Make Your Own Healthy Ice Cream

December 15, 2014 by corestrengthalec in Recipes and tagged banana, butter, chocolate, cream, delicious, dessert, diet, easy, food, frozen, health, healthy, ice, ice cream, low fat, nutrition, peanut, powder, protein, recipe, sugar, sweet | 4 Comments

I haven’t posted a recipe in a while, but I had to share this one because I LOVE Ice Cream. I know most diets out there don’t allow you to have ice cream on a regular basis, mostly because it is high in fat and sugar. Fear not, because I have found the recipe to help your ice cream craving. Although you may not believe me, this ice cream actually tastes really good, and just like any ice cream sundae, you can add whatever ingredients and toppings you want to make it your own.

Healthy Chocolate Ice Cream
INGREDIENTS:
Makes 1-2 servings
2 Chopped Frozen bananas
1/4 cup of milk (skim, almond, or soy)
1 scoop of Chocolate Protein

(Optional Ingredients:)
1 tsp. of Natural Peanut Butter
Banana Chips

DIRECTIONS:
1. Peel, cut, and freeze 2 bananas in a zip lock bag.
2. Once the bananas are frozen (at least a few hours), place the bananas in a food processor or blender.
3. Add a splash of milk. DO NOT add all of the milk at once.
4. Blend the bananas and milk, slowly adding the rest of the milk in as you continue to blend and obtain the desired consistency.
5. Add and blend 1 scoop of Chocolate Protein Powder. Mix well.
6. Scoop Ice cream out into a bowl and add any extra ingredients. I added a peanut butter drizzle and banana chips on top.
7. ENJOY!!!

TIPS:
1. Chopping the bananas into smaller pieces makes the blending process a lot easier. Blending a whole frozen banana can be much more of a hassle.
2. It is important to add the milk in slowly. If you put it all in at once, you can easily make a mess… Trust me.
3. The 1/4 cup of milk measure measurement is an estimate, but usually I just eyeball it. Sometimes I use more and sometimes I use less. The less milk you add, the thinker the ice cream will be.
4. You may have to use a spoon to mix the ingredients around in between blending. Because the ice cream is thick, it can stick to the side of the food processor/blender. Just push the mixture back down toward the blade while the machine is off and then blend again.
3. If you make too much, put the rest in the freezer, and enjoy it at a different time. If you save any in the freezer, however, you may need to let the ice cream thaw for a little before you get the right consistency back.
4. This recipe can be altered to make many different flavors and varieties of ice cream. Try adding different toppings like cashews or coconuts flakes, or even try adding frozen fruit into the mix or changing up the flavor protein powder that you use. BE CREATIVE!!!

Do you like this recipe? Do you have any creative ingredients you add to make your own unique Ice Cream concoction? Contact me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com with questions, comments, and ideas for new topics.

Oatmeal Energy Breakfast

August 21, 2014 by corestrengthalec in Recipes and tagged Breakfast, build, cheap, coconut oil, diet, energy, food, free, gluten, health, healthy, milk, muscle, nutrition, oatmeal, oats, oil, peanut butter, protein, recipe | Leave a comment

Recently people have been asking me to post my meal plan on here for them to follow. I would really love to do that, but I honestly don’t follow a strict diet plan. I eat things that I know I like and that I know are healthy for me. I don’t count calories, I don’t even count my macronutrients, instead I eat what I think my body needs.

This meal is one I like to have in the morning when I know I have a big day ahead of me. It gives me a nice energy boost and keeps me full for a few hours.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of rolled oats
3/4 cup of Skim Milk
Dash of Cinnamon
1 tsp of Peanut Butter
1/2 tsp of coconut oil

Instructions:
1. Put 1/2 cup of oats and 3/4 cups of skim milk in a bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes
2. Stir the oats and milk and microwave again for an additional 45 seconds.
3. Let the oatmeal sit for 2 minutes.
4. Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir in a few dashes of cinnamon, 1 tsp of peanut butter, and 1/2 tsp of coconut oil.

Nutritional Facts:
Calories: 275
Total Fat: 8g (3g of saturated fat)
Carbs: 38g
Protein: 13g
Fiber: 4.5g

Tips:
1. Sometimes I like to stir in a few Tbsp of non dairy vanilla coffee creamer to add to the taste, or I may stir in a scoop of vanilla protein powder. If I do stir in protein powder, I usually add a little more milk to get the consistency I like. If you do add protein powder, make sure the oatmeal cools before you add in the protein, otherwise the protein can denature making it less effective.

Do you have any healthy recipes you would like to share? Contact me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com for questions, comments, or ideas for new topics.

Cranberry Turkey Meatballs

May 15, 2014 by corestrengthalec in Recipes and tagged calories, carbs, coconut oil, cranberry, delicious, diet, eggs, fitness, food, health, healthy, idea, meal, mealprep, meatballs, nutrition, oats, protein, recipe, turkey, weight | Leave a comment

Let me be the first to say that I am not a great cook. I have a really bad habit of over cooking food, I don’t usually know what spices go well in what recipes, and I tend to ‘eyeball’ measurements incorrectly. With this said, my turkey meatball recipe is really easy and it makes a pretty tasty and healthy meal. This recipe makes 12-15 meatballs.

Cranberry Meatballs:
Prep: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 lb of extra lean ground turkey
1/2 cup of rolled oats
1 egg
1 egg white
1/3 cup Dried Cranberries
Pinch of Salt

(Optional Ingredients)
4 TBSP of Parmesan Cheese
Shaved Carrots
Dash of Rosemary

Directions:
1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a large pan with olive oil or cooking spray, and place it in the oven while preheating.
2. Quickly dice the dried cranberries on a cutting board.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the ground turkey, oats, egg, egg white, cranberries, and any other optional ingredients.
4. Using your hands, or an ice cream scoop if possible, form the meat into golf ball sized meatballs (about 1-1.5 inches in diameter). Place the meatballs about 1 inch apart on the pan.
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes in the preheated oven, then turn them over, and continue baking for 5-8 more minutes. The meatballs should look light brown on the outside. Cut into one meatball to make sure they have been cooked entirely through.
6. Let the meatballs cool and serve with vegetables, pasta, or any way you would like it.

Tip:
– I like to double the batch and save the meatballs for my meals for the week. The cranberries make the meatballs a little sweet, so when I reheat them, I like to rub a tiny bit of coconut oil on the outsides of the meatballs and heat them up in the microwave or oven. I usually have about 5-6 meatballs with a side of vegetables (asparagus or green beans with a little coconut oil are my favorites to have with these meatballs).

Let me know if you like this recipe. Do you have any healthy recipes you would like to share? Contact me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com with questions, comments, and ideas for future topics.

Bruschetta Spinach Omelette

May 10, 2013 by corestrengthalec in Recipes and tagged Breakfast, bruschetta, carb, carbs, cheese, diet, egg whites, eggs, fat, food, health, healthy, nutrition, omelette, parmesan, protein, recipe, spinach, tomato | Leave a comment

This omelette is not only a delicious breakfast, but it also is a great meal for any time of day. For anybody out there on a low carb diet, you need to try omelette recipes like this! The entire omelette has less than 5g of carbs, about 20g of protein, and a good amount of healthy fats (which you need on any diet!). Another reason I love this meal is because it takes only a few minutes to make. All you need to make this is 1 egg mixed with 2 egg whites, 1 cup of spinach, 2 tbsp of Parmesan Cheese, and a half cup of Bruschetta (plum tomatoes, garlic, basil, extra virgin olive oil, and other spices depending on what recipe you may try). Mix the egg and egg whites in a bowl and cook in a pan. Once most of the egg is cooked, flip the omelette over and add the spinach and cheese on top. Fold the omelette over and finish cooking until the omelette in golden. Place on a plate and add the bruschetta on top. Thats it! Try it out and let me know what you think!

Like this recipe? Have any you would like to share? Email me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com

Sauteed Burgers and Vegetables

May 9, 2013 by corestrengthalec in Recipes and tagged burger, burgers, carbs, egg, fat, healthy, meal, mushrooms, onions, post, protein, recipe, sautee, spinach, vege, workout | 2 Comments

I made this meal as my post-workout meal and I honestly can’t get enough of it. It’s packed with protein, good fats, and it’s filling… Just what I like for a good post workout meal!

All you need is:
2 Burger Patties (I did Vege Burgers)
2 cups of Raw Spinach
1 cup of Baby Portabella Mushrooms
1/2 cup of Chopped Onions
1 Egg
Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Coconut Oil

1. Lightly grease a pan with cooking spray or coconut oil.
2. Place the two burger patties in the pan and sautee until ready. (I used Vege burgers which take 6-8 minutes to cook in a pan. Other burger patties have different cooking times. Make sure to check the recommended cooking time for the patties you are using)
3. In a separate pan, heat 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil on medium heat
4. Add the 1 cup of baby portabella mushrooms and a 1/2 cup of chopped onions to the pan.
5. Sautee the vegetables until they start to get a golden brown color. (5-7 minutes)
6. Remove the sauteed vegetables onto a plate that is covered with a paper towel (This will help soak up extra unneccessary oil).

7. Gently wash and wet the 2 cups of raw spinach
8. Once the burger patties are done, remove the patties from the pan and put them on a plate. Put the damp spinach in this now empty pan that the burgers were once in.
9. Cook the spinach until its begins to turn dark green and shrink. (If the pan is hot, this should only take 30 seconds-1 minute)
10. Place the cooked spinach on top of the burgers, and add the sauteed vegetables on top of that.
11. In a pan, grease and fry 1 egg.
12. Add the egg on top of the vegetables and enjoy!

If you use vege burgers like I did, this meal comes to about 35g of protein and 22g of carbs. If you decide to use meat burger patties instead of vege burger patties, it will raise the protein by about 6g per patty, your carb intake will lower about 7g per patty, and your fat intake will rise depending on the cut and fat percentage of the meat! Meat patties are perfect for those who may be on a low carb diet because the entire meal will then contain less than 8g of net carbs.

Like this recipe? Have any recipe ideas of your own? Any questions or comments? Email me at corestrengthblog.wordpress.com!

A Better Way To Eat Almonds

April 23, 2013 by corestrengthalec in Diet Tips, Food Review and tagged almonds, antioxidants, diet, eating, fatty acids, fiber, fitness, food, health, healthy, lipase, nutrients, nutrition, nuts, omega-3, protein, soak, soaking, sprout, super, superfood, vitamin e | 6 Comments

Did you Know…

You can get more out of your almonds by soaking them in water.

Almonds are one of my go to foods to snack on because they are high in protein, fatty acids, omega-3 and fiber. Almonds are also considered a Superfood because of the high levels of Vitamin E, Antioxidants, and they help curve your hunger. After doing some research I found out that soaking almonds actually helps you absorb more of the nutrients the almonds have to offer, but how?

The brown skin on an almond protects it until the correct levels of sunlight and moisture allow it to germinate. Because of this, eating an almond without allowing it to get proper moisture makes it harder to digest. When the almond is soaked; however, the outer brown skin is penetrated and the almond releases enzymes. When eating an almond that has been allowed to take in such moisture, you are able to digest the almond more efficiently and absorb the healthy nutrients the almond has to offer.

How to soak an Almond:
This is very easy. It is recommended to put the almonds in a bowl of purified water. Cover the almonds with 2 cups of water per 1/2 cup of almonds. Soak the almonds in the bowl overnight (10-12 hours). After the 10-12 hours, drain the almonds and eat or store them. You can store the almonds in the refrigerator for about one week. The almonds are soft, sweet, and they taste great!

Apparently, if you would like to sprout your almonds, simply soak you almonds overnight and place them in a glass jar with a lid in the refrigerator. After a few days, the almonds should begin to sprout (about 1/8-inch sprout should show). A sprouted almond can be more beneficial than a soaked almond because they are easier to digest and they also release lipase (an enzyme that helps digest fat). I have not tried this, but would like to very soon. If you have, please let me know what you think!

Do you like this post? Do you have any other ideas for posts? If you have any questions or comments please email me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Pudding

March 14, 2013 by corestrengthalec in Food Review, Recipes and tagged chocolate, dessert, optimum nutrition, peanut butter, protein, protein pudding, pudding, recipe, snack, sweet, whey | Leave a comment

This is a snack that I decided to try the other night after seeing a few fitness gurus suggesting it on their social media sites. I was definitely skeptical because it is a really easy recipe, but sounds like it might not taste all that great. To my surprise, however, it was a lot better than I suspected. The best part about it is that it can really help curve your dessert cravings without actually having something that may be totally against your diet.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Pudding:

I used Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey Protein

I used Smuckers Organic Creamy Peanut Butter

I used about 3-4 tbsp.

Directions:
Prep time: 2-3 minutes.
Cooling time: 30 minutes
1. Place 2 scoops of Whey Protein Powder in a bowl
2. Add 2 tbsp. of Organic Peanut Butter
3. Add 1 tbsp. of water
4. Stir
5. Continue toaAdd 1 tbsp. of water at a time and stir until desired consistency is reached.
6. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

That is it! It is very simple!

Tips:

1. Make sure to use Organic Peanut Butter. Organic Peanut Butter IS NOT the same as Natural Peanut Butter. Look at the list of ingredients. You want a Peanut Butter that consists only of Peanuts and maybe 1% or less of salt (no added oils of sugars).

2. When used with Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Protein and Organic Peanut Butter, this snack has 450 calories, 18g of fat (3g of saturated fat), 60mg of Cholesterol, 365mg of Sodium, 12g of carbs, 2g of fiber, 3g of sugar, and 55g of protein. The best thing about this snack is the very high protein content of 55g and although it is high in fat, most of the fat is unsaturated and considered good fat coming from the peanut oil.

3. Due to the high amounts of fat, I would not suggest this snack to someone who is trying to seriously lose weight quickly, but rather to someone who is trying to maintain their weight or possibly gain more muscle mass. Don’t get me wrong, even when trying to lose weight you need good fats to feed your body; however people trying to gain muscle mass may benefit more from this than someone who is looking to loose inches off their waistline in a short amount of time.

4. There are other variations of this recipe that I have not tried, but if you are daring, I would love for you to let me know what you think of this recipe. One other variation of the recipe suggests microwaving the peanut butter for 20-30 seconds first, then stirring in a little water, then adding the protein. No cooling is involved for this one. This sounds pretty good too, so I hope to try this in the near future.

5. I also would be interested trying this recipe with different flavors of protein. If you do get adventurous and try some out, please let me know what you think!

6. One other thing to maybe consider if you would like a little less fat in your Protein Pudding would be possibly using one tbsp. of Organic Peanut Butter and more water, or possibly even skim milk. Or you could also try using 1 tbsp. of Organic Peanut Butter and 1-2 tbsp. of PB2 with water! Just a thought that may work. I have not tried either of these options, but if you are interested in getting a reduced fat Protein Pudding, this may be something to play around with and consider.

Hope the recipe helps you reach your fitness goals. Let me know what you think by emailing me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com!

Core Strength Blog

Giving Tips on how to achieve your fitness goals

Tag Archives: protein