drizzle your peanut butter mixture all over the shakeology mixture

Step 5: Stick in the freezer for 15-20 and let harden

Step 6: Take out of the freezer and break into small pieces

Seriously that's it!! Just keep them in some tupperware in your freezer for when that sweet tooth hits! ;)

Now it's YOUR turn to give them a try!

You can order shakeology HERE!

If you try this recipe, let me know how you like it in the comments below!

with love,

Brianna

Peanut Butter Chocolate Superfood Balls

My mouth is watering as I type this.

Peanut butter + chocolate + SUPERFOODS???!!! I am in chocoholic heaven!

Seriously, these guilt free desserts are almost TOO good to be good for you... but I promise, they are ;)

What you will need:

• 1 scoop vegan chocolate shakeology 
• 1 scoop vanilla shakeology 
• dash of cinnamon 
• 1/2 cup of organic, all natural almond butter OR peanut butter 
• handful of dark chocolate chips (I used 60% cacao)
• dash of pink Himalayan salt 
• unsweetened almond milk

To make:

1.  Mix all ingredients except almond milk together in a bowl, add almond milk little by little until you have a dough like mixture. 
2. Roll into small balls about the size of a golf ball. 
3. Drizzle with melted nut butter (optional)
4. Put in the fridge to harden for at least one hour. Keep stored in the fridge.

ENJOY!!

xoxo

Brianna

CHOCOLATE Quinoa Bowl

I believe in chocolate for breakfast. I mean seriously, why NOT start the day with chocolate???!!!

I've been playing with new breakfast options a lot lately. Although I still love overnight oats and egg casserole, wouldn't it be AWESOME to pack even MORE nutrition into your first meal and it still taste like heaven? Yeah, that's the mindset where this recipe originated.

Quinoa + coconut milk + cacao nibs + toasted coconut flakes... drooling!

,OH, and don't judge it until you try it!! My super picky, junk food obsessed brother LOVED it which means this recipes is definitely a keeper!

There's now no reason to not start your morning with protein, healthy fats, a powerful punch of antioxidants, and a whole lot of flavor!

Makes 4 Servings-

What you will need:

• 1 cup of quinoa, cooked
• 1.5 cups coconut milk, organic
• 1 tbsp. raw cacao powder 
• 2 tbsp. raw cacao nibs
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon 
• 1 tbsp. raw, unfiltered honey
• 1 tbsp. chia seeds 
• 3 tbsp. almond slices
• 1 tsp pink Himalayan salt 
• pinch of toasted coconut flakes
• 1 cup of mixed berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries)

Instructions:

• Mix cooked quinoa, coconut milk, cacao powder, cinnamon, honey, chia seeds, and pink Himalayan salt together in a pot over medium heat.
• Stir until completely mixed and warmed up
• Divide into 4 small mason jars and top with cacao nibs, toasted coconut, and sliced almonds
• Top with berries of your choice!

Nutrition per serving (without berries): 329 calories, 25g fat, 21g carbs, 3.4g fiber, 5.5g protein

Homemade Protein Bars

When first embarking on my clean eating journey, it was hard to find to healthy snacks that I could take on the go other than fruit, raw veggies, and nuts. Sometimes I really wanted something that tasted guilty, but would still fit into my nutrition guidelines... sound familiar?

I started carrying around quest bars but eventually just got sick of them! I realized the amount of money I was spending on buying boxes of clean bars (I mean really clean...) was crazy! After looking at the ingredients on many of the bars that were portrayed as being "clean" I couldn't believe all the crap that was listed in the ingredients!!

So as you guessed, I made my own. I adopted the recipe from a few other recipes I came across and just picked and chose new ingredients to make my own, CLEAN bar! The result? This is one you need to add to your MAKE NOW list!!!

What You Will Need:

• 2 cups rolled oats (I used gluten free)
• 1/2 cup protein powder (I used the vanilla quest powder - if you want to keep the bars dairy and gluten free opt for a vegan protein such as vega one)
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I used the enjoy life dairy free/gluten free) -- OPTIONAL
• 1/2 cup chia seeds 
• 1/4 cup chopped, pitted dates
• 1 cup PB2 (mix the powder with unsweetened almond milk until you get the creamy consistency of peanut butter)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg

To Make:

1. In a food processor blend the oats until you get the consistency of an oat flour. Only blend the first 1 1/2 cups, save the other 1/2 to add to the batter as is. 
2. In a large bowl add the oat flour, remaining oats, protein powder, chocolate chips, chia seeds, and chopped dates.
3. In another bowl mix together the almond milk and peanut butter. Pour peanut butter mixture over the oat mixture and stir until completely mixed.
4. Spread mixture into a 9x9 baking dish and cover with tin foil. Refrigerate 5-6 hours until hardened and then slice into 12 bars. I chose to slice mine into 24 pieces just as a satisfying bite sized snack! 
5. Keep stored in the refrigerator!

Nutrition per serving (1 of 12 bars): 223 calories, 8.8g fat, 29.7g carbs, 8g fiber, 4.7g sugar, 11g protein

Nutrition per serving (1 of 24 bars): 111.5 calories, 4.4g fat, 14.8g carbs, 4g fiber, 2.4g sugar, 5.5g protein 

Protein Waffles With Protein Icing

After recently posting these on my social media pages, i've had A TON of people asking to get it up on the blog so they can make them ASAP. If you do make them, post a picture and tag me {FACEBOOK or INSTAGRAM! You can get so creative with waffles and everyone knows that's my expertise! ;)

Toppings gone WILD! See what I mean??

Okay, okay! On to the good stuff.

Gluten Free Protein Waffles w/ Protein Icing

*SERVES 4*

Ingredients- 

For the waffles:

• 1 cup gluten free rolled oats
• 1 1/2 scoops of vanilla protein powder (I used this one - but the quest vanilla milkshake works great too!)
• 3 tablespoons coconut flour (I used this one )
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 
• 3 tablespoons greek yogurt (for a dairy option, replace with coconut milk yogurt)
• 3/4 cup of egg whites 
• 15 drops of liquid stevia (depends on how sweet you want them)
• 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (optional)
• 3-4 tbsp of water {this will vary based on the type of protein you use so start with less and add until the proper consistency)

For the icing:

• 2 scoops vanilla milkshake Quest Protein 
• 1 1/2 cups plain greek yogurt 
• 1 tsp. cinnamon 
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 
• few drop of liquid stevia depending on your preference to the sweetness 
• unsweetened almond milk to taste

To Make- 

For the waffles:

1. Preheat your waffle maker
2. Blend all the dry ingredients 
3. Add in the wet ingredients and mix well 
4. Spoon into waffle maker (make LESS of a mess) and cook for about 6-8 minutes. Check after about 5 to see if the waffles are golden so they don't burn.

For the icing:

1. Add your protein and spices into a medium sized bowl and mix well.
2. Next add in your greek yogurt and stir until a thick consistency forms.
3. Add in 1-2 tablespoons of almond milk at a time to make sure your icing doesn't get too watery. Keep adding until your desired thickness.
4. Taste - if you want it sweeter add the liquid stevia.

Nutrition per serving (will vary based on your protein, does NOT include icing)- 173 calories, 19 carbs, 3g fat, 18g protein

Fruit Salsa w/ Cinnamon Pita Chips

Reason #59863 I love the 21 Day Fix; at no point do I feel the need to restrict myself of YUMMY foods in concern of ruining my clean eating or worse... gaining a whole lot of unwanted weight!

Cinnamon pita chips dipped in fruit salsa is one of those dishes you bring to a party and it's the first thing gone. Yes, it's THAT GOOD.

The "salsa" is portioned out as a purple container (so I don't sit and eat the entire batch...) & 8 of these pita chips equals 1/2 yellow and 2 tsp!

21  Day Fix Cinnamon Pita Chips and Fruit Salsa

Serves 2
1/2 yellow, 1 purple, 1 tsp (oils), and 1 tsp 

Ingredients

1 6inch whole wheat tortilla shell

1/4 small gala apple

1/2 purple container of cut pineapple

1/2 purple container of frozen strawberries (partially thawed)

2 tsp of coconut oil

1 tsp of coconut sugar

Cinnamon to taste (Free)

Directions

1.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

2. Put your teaspoon of coconut oil in a small dish and melt it in the microwave (should only take a few seconds).

3. In a small dish place your teaspoon of coconut sugar and add the cinnamon in until you get a nice even mixture of cinnamon to sugar. Place bowl to the side. **NOTE: I love cinnamon so I added 2 tsp of cinnamon per tsp of sugar**

4. Take the tortilla shell and put it on a cutting board. Cut like a pizza into 6 pieces, then take those pieces and separate (half them- you'll notice once you cut it will already be trying to separate). Brush some of the coconut oil onto each tortilla shell until it has a slight coating over the whole shell. Then sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar mixture over every piece.  

5. Transfer the chips over to a non-stick baking sheet. 

6. Place in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes. 

7. While the chips are baking take your partially thawed strawberries and blend them and also dice up your apple & pineapple into small pieces. Put the diced apples and blended strawberries into a small bowl. If you're feeling edgy, add in some coconut extract for more flavor with no added calories!

8. Once the chips are done, let them cool and then enjoy!

Clean Eating Carrot Cake

Have you experienced walking through the mall and all you can smell is the warm cinnamon sugar coming from the Cinnabon counter and your mouth just starts to water? It's almost like you can taste the Cinnabon cinnamon rolls in your mouth before you ever see the actual Cinnabon sign. Carrot cake has that same affect on me.

I've tried convincing myself they are healthy because they are made with carrots... but that can only go so far before I find myself MISERABLE from all the sugar, trans fats, and empty calories.

With that being said, what better way to try a carrot cake that you can actually feel GOOD About eating than on Christmas?!

Clean Eating Carrot Cake

Yield: 1 cake, 9 squares 

Serving Size: 1 square 

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 1 1/2 cups almond flour 
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda 
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 
• 3/4 tsp. nutmeg 
• 1 tbsp. coconut oil, melted (bring to room temp.)
• 1 large egg 
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract 
• 1/2 cup 100% pure maple syrup 
• 1/4 cup Greek Yogurt 
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 1/2 cup grated carrots

For the frosting:

• 10 oz. ricotta cheese 
• 3 tbsp. Greek Yogurt 
• 2 tbsp. 100% pure maple syrup 
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract 
• Liquid Stevia (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and coat a 9' square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. 
2. To prepare the cake, whisk together the flour and next 5 ingredients (through coconut oil) in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, egg, and vanilla, Stir in the maple syrup and Greek yogurt, mix until no large clumps remain. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and the milk, stirring just until incorporated, beginning and ending with the flour. Fold in the carrots. 
3. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and baked at 350 for 28-30 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack. Cool completely to room temperature before frosting. 
4. To prepare the frosting, stir together the ricotta cheese, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, vanilla, and stevia if you are using into a medium bowl. Spread on top of cooled cake. Let frosting set for 1-2 hours before slicing and serving. 

Chocolatey Coconut Banana Bread

When the holiday season arrives it's almost like my internal fat kid comes out to play and immediately I want chocolate EVERYTHING!

I can't be the only one suffering from this crazyness right??

The problem with the holidays is they are linked to SUGAR, baked goods, and more sugar.

So what do you do when you want all these goodies, but don't want the sugar crash, the weight gain, the drowsiness, and every other negative side effect that comes hand in hand with eating CRAP...?

You make guiltless indulgences that you can feel GOOD about eating & still get your sweet tooth fix!

This recipe is one i've been making for the last two years and it never gets old. This time however, I decided to try and make it even healthier without taking away from any of flavor. The result? OH MY LANTA. This may become a staple in your holiday cooking!

Right: made with dark chocolate chips and unsweetened coconut
Left: made with cacao nibs (crushed in the food processor), crushed pecans, and unsweetened coconut

Chocolatey Coconut Banana Bread

Makes 24 servings (2 loaves)

Nutrition (per serving): calories (216), fat (4g), carbohydrates (38.7g), fiber (9.3g), sugar (15.2g), protein (6.6g) 

Ingredients:

¼ cup + 2 tbsp. Truvia Baking Blend (or ¾ cup of sugar if you do not have the baking blend)

½ cup of brown sugar 

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

6 tbsp. egg substitute (or 2 regular eggs) **I used egg whites for this go around**

¼ cup unsweetened applesauce

3 very ripe bananas; mashed

1 cup greek yogurt (nonfat)

1 tsp vanilla 

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup coconut flour **if you do not have coconut flour, you can use 2 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour. However the coconut flour gave the bread amazing flavor!**

1 ½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp salt

Dash of cloves

Dash of nutmeg

1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (optional) **I used raw cacao nibs and crushed them in a food processor. This will be my new go to! They give the bread a chocolatey taste but don't melt like normal chocolate chips & provide a crazy amount of nutrition**

2 tbsp. chia seeds **adds healthy fibers**

2 tbsp. hemp hearts (optional)

2 tbsp. flax seeds (optional)

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut (split between the 2 loaves) 

1/2 cup crushed pecans (split between the 2 loaves)

Nonstick cooking oil spray

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cut the butter into small chunks and place in a large mixing bowl along with the sugar and brown sugar. Use an electric mixer to beat together the butter and sugar for a few minutes. Make sure the butter is fully integrated into the sugar and the mixture becomes small, even sized crumbs.

2. Add the eggs and applesauce to the bowl and continue to mix until smooth.

3. In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork till smooth. Add the mashed bananas, Greek yogurt, and vanilla to the bowl. Use a spatula to stir the mixture until smooth.

4. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cloves, nutmeg, chia seeds, flax seeds, and hemp hearts. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet to make a thick batter. Don’t over mix – a few lumps are okay.

5. Fold in the chocolate chips

6. Grease 2 loaf pans with nonstick cooking oil spray. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. **top with additional ingredients like the cacao nibs, coconut, pecans, etc.**

7. Cover each pan with aluminum foil & cook 45 minutes.

8. Remove foil and cook 10 minutes longer, or until top is golden brown.

9. Let the loaves cool for 10 minutes in their pans, and then put them on a wire rack to cool completely.

 

Chocolate Power Bites

What could be better than oats, chocolate, coconut, and PUMPKIN all mixed together into one gooey "cookie" like ball? Maybe the fact they are 21 day fix approved, low calorie, low sugar, and 90% clean?! Oh, and you can have them prepared in less than 20 minutes. True story!

Chocolate Power Bites

Yield: 14 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 

1/2 cup pumpkin puree 

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

1/4 cup white chocolate chips {optional}

1 tsp ground cinnamon 

1/8 cup unsweetened coconut 

1/8 cup ground flaxseed 

1/4 tsp pink Himalayan salt

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together (don't be afraid to get your hands a little dirty!), roll dough into small balls (about that of a golf ball), and plop onto a baking sheet laid out with parchment paper. Bake for 14 minutes at 350 degrees F.

21 Day Fix Containers: 2 cookies = 1 yellow