Meal Made in Minutes: Pumpkin Pie Protein Overnight Oats

Happy Sunday, my friends! And this Sunday is especially happy since I am going to finally meet my best friend's new baby boy!! I have been counting down the days until today and have been anxiously awaiting my chance to go visit the little munchkin since he was born three weeks ago!

I have been so focused on this coming weekend that I totally forgot about the first day of Fall! Now it may not feel like Fall here in Tampa, but PUMPKIN is officially in season and I have one of the best breakfast recipes with pumpkin that I am sure you will FALL in love with (pun intended)!

The best part is that this recipe takes minutes to make the night before and your breakfast will be waiting for you when you wake up!

This week's Meal Made in Minutes: Pumpkin Pie Protein Overnight Oats

Three batches of Pumpkin Pie Protein Overnight Oats!!

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup Rolled Oats (I used Gluten-Free Rolled Oats)
• 2 tbsp. (1/2 scoop) Vanilla protein powder (I used Bio Chem Vegan Vanilla)
• 1/8 tsp All Spice
• 1/8 tsp Nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 packet Stevia (or 1 tbsp natural sweetener of choice, like Maple Syrup, Honey, Agave...)
• 1/4 cup pure pumpkin puree (I used Libby's 100%)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk (I used Almond Breeze)

All of the essential ingredients!

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a Mason Jar (or Tupperware with a lid) in the exact order listed above and mix well with a spoon (or place lid on the container and shake well to combine all ingredients).
2. Place in the refrigerator overnight (or for at least 4 hours) and enjoy a delicious Fall breakfast!

That's it! Such a simple recipe and incredibly delicious and satisfying. Not only will you have a convenient breakfast on-the-go, but you will be fueled for the busy day ahead with this protein-packed breakfast that is loaded with long-lasting complex carbohydrates and antioxidants! Just look at the nutrition facts for one serving!

Not to mention, this recipe provides you with 100% of your daily Vitamin A needs (thank to the Pure Pumpkin Puree)!

I like to warm mine up in the microwave (30 seconds, stir, then 30 more seconds) add a splash of almond milk, and top the oats with banana slices and 1 tsp natural nut butter (for some added healthy fats)!

It seriously tastes like Fall in a jar :-)

Enjoy your (healthy) Pumpkin Pie for breakfast and have a wonderful week ahead!

Meal made in minutes: Nut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bars

I would like to welcome you to my BRAND NEW WEBSITE for Fuel for the Soul, LLC, and I couldn't think of a better way to introduce my new website than to share these Nut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bars with you! The best part is that these bars can be made in minutes, do not require baking, and licking the spoon after you are done is highly recommended!

It has been about two weeks since my last recipe post, but I have been busy preparing for my Dietetic Internship (which starts tomorrow morning) and perfecting these tasty protein bars (which I will be eating throughout my first week "on the job" at DaVita Dialysis). 

This week's Meal made in minutes: Nut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bars

Bars are set in the baking dish and ready for refrigeration! 

Ingredients: (16 squares)

• 1 cup plain Rolled Oats (Certified Gluten-free Oats if needed)
• 2 scoops Vanilla protein powder (whey protein or vegan / plant protein)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup natural nut butter (any nut butter will do)
• 1/3 cup maple syrup (or agave or honey)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (almond milk, cashew milk, coconut milk...)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (or almond extract)
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

All the ingredients needed for the protein bars (Silk Unsweetened Almond Milk not pictured)

Instructions: 

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients (oats, protein powder, and cinnamon) and mix well with a large spoon.  
2. Add in the nut butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and non-dairy milk (in that order) to the dry ingredients and mix well. You may have to use some elbow grease to mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined (dough will be sticky).  
3. Add in the chocolate chips and fold into the dough mixture. 
4. Lightly spray an 8X8 baking dish with olive oil spray and pour dough mixture into the bottom of the dish. Use the back of the spoon (or your hands) to flatten the dough evenly to cover the entire dish. (Then you can lick the spoon or eat the dough right off your finger tips!)
5. Cover dish with aluminum foil and place in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes to set. After dough has set, cut into 16 even bars and enjoy!

** You can wrap each bar in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to one week. 

The mixture will form a sticky dough (similar to cookie dough, but try to refrain from eating it straight from the bowl!

Grab a bar (or TWO) before you head out the door for the day for easy on-the-go transport to fuel you throughout the day. Whether you are at work, running errands, or about to work out, these bars are perfect fuel to give you the energy you need to take on any challenge you may face!

There you have it, friends! Hope you enjoy making and eating these delicious protein bars! Remember to come back to www.fuel4soul.com for more easy and healthy recipes, quick and effective workouts, and all around fitness and nutrition tips to help you achieve the healthy lifestyle you deserve! 

Thirsty Thursday: Super Green Matcha Tea Smoothie Bowl

It's Thursday again! I don't know about you, but I am tired of all this rain we have been having in Tampa lately and I needed some brightness in my life today. The bad news is it looks like there's a 60-80% chance of rain for the next five days, but the good news is you can easily make this Super Green Matcha Tea smoothie bowl to brighten your day and load up on protein and antioxidants! I made this smoothie bowl for a power-packed post-workout lunch, but you can have this smoothie bowl whenever you need a pick-me-up meal!

Super Green Matcha Tea Smoothie Bowl

(Took advantage of the break in the rain storm to enjoy my smoothie bowl outside :-) At least my grass is green thanks to the rain!)

Ingredients:

• 6 oz unsweetened iced green tea (I ordered mine from Starbucks on my way home from the gym, but you can brew your own green tea and chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes or so).
• 4 oz frozen banana
• 1 oz avocado (about 1/4th of an avocado, sliced)
• 1-2 cups baby spinach
• 1 scoop vegan protein powder (vanilla flavored is recommended)
• 2 t Organic Matcha Green Tea powder
• 1 packet Stevia (or more to taste)
• 4-5 ice cubes
• 3 tbsp KIND cinnamon oat with flaxseeds granola (for topping)
• about 10 fresh blueberries (for topping)

Green tea smoothis ingredients

Instructions:

1. Pour iced green tea into a blender and add the frozen banana, avocado slices, and spinach leaves. Blend ingredients for about 30 seconds to mix well.
2. Add in the protein powder, Matcha powder, Stevia, and ice cubes. Blend ingredients for about 60 seconds to mix well. You may need to scrape down the sides of the blender with a spoon or spatula and blend again to ensure all ingredients are mixed well and there are no clumps.
3. Pour smoothie mixture into a large, wide-mouthed bowl and top with granola and blueberries.
4. Devour smoothie bowl :-)

That's it! Simple as that and you have a super, power-packed Green Tea Smoothie bowl that will fill you up and leave you feeling rejuvenated and ready to take on the day (come rain or come shine)!

Green tea smoothie nutrition

Not to mention, this smoothie bowl provides you with nearly 190% of your daily calcium requirements and nearly 740mg of potassium; 30g of lean protein, 8g of fiber, and only 10g of fat; and doesn't break the calorie bank with around 350 calories total!

So go ahead, brighten your day with this Super Green Smoothie! I know it worked for me :-)

Green tea smoothis inside

(I enjoyed my smoothie bowl with a good read, thanks to Strong magazine!)

Meal made in minutes: Easy egg white sandwich

Eggs are a very versatile lean protein and can really be eaten anytime of the day - breakfast, lunch, or dinner! This power-house of a super-food is nutrient dense, yet low in calories and contains several essential vitamins (B vitamins and vitamin A and vitamin D) and minerals (choline, selenium, and phosphorus) as well as the highest quality protein and amino acid profile that meets the needs of the human body. The whites alone contain only 16 calories (per large egg) and 4g of protein, without the saturated fat or cholesterol that is found in the yellow yolk. The best part is that egg whites can be prepared in minutes and easily incorporated into a perfect sandwich for a quick breakfast before work. Heck, you can even make this meal portable and eat it on your way into work (while driving as safely as possible, of course!)...

Quick Egg white sandwich

This week's Meal Made in Minutes: Easy Egg White Sandwich  

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup liquid egg whites (I used All Whites) or the egg whites of 3 large eggs
• 2 slices whole grain bread (I used Canyon Ranch 7-Grain gluten-free bread)
• 1 slice reduced-fat provolone cheese (I used Sargento)
• 1 cup baby spinach leaves
• 2 tbsp hummus (any flavor) (I used Tribe Sun-dried Tomato)
• Cherry tomatoes (optional)
• Black pepper or red chili flakes (to taste)

Tools needed:

1. Toaster oven
2. Microwaveable omelet maker (I bought mine at Amazon.com)

Egg white omelet

(All Whites egg whites with red chili flakes)

Directions:

1. Toast bread in toaster oven
2. While bread is toasting, prepare omelet - pour egg whites into omelet maker and season with black pepper or red chili flakes (to taste).
3. Cook eggs in the microwave on high heat for 1 minute. Make sure whites are complete set and cooked through - if whites are still runny, place omelet maker back in the microwave for 15 seconds.
4. Assemble egg white sandwich - spread 1 tbsp hummus on one slice of bread, then lay 1/2 cup spinach on top, then the egg whites, provolone cheese, remaining 1/2 cup spinach and the second slice of bread with remaining 1 tbsp hummus spread on top.

Viola! That's it, within 6-8 minutes you will have the perfect egg white breakfast sandwich! To take your breakfast to-go, wrap the sandwich in aluminum foil and hit the road!

This breakfast sandwich will beat any fast-food option and will fill you up with complex carbs, healthy fats, and lean protein to get you through the busy morning :-)

Feel free to play around with the ingredients. Some substitutions you can try:

• 1 egg + 2 whites instead of all whites
• 1/4th avocado (mashed or sliced) instead of hummus
• kale instead of spinach
• a whole-grain tortilla wrap instead of bread

Enjoy!

Thirsty Thursday: Easy Green & Lean Smoothie

There is nothing more refreshing than an ice-cold smoothie after a hard workout and there's no faster method of re-fueling post-workout than by drinking a protein-packed, antioxidant-rich "Green & Lean" smoothie! I am often asked how I make my post-workout smoothies and many clients have asked me "what are the best ingredients to put into your smoothies to replenish the body's carbohydrate stores and provide sufficient protein for muscle tissue repair and growth?" These are great questions and today I am going to answer these questions and provide you all with my recipes for an Easy Green & Lean Smoothie!

Green Matcha Smoothie

Now doesn't that Green Smoothie look beautiful! This delicious smoothie was made at Village Health Market in South Tampa and, while it was packed with antioxidants, lean protein, and did not contain any added sugars, it cost me more than $6!! Now I don't know about you, but I can't justify paying a lot of money for something that I could easily make at home for less than half the price... so I decided to use this smoothie as inspiration for my homemade versions.

The main ingredients in this particular Green Smoothie are:

• Unsweetened Almond Milk
• Banana
• Spinach
• Vegan vanilla bean protein powder
• Matcha Green Tea powder
• 1 Stevia packet
• Ice cubes

See how simple it would be to buy these ingredients and make several smoothies at home! The important ingredients to include are a liquid of choice (water, unsweetened non-dairy milk or low-fat milk, and even leftover coffee or cold brew coffee), fruit (banana, berries, pineapple, peaches, mango...), super green leafy vegetables (spinach or kale), lean protein source (whey protein powder, vegan protein powder, Greek yogurt, or egg white protein), extra antioxidant boost (Match powder, Maca powder, raw cocoa powder...), a natural sweetener of choice (Stevia / Truvia, maple syrup, agave, or honey), and ice cubes to blend to desired consistency. You can add in or remove any ingredients that you'd like and you can mix match until you find your favorite blends! It really can be fun to experiment with your homemade smoothies!

Here are a few of my favorite concoctions to give you some ideas :-)

Smoothie ingredients - coffee

PB and Banana Mocha Smoothie:

• 1 cup chilled black coffee with 1/4th cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 small banana
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1/2 cup liquid egg whites (10g protein)
• 2 tbsp PB2
• 1 tsp Matcha Green Tea powder
• 1 packet Stevia
• 5 ice cubes

Smoothie ingredients - designer whey

Spinach and Banana Smoothie:

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1/2 banana
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1 scoop 100% whey protein powder (vanilla) (22g protein)
• 1 tsp Matcha Green Tea powder
• 2 packets Truvia
• 5 ice cubes

Smoothie ingredients - Greek yogurt

Greek PB and Banana Smoothie:

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1/2 banana
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1 single-serve Oikos plain Greek yogurt (15g protein)
• 2 tbsp PB2
• 1 packet Stevia
• 5 ice cubes

Mix all ingredients together in a blender and voila - you have the perfect post-workout smoothie that will replenish and rejuvenate :-) Have fun mixing and matching the ingredients and coming up with your own favorite smoothies!

Stay tuned for more great Smoothie recipes every Thursday!