So I'm seeing this trend on Pinterest that seriously cracks me up. I see people posting all kinds of "thinspo" pics, motivational quotes, workout ideas...followed quickly by pics of seriously unhealthy food. So, as the {healthy} mama bear, I wanted to share some healthy and tasty goodness that will allow you to cook, bake and enjoy treats without feeling burdened by white flour and sugar.
On Sundays, I usually do a great big food prep day. I have been craving pumpkin and had the big 29/30oz size of canned pumpkin, so here's how I put it to work, without letting any of the deliciousness go to waste:
Used up half of the can making Jamie Eason's Pumpkin Protein Bars. [For the record, her Chocolate Protein Bars are pretty darn delicious, too. Luckily for me, I was able to find all of her ingredients at Fred Meyer, so not a hard switch to make at all.] Seriously moist and not overly sweet. I love having these for breakfast or as a snack to fuel me up before a workout without weighing me down. They are also really good when you are craving something "cakey" without blowing it.
Her recipe uses Oat Flour, which is simply whole oats pulsed into flour. My favorite is Bob's Red Mill. 1/3 cup has 4 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein. I love their entire line of products. I buy their multigrain pancake mix, unsweetened coconut, grits/polenta and almond meal. These are all healthy additions to your pantry and proof that not all carbs are bad for you.
To use up another 1/2 c of the pumpkin, I made a double batch of Eggy's Pumpkin Protein Pancakes. I love making double or triple batches of pancakes and freezing them for later. It makes a quick and nutritious breakfast (and perhaps a nice little smackeral of delciousness during snack time). For Eggy's recipe, I have used the Torani (always sugar free) Pumpkin Pie Syrup, Carmel, Vanilla and Brown Sugar Cinnamon and had good luck each time. When all else fails, SF Vanilla will work for darn near anything. They have a few basics at Fred Meyer, but I have had my best luck at Cash and Carry or Food 4 Less.
I used what little pumpkin I had left and mixed it in with some leftover ricotta cheese and pumpkin pie spice. It makes a heavenly spread for the pancakes or as a "frosting" for Jamie's pumpkin bars. I love when I can use up stuff without wasting anything. My granny would be proud!
For my gym routine, I have been following Nia Shank's Fat Loss Detour. She is a big advocate for girls lifting weights and simple nutrition. Her Egg Scramble is so easy to whip up in a big batch and is seriously filling. I call it my lumberjack meal. There's something absolutely heavenly about the unexpected taste of sweet potato mixed in with all of the savory goodness. I microwaved my sweet potatoes, let them cool enough to peel them and tossed them in at the end. I made a huge pan of the "guts" and then portioned out 3 bowls to top with eggs later and saved a huge bowl for later. A few weeks ago, we had some leftover pulled pork from a Costco trip and I made the Egg Scramble with that in lieu of sausage. So good and a great use of leftovers.
For dinner, I grilled polenta and topped it with some of the scramble guts. Super filling and so easy to throw together...especially since I already had the griddle out for my pancakes. :)
And just to prove that not everything you see on Pinterest is bad, I stumbled up this kick ass recipe. It looks exactly like a Carb Coma Cinnamon Roll, but was actually a recipe for Cinnamon Roll Baked Oatmeal. It seriously looks so darn delicious. Go ahead and look at the pictures...I will wait. It looks *that* good. I am going to make mine with Bob's Red Mill and have myself a big ol' delicious treat full of healthy goodness.
So there you have it, 5 awesome links for healthy foods that you can enjoy without feeling like you need to: nap, barf, take a guilt trip or spend 2 hours at the gym over. I hope you enjoy them. If you have any good links you'd like to share, I'm always up for finding new and healthy things to try.
~K
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