Ghost Brownies
By Dr. Sara Solomon, BSc. PT, DMD, BodyBuilding.com
These five healthy protein treats can replace the usual sugar-filled Halloween tricks. They look and taste great, and are built with muscle-making protein!
Learn more about HomeBodyFit’s fitness and nutrition programs
Enjoy food is a large part of achieving balance
The goal at HomeBodyFit is to help our clients achieve better balance in their lives. We assist clients with incorporating the optimum amount of exercise into their their week; followed by plenty of rest for recover and muscle repair and healthy eating habits. But what’s also included in achieving balance? INDULGENCE! That’s right, life is for living and what good is looking and feeling your best without enjoying something decadent and sinful once in a while.
So the next time you’re craving dessert, here’s a tip for enjoying it guilt free (while making room): omit the carbs (e.g. rice, potatoes, bread) from your lunch or dinner plate, substitute with more veggies and greens (see below) and dig into that brownie and ice cream with abandon.
Eat more greets!
Add spinach or a greens powder to your smoothie, steam kale and serve with meat or fish for lunch or dinner…whatever your preference, eat greens at least once a day.
“Greens benefit every cell of your body and deliver more nutrients calorie for calorie than just about any other food on the planet.”
Frank Lipman
M.D., founder of Eleven-Eleven Wellness Center in New York City
Eat more protein for breakfast
Our clients hear this one all the time…enjoy a protein-rich breakfast every morning. It satisfies one longer so you’re less likely to snack; you’ll also make better choices for the rest of the day…and it refuels your body after sleep.
Try two scrambled eggs with half a cup of egg whites, avocado and two slices of turkey bacon on thinly sliced sprouted grains toast.
Or if you’re breaking a serious cereal habit, try a protein shake with half a cup of oats to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Save time, money and get results with an at-home fitness program and meal plan. Contact us today for a FREE consultation!
Double Chocolate Protein Cookies
Looking to take a break from protein bars? Here’s a BodyBuilding.com recipe for gooey, soft and intensely chocolaty cookies with extra protein.
2 tbsp cashew nut butter
1/4 cup whey protein powder
1/4 almond milk
1/4 cup 100% cocoa powder
1 tbsp coconut flour
10 g 85% dark chocolate
Directions
1. In a bowl, mix all ingredients together with a spoon.
2. Bake as two “blobs,” or four if you want to make smaller cookies. Use a nonstick or silicone cookie tray.
3. Bake at 325 degrees F (160 C) for about 25 minutes, or until the cookies are baked on the top and bottom but not fully cooked through. You want them gooey and soft in the center so they’re chewy instead of dry.
NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size (1 cookie)
Recipe yields 2
Amount per serving
Calories 280
Total Fat 18 g
Total Carbs 10 g
Protein 20 g
It used to be that eating before bed was considered to be a big no-no for weight-loss. This is no longer the case. In fact, if you’re working out on a regular basis and eating considerately throughout the day, a bedtime snack is ideal for weight-loss and muscle gain. However, this doesn’t mean that bags of chips and ice cream are on the menu. Instead, choose wisely so that your snack fuels your body and assists with important repair processes. We like sugar-free options…
HomeBodyFit before bed snack examples:
However, if you absolutely need something sweet, Cellucor athlete and WBFF Fitness ProJen Jewell (BodyBuilding.com) offers this protein treat which pleases both your taste buds and body.
Protein Cookie Delight
Protein Cookie Delight
Ingredients
• 3/4 cup frozen or fresh berries
• 3/4 cup raw old-fashioned oats
• 1/3 cup light/unsweetened almond milk
• 2 scoops Cellucor Red Velvet flavored whey protein powder
• Chocolate or rainbow sprinkles (optional, but great when not cutting)
• Honey to taste
Directions
1. Place berries in a bowl and microwave for 45 seconds. Once finished, mash with a fork.
2. Add remaining ingredients to create the batter. Make sure to stir thoroughly so all ingredients are evenly mixed.
3. Place 2-3 tablespoons of batter onto a plate to form each cookie, then place in microwave for 45-60 seconds.
4. Remove, let cool for a minute or two and enjoy.
NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size: 1 serving
Recipe Yields: 2 servings
Amount per serving
Calories 262
Total Fat 2.5g
Total Carbs 29g
Protein 31g
Ask us about our online meal and fitness plans!
by Rosanna van Dijk, BodyBuilding.com
This recipe is super versatile, and you can eat it as part of a protein-heavy breakfast or a filling afternoon snack—whatever you need! You can also use any flavor of whey and variety of nut butter you like. Not sure where to start? Try the classic flavor combination of peanut butter with Optimum Nutrition Double Rich Chocolate Gold Standard whey.
Easy Homemade Protein Bars
Ingredients
• 1 1/2 cup Oats
• 1/2 cup Unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup Nut butter
• 2-3 scoops Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard whey
Directions
1. Combine the ingredients in a bowl and then pour the mixture into a small lined tray.
2. Pop this into the fridge or freezer to set, and then chop up into slices.
PRO TIP
Add in some chopped nuts for an extra crunch.
NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size: 1 large piece
Recipe yields: 9 pieces
Amount per serving:
Calories 166
Total Fat 8.7g
Total Carbs 12.3g
Protein 12g
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard whey
Dark Chocolate Fudge Brownie Protein Cookie Crumble Pot
by Anna Sward, BodyBuilding.com
There are few things as delectable as digging in to a cookie crumble pot. As soon as you dip your spoon in, you get the crunchiness, creaminess, and warmth of chocolate paired with cool ice cream. It’s that combination of cake and gooey chocolate that tops all else.
The best part: You can indulge without throwing your diet out the window. It’s not wizardry I’m describing here. It’s protein that packs a punch!
PROTEIN COOKIES
• 1/4 cup Dymatize ISO-100 Chocolate Fudge Brownie
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp peanut butter (or three, if you’re a sucker for the butter)
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 small egg
FIRST LAYER
• 2 pots (340 g) Greek 0% fat yogurt
TOPPING
• 2 squares melted dark chocolate
• 2 tbsp ground almonds
Directions
1. Place cookie ingredients in a food processor and blend together until they form a paste.
2. Shape mix into 6-10 small balls and flatten each one on a baking-paper-lined cookie tray.
3. Bake at 350 F (175 C) for about 7-10 minutes, or until cookies are cooked through. Do not overbake. It’s best to take them out while they’re still soft in the center, because they tend to set a bit more as they cool.
4. To assemble cookie pots, layer 1/2 cup Greek yogurt into ramekins. If you don’t mind adding a little extra fat, you can use ricotta or mascarpone, too. Crumble a cookie and sprinkle it on top. Add some melted dark chocolate and top with 1/2 tbsp ground almonds. Ta-da! It’s delicious goodness in a bowl!
Mocha Cappuccino Cinnamon Brownies
by Stephanie Smith, BodyBuilding.com
Looking to bump up your protein intake? Trade in the shake and embrace the bake with these 9 recipes from the athletes of Optimum Nutrition!
See all 9 recipes (including Mocha Cappuccino Cinnamon Brownies, above) here
Healthy Cinnamon Sweet Potato Fries
by Shannon Clark BodyBuilding.com
If there’s one must-have complex carb you should stock in your pantry and include in your fitness nutrition plan, it’s the seemingly humble sweet potato. Depending on how they’re prepared, sweet potatoes can satisfy your craving for something savory or sweet without derailing your diet plan.
See all seven recipes including: Sweet Potato Soup, Easy Sweet Potato Pancakes and Chocolate Chip Sweet Potato Pancakes
Ask us about our online and at-home training programs, including customized meal plans.
At HomeBodyFit we encourage our clients to have a healthy snack before every workout and we’re often asked for ideas.
Here are a few pointers to remember when putting together your pre-workout snack:
1. Carbs are your pre-workout friends.
Carbs are your friends before a workout
Choose a mixed bag of complex and simple ones for a slow and steady release of energy throughout your routine. Try whole-wheat toast with peanut-butter (or almond butter) and fruit which is also easy to digest (another plus). Bananas are perfect in raising potassium levels, which drop when you sweat a lot. Lastly, you can add a dash of cinnamon, which has been linked to stabilizing blood sugar and improving brain function.
2. Sliced apples with peanut butter (or almond butter) are a winning combination.
Try crunchy nut butters or add a few bran flakes for a different consistency
In addition to the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants apples provide, you’ll avoid a sugar crash. The nut butter squashes hunger and keeps your energy levels up.
3. Lastly, don’t forget the tried, test and true smoothie!
We like whey smoothies pre-workout
Not only are they convenient, you can add easily change them up with your favorite fresh fruit, Greek yogurt and even granola for a thicker consistency. We like formulas made with whey. Note: Don’t be too heavy-handed with the protein powder. 10 to 20 grams before exercising is plenty.
Looking for more guidance? We provide custom-made meal and workout plans…fill in our online questionnaire for a free consultation!
4 rules to baking with whey protein powder
by Anna Sward, BodyBuilding.com
RULES OF THE RIGHT OF WHEY
There are four rules you must know to successfully cook with whey. Master them, and become master of the protein universe. You may use these rules to bake cakes as well but, for now, let’s stick to pancakes and muffins.
RULE 1
Never-NEVER-bake or panfry a batter that is more than ¼ whey. This is because, naturally, whey has a tendency to go dry, rubbery, and “cardboard-up” (if you allow me to paraphrase Steve Spurrier and coin that expression).
You have to offset this tendency. How? By making sure that the rest of your ingredients weigh it down and add enough moisture to counter the whey.
RULE 2
You must always use what I call a primary moisturizer. This can be cottage cheese, pumpkin puree, Greek yogurt, or a cooked sweet potato. It can also be fruits such as applesauce, apples, bananas or berries.
RULE 3
You always need to have a type of flour in your batter. This will combine with your whey and give volume to your final product.
My favorite flours to use are oats, coconut flour, almond flour, oat flour, amaranth flour, chickpea flour, buckwheat flour or quinoa flour. These are excellent gluten-free, high-protein, and high-fiber flours.
RULE 4
Always use a binding substance like egg whites, whole eggs or a combination of both.
By following the above rules, you’ll be able to make anything and everything with whey?from cakes and muffins to pancakes and breads!
The more you play with it, the more delicious variations of your protein favorites will result.
Add nuts, seeds, and any additional powders (e.g. cocoa, maca powder, lucuma powder), spices (e.g. cinnamon, cloves, ginger) and flavorings (e.g. vanilla essence, orange peel, almond essence) to your batter too.
The sky is the limit to what you can make once you understand the basics of whey protein cooking!
Experiment with your combinations. Find out what you like and don’t like. Combine lemon peel with poppy seeds, cinnamon with vanilla, cocoa with passion fruit!
Try exotic ingredients. Be creative with your flavorings and remember to always build on what you learn along the “whey.”