Today I need a…

Tag: breakfast

  • Carolyn’s Favorite Protein Bar Recipe

    Carolyn’s Favorite Protein Bar Recipe

    I used to have the hardest time finding a breakfast that not only kept me full until lunch, but also was something I was willing to eat every day. I don’t love a savory breakfast, don’t ask me why because I LOVE eggs for dinner, so I was mostly choosing to eat oatmeal in different variations until that got boring.

    Throughout my research over the years trying to find this mystery meal, I started to incorporate protein powder into my breakfasts. I found a recipe for a homemade protein bar and tried it out. While that first protein bar wasn’t a home run, I changed the recipe a little here and there over the years to make it what it is today – my favorite breakfast that I actually crave. These bars are not too sweet (but still chocolatey), actually keep me full, and are exactly what I am looking for in the morning. Please remember that I am not a nutritionist and this is not medical advice, just my opinion & a homemade recipe.

    Carolyn’s Favorite Protein Bars

    This recipe makes 9 bars

    Ingredients
    9 Scoops Orgain Organic Plant Based Protein Powder – Chocolate
    1 cup oats
    1 cup high fiber cereal – I used Kashi Go Lean
    1/2 cup almonds
    3 Tablespoons chia seeds
    5 Tablespoons mini chocolate chips
    4 LEVEL Tablespoons natural peanut butter
    1 – 2 cups water

    Process
    Mix all the dry ingredients together so they are evenly distributed. Add the peanut butter and 1 cup water. Start mixing making sure to spread the peanut butter evenly among the rest of the batter. Slowly add more water a few tablespoons at a time and mix until there is no dry protein powder left. You may not use an entire 2nd cup of water, the amount of water you use will change depending on slight variations of dry ingredients. The batter will be VERY thick and should not be too watery. I usually have to push and smear the peanut butter a little to help distribute it.

    Spray an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish or pan with non-stick spray. Press all of the batter into the dish compacting it down and leveling the top. Cover and put in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. Once solid, cut into 9 equal pieces and enjoy! Keep refrigerated.

    Variations: You can change a lot in this recipe such as using walnuts or pecans for your nuts, almond butter instead of peanut butter or a different cereal or protein powder flavor. If you don’t like the flavor at first, add more or less of what you like or don’t like!

    After doing the math I came up with the following approximate nutritional figures per bar based only on the recipe as written above:

    Calories – 267
    Protein – 25.7g
    Fiber – 8.27g

  • Today I need a … Protein Powder

    Today I need a … Protein Powder

    This week’s Today I Need A… post is all about protein powder. Specifically our favorite powder, Orgain Organic Plant Based Protein. Let’s talk about how we use it and why we love it. Before we start I need to let you know we are not nutritionists or doctors, this is only our opinion and not medical advice.

    Why do we use protein powder in the first place?
    Carolyn – I wanted to up my protein intake to help keep me fuller for longer periods throughout the day and to add a little extra support after my strength training workouts. I used to get hungry within an hour of breakfast if I chose to eat something that wasn’t high in both protein and fiber. Now, I make homemade protein bars that keep me full until lunch, I make shakes as afternoon snacks and add it to pancakes, muffins or anything else to add a little bit of extra organic plant-based protein to my recipes.

    Nanette – Life is busy!! Getting enough protein during the day can be very difficult in our house, especially on hectic days. A bit of protein powder can get me through the morning – I’m not a big fan of breakfast as I don’t get hungry until later in the day. When the girls get home from school and need a snack to keep them from getting hangry before dinner (which can happen a lot) – I’ll just whip up a shake. They love concocting new crazy recipes. My husband uses protein powder before his workouts, especially before he jumps on the treadmill.

    What protein powder do we use?
    We both use the Orgain line of protein powders on a daily basis.
    Orgain Chocolate Fudge – Carolyn’s Favorite but Vanilla and Peanut Butter are also available.
    Orgain Protein & Greens Powder – Great way to give you or your kids an extra serving of green vegetables! Choose Chocolate (Nanette’s Favorite) or Vanilla.
    Orgain Clean Whey – If you prefer an animal based whey protein. We haven’t tried this version.

    Why we love it:
    –Organic plant-based protein. Nanette and I both make a commitment to our health, as well as the health of our families, and we both strive to eat more organic foods and vegetables.

    -Protein + Fiber in one. For those of you who are like me (Carolyn) and are constantly hungry, I find the combination of protein and fiber to be more satisfying and allows me to go a little longer without getting hungry between meals.

    -Makes getting our daily intake of veggies easy!
    With Orgain Protein & Greens Powder I can get my kids as well as myself to eat more veggies without really knowing it because it contains spinach, kale and broccoli in the powder! While I do taste a bit of the veggies, it’s tolerable to me, my kids don’t notice it when they also taste the chocolate and if I am just drinking the protein plain with milk I can always add some powder from the chocolate fudge flavor to help with the slight veggie taste.

    How do we use it?
    Carolyn – Each week I make a batch of homemade protein bars which I eat for breakfast almost every day. I include other healthy ingredients such as almonds, chia seeds and oats to get my day started on a positive note. I also make a modified version of protein bars and sometimes granola bars for my kids which they love! I love that they are getting some veggies in and they don’t seem to notice. Recipe for my homemade protein bars coming soon!

    My homemade protein bar – LOVE it! Might not be pretty, but I am hooked.

    Nanette – Lately we have been obsessed with shakes in our house. My daughters’ pediatrician always reminds them to “eat their colors”, I love this saying! It means to eat different colors of vegetables and fruits everyday. If you have only eaten red (apple) today then you need to add some orange (carrots) and green (spinach). Shakes are really good way to do this and adding the Orgain Protein & Greens Powder helps them get their greens. We blend the vanilla with all different types of fruit like raspberries, blueberries and strawberries. Their FAVORITE recipe is Peanut Butter Patty: just mix Chocolate Orgain with peanut butter, banana and unsweetened almond milk. It really tastes like the Girl Scout cookie!

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