pinterest

,

Good Morning Chia Ginger Smoothie - #TastyTuesday

,

by Meghan Reynolds

I've become a bit bored with the smoothies I've been making. I checked out what I had in my cabinets and searched around for some new ideas and voila, (thanks Pinterest!) I found loads of recipes. I found a bunch that included chia seeds and thought that sounded interesting -adding a bit of crunch to a smoothie. I gathered what I had in my fridge and cabinets (another reason I like smoothies- endless combinations, just need a bit of inspiration sometimes) and decided on a strawberry, ginger, chia seed concoction. I like ginger because t's a natural digestive aid and chia seeds are packed protein and Omega-3s - a perfect morning boost, in my opininon :)

Here's what I created - the Good Morning Chia Ginger Smoothie

chia_ginger_berry_smoothie.jpg

1 cup almond milk

1 banana

1 cup berries (I used strawberries & raspberries; use both, one or add blueberries!)

1 tbsp Chia seeds

1 inch fresh ginger

2 shakes cinnamon (who really measures that anyways!?)

A handful of ice

Blend up, pour and enjoy!

, , ,

Tasty Tuesday - Protein Powder

, , ,

I (Meghan) recently made a commitment to eat more protein and pay attention to the actual nutrients I'm consuming as opposed to just going with "I'm eating healthy because I eat lots of fruit, veggies and whole foods." Since that time (about 5 months ago), I've discovered that eating protein is more difficult than I had thought. In order to eat protein in every meal and have it as a main source of my snacks, I had to prepare and think ahead (a lot!) about my food.

I turned to protein powder because 1) it's easy and quick and 2) it can be used in smoothies and baking. I experimented with a few different protein powders, from store bought to order online, cheap to expensive. I found that the more expensive ones are worth it. They taste less powdery and processed and I found I had better results - less hungry and improved athletic performance. Also, I was able to use the more expensive protein powders more than once in a day. My favorite is the Vanilla Collagen Sport by Neocell Sport.

Pros:

  • Tasteless
  • contains L-glutamine, an amino acid that is crucial in the muscle recovery process.
  • contains 30% of daily vitamin and mineral needs

Cons:

  • Have to order it online and it arrives via FedEx which requires a signature for delivery (which, if you live in NYC without a doorman, you know how annoying that is!)
  • Expensive (compared to going to your local grocery store/GNC)

How did I use all this protein powder?

I made smoothies. My favorite ingredients for smoothies:

  • Bananas
  • Mango (frozen)
  • Spinach
  • Blueberries
  • Flax seed
  • Peaches

And I made muffins and pancakes! Thanks to Pinterest and the gluten-free craze, I was able to find lots of great recipes that replace flour with protein powder. I used protein powder, eggs and bananas as my base and added in flax seed, cinnamon, blueberries, stevia and applesauce.

What's your favorite protein recipe? Share in the comments section.