It would be great if a manufacturer could make a protein bar that was portable, tasted good and delivered the high quality protein you need to consume to keep your fat burning furnace going. If only life was so easy! Most protein bars are not much better for you than a candy bar! They contain substandard proteins like soy, gelatin (yes, just like that wiggly dessert), and collagen. Many of them are filled with sugar. Even the low carb versions typically use glycerol or maltitol (known as sugar alcohols) that have a smaller effect on blood glucose levels but also can lead to bloating, diarrhea and flatulence – no one wants that!
Stick to natural foods as much as possible and use protein shakes when you need something portable. Other options include an apple with peanut butter, a handful of mixed nuts, cheese sticks, cottage cheese, or Greek yogurt (much creamier than US versions – I like a brand called Fage). If you are on-the-go, you may have to do a little planning to make sure you’ve got these healthy snacks on hand. But the time you put in will be paid back through increased fat burn!
Today’s guest blog post – and AWESOME recipe – is from Ian Graham of Athletic Body System
Eating clean need not be so bland and boring… and dessert is still an option.
I always encourage people to allow themselves a treat or cheat meal once per week. Now some people , when cheating, still like to keep their cheats ‘healthy’ if they can and this dessert recipe will do just that if you are someone who wants to keep your ‘cheats’ as ‘clean’ as possible!
REMEMBER… You won’t be consuming this dish on a regular basis, maybe once every week or two, so you should not feel bad about consuming it. You can also adjust the ingredients and quantities to suit your own needs.
Fat Loss Diet Dessert
Ingredient List!
Directions:
1: Mix 100grams of the greek yogurt with the 15-20grams of banana whey protein powder untila smooth and creamy consistency is achieved. This will form a custard like mixture. Now spoon it into your dish or cup.
2: Chop up your 1/2 banana into thin slices and layer on top of the ‘custard like’ mix of greek yogurt and protein powder.
3: Sprinkle a teaspoon of chopped walnuts over the banana.
4: Whip up the remaining 50 grams of greek yogurt until smooth and creamy looking…. before spooning over the top of the banana and walnuts.
5: Sprinkle a teaspoon of organic cocoa nibs over the top of the creamy greek yogurt topping.
6: Place a cherry on top.
NOW… Go grab a spoon and enjoy! This is a rich and creamy dessert and could easily be divided into two servings or shared between two people!
Nutritional Information:
Pro: 33grams Carbs: 28grams Fat: 8grams Kcals: 316kcals
* Nutritional values are approximates and will vary depending on the protein source used, etc. Try to use a protein that’s as low in fat, carbs and sugar as possible… and play with the ingredients to modify the recipe to suit your needs. For example… if you want a lower carb version, simple leave out the banana and you’ll lose approximately 15grams of carbs and 60kcals. SIMPLE!!!
Ian Graham, Physique Athlete
Sculpt Your Whole Life, Not Just Your Body
Sometimes you just love to rip into a big stack of pancakes on a Saturday or Sunday morning – but trust me, you will pay the price. Pancakes are very high on the Glycemic Index, which means that insulin levels will surge, and those carbs will be packed onto your body as stored fat…undoing all of the good work you did during the week. So try this substitute this weekend – I had these last weekend and drizzled them with melted natural peanut butter. You could also use sugar free syrup or jelly and some real butter to top these tasty high-protein pancakes. The casein in the cottage cheese and the fiber in the oats will keep you feeling satisfied, and burning fat, straight through to lunch.
1/2 cup low (or no) fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup steel cut oats
1 whole egg and 3 egg whites (any size egg)
Dash of cinnamon
Blend all ingredients in a blender, divide batter into four equal pancakes and cook in a frying pan or griddle on medium-high heat. Flip when bottom is golden brown.
Be creative – add some blueberries in after blending or on top, strawberries would work great as well!
