Chocolate Delight Yogurt

In November of 2013, I embarked on my ever evolving fitness journey.  One of the first things I learned was the importance of protein.  It is important to have clean protein at every meal but no more than 30 g per meal as your body cannot utilize more than that at one time.  Yogurt is typically recommended as a good source of protein especially Greek yogurt that double the protein per serving as regular yogurt.  The problem with commercially prepared yogurts is the added sugar regardless of the type of yogurt you buy.  The work around is to buy plain yogurt, plain Greek yogurt or make your own yogurt.  I love plain yogurt but aside of substituting Greek yogurt for sour cream, my husband insists on his flavoured.  He also doesn't like the texture of Greek yogurt.  Over coming both the flavour and texture of plain yogurt or plain Greek yogurt usually involves adding fruit and/or a sweetener like honey.  The problem is this increases the carbs which may not be desirable for many reasons.  I came up with a tasty alternative.

I used powdered peanut butter (PB2) and cocoa powder to whip up a delicious flavoured yogurt that is sure to please fussy eaters.  Chocolate is a natural with peanut butter and the texture is more like pudding.  My husband actually liked it!  I'm sure it will be kid approved as well. 

Chocolate Delight Yogurt
100 g (1/2 c), 0% Greek Yogurt, Plain
1 tbsp (6 g) , Powdered Peanut Butter
1 tsp (5 g), Premium Cocoa
1/2 scoop Body Fortress 100% Premium Whey Protein - Vanilla Creme [optional]

Measure ingredients into a bowl.  Mix well.  Serve.

This is a very basic recipe that you can easily tweak to your liking.  If you are counting calories, use the powdered peanut butter.  If not, you can use a tbsp of regular peanut butter.  If you are following a low sodium diet, then substitute peanut flour for the powdered peanut butter.  If you want a higher protein serving use protein powder.  Mine came in at 25 g protein per serving but that will vary depending on the brand of protein powder used.

Sweetie Pie Smoothie

I recently posted about my new Ninja blender bought specifically to make smoothies.  Smoothies are an ideal way to use protein powder for an after work-out recovery beverage.  The main problem with smoothies is it is very easy to create a high calorie, high carb beverage that is a tasty way to boost your energy level but not help with muscle recovery.  A high carb beverage has a low satiety level as well meaning that in comparison to a high protein beverage, you will be hungry much quicker.  A good protein smoothie will aid in muscle recovery while keeping you feeling full for about three hours so you won't be turning to other high calorie snack foods.

I've learned several ways to keep the calories low in smoothies.  For example, unsweetened almond milk provides nutrition that water does not but is only 35 calories per 250 ml serving so I use that as a base rather than milk.  Fruits can quickly raise the caloric value and carb content of smoothies so the simplest way to avoid this is limit the amount of fruit used.  Banana is a common fruit in smoothies but I have found avocado gives a smoother, creamier result for less calories, lower carbs and it provides healthy fats.   Peanut butter adds flavour and protein but is high in calories.  Substituting peanut flour keeps the flavour and protein but reduces the calories.

A few days ago, I was looking through the refrigerator for smoothie ingredients.  The left-over baked sweet potatoes caught my eye and quickly became the base flavour for my newest smoothie creation.  Sweet potatoes are a nutritional powerhouse rich in beta carotene.  Their natural sweetness is perfect is breads, muffins and other baked goods so I always bake extra.  Baking the sweet potatoes causes the sugars to caramelize giving a rich, deep flavour.

I like to keep my protein smoothies to a protein:carb ratio of 1:1 to 2:1 with less than 10 g sugar per 100 calories.  Many add yogurt to their fruit smoothies but Greek yogurt is a better choice because it is three times higher in protein than regular yogurt.  However, the secret ingredient in this smoothie is 2% MF cottage cheese.  It is lower in carbs and higher in protein than Greek yogurt.  Cottage cheese gives the smoothie an incredibly smooth and creamy texture. 

The Sweetie Pie Smoothie is currently my favourite smoothie.  The flavour echos that of sweet potato pie topped with whipped cream.  It is rich, creamy and delightfully delicious!   

Sweetie Pie Smoothie
recipe by:  Garden Gnome

250 ml (1 c) Silk unsweetened almond milk
39 g (1 scoop) Body Fortress 100% Premium Whey protein powder, vanilla creme
50 g (1/4 c) 2% MF cottage cheese
50 g (1/4 c) cooked sweet potato
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Measure ingredients into blender pitcher.  Blend until smooth.

Yield: 16 oz

Nutritional value:  273 calories, 23 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat, 33 g protein, 402 mg sodium, 4 g fibre

PB2 vs Peanut Flour

Peanuts are an economical high source of protein.  A few days ago I wrote about a long time staple in our pantry, PB2 (powdered peanut butter).  This product is simply mixed with water to make traditional peanut butter for spreading but because it is made with peanut flour, it is lower in calories due to the lower fat content.  As a result, although PB2 was intended as a high protein food for camping and survival, it has become extremely popular with the weight loss crowd. 

Both PB2 and peanut flour can be difficult to find.  I have yet to find a local source.  I have found PB2 in Michigan but not the peanut flour.  In fairness, I haven't checked a lot of stores there as I can easily order online.  So, which is the better value?

Peanut flour is made from dry roasted peanuts that are partially de-fatted then ground into flour.  It is gluten free and high in protein.  Peanut flour can be used as a thickener for soups, a flavourful and aromatic ingredients for baked goods, a creative coating for meats and fish, a tasty protein boosting addition for smoothies and it can simply be mixed with water for a low calorie spread.  PB2 is made from peanut flour, sugar and salt. 

Peanut flour is slightly higher in calories at 110 cal/4 tbsp verses PB2 that is 90 cal/4 tbsp and it is just slightly higher in fat (35 g vs 26 g).  However, peanut flour is considerably lower in sodium with 0 mg sodium verses the 118 mg sodium in PB2.  It is slightly lower in carbohydrates than PB2 (8 g verses 10 g) and higher in protein at 16 g verses 10 g protein in PB2.  Peanut flour works out to 1¢/g (31¢/oz) while PB2 is double that (2¢/gr [61¢/oz]).  I found the peanut flour in a 907 g (32 oz) package which is a bit more convenient size for baking than the PB2 that comes in a 184 g (6.5 oz) container.  In my opinion, peanut flour is the better choice in terms of value for your food dollar.  It is more versatile without the added sugar and sodium that PB2 has. 

No Bake Chocolate Protein Bars

Protein bars are huge business!  These bars come in at a similar caloric value as a chocolate bar but they are considerably higher in protein.  For example, a Snicker's chocolate bar has 250 calories, 33 g carb and 5 g protein but a Pure Protein chocolate deluxe has only 180 calories, 17 g carb and 21 g protein plus it has Vitamin A that the Snicker's bar doesn't have as well as a higher calcium and iron content.  In short, the Pure Protein bar is a better nutritional value for your food dollar especially since it is only 8¢ more than the Snicker's bar.  The advantage of protein bars aside of their nutritional value is their portability.  Pop one in your purse as a healthy substitute for a chocolate bar.  The downside to protein bars is the long list of ingredients, some of which we try to avoid.  Be sure to read the label if you decide to buy protein bars!

I decided to experiment making my own protein bars.  Homemade protein bars are a practical solution to the ingredient issue.  They are tastier and lower cost.  Trust me, after sampling several brands of mass produced protein bars, taste and texture is not exactly a high priority!  Not only that, homemade protein bars are incredibly simple to make.  Homemade protein bars consist of a base, protein powder, binder and flavour.  They can be baked or no bake.  They are easily modified as desired for you own unique flavour combination.

My first attempt at making protein bars was using whey protein powder.  Whey protein is often used in mass produced protein bars.  Homemade protein bars using whey tend to be sticky even after sitting for a period of time.  I wasn't concerned over this as the bars were intended for after my morning exercise routine.  I had three goals in mind when I started: lower carb, high protein and low calorie so chose the ingredients on that basis.  These bars came in at 98 calories with 12 g carb and 5 g protein, far from ideal or even close to mass produced but it was a start!  The texture was very much like some of the mass produced protein bars so I'll be working on that as well.

I simply mixed the ingredients then formed the no bake chocolate protein bar mixture into a block on a sheet of parchment paper.  It definitely was sticky but workable.  I covered the block with plastic wrap and set in the refrigerator for an hour to firm up.

Once the block had firmed for an hour, I cut the block into 10 equal sized pieces.  Originally I was going to cut into 5 bars but they would have been too large.   A longer rectangle and cut into 8 slightly larger bars would have worked as well.   They could also be cut into smaller bars suitable for children if desired.

I covered the   cut bars and returned them to the refrigerator to continue setting up overnight.  Some using whey protein powder put their bars into the freezer to set up.  Mine set up well in the refrigerator but they still had a bit of stickiness to them. 

Chocolate is likely the most popular flavour for mass produced protein bars.  Chocolate and peanut butter is a common combination for mass produced protein bars.  I used cocoa and chocolate flavoured protein powder so kept the chocolate topping to a minimum as an accent flavour.  A lot of mass produced protein bars are coated in chocolate similar to a chocolate bar but that really adds to the carb content.  I melted two squares of Lindt 85% cocoa chocolate then simply drizzled over the cut bars using a spoon and slight sideways movement.  Reducing the topping reduced both the calories and carbs of the finished bars.

The warm chocolate drizzle quickly firmed on the cold bars.  I removed them from the parchment paper and placed in a storage container for the refrigerator.  Overall, I am pleased with my first attempt.  I plan to decrease the carbs and increase the protein in the next batch.  I also want to tinker with the texture, making it a bit creamier closer to a nougat texture.  I suspect that the caloric value will increase a bit with the modifications but

Each of the ingredients in my protein bars were chosen for a specific purpose.  With the exception of the Truvia, all of the ingredients added protein.  I used Truvia specifically for the natural sweetness of stevia without the calories of sugar.  I'm still sitting on the fence with stevia so may experiment using honey or molasses instead.  I used organic peanut butter because it does not have salt or sugar added. 

No Bake Chocolate Protein Bars
recipe by:  Garden Gnome

1 (42 g) scoop Pure Protein 100% Whey, Frosty Chocolate
1 tbsp Truvia baking mix
2 squares (20 g) Lindt 85% Cocoa chocolate
1 tbsp organic peanut butter
1 tbsp Fry's cocoa
1 tbsp chopped peanuts
 ½ c almond milk
1 tbsp coconut flour
1½ c rolled oats, quick cooking

Mix all ingredients together except for Lindt chocolate.  Spoon the mixture onto parchment paper.  Form into a rectangular block.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for an hour.  Cut into bars.  Cover and return to refrigerator over night.  Place the chocolate squares in a small bowl.  Place the bowl in anther bowl of very hot water to melt the chocolate without getting water into it.  Carefully drizzle the chocolate over the separated bars.  Place the bars in a storage container.  Store in the refrigerator.

Yield: 10 bars

Nutritional value per bar: 98 calories, 12 g carbohydrates, 4 g fat, 5 g protein, 31 mg sodium, 3 g fibre

The Scoop on Protein Powder

I wrote about the importance of dietary protein in my last post.  The recommended daily requirement for protein is 0.7g to 1 g per pound of lean body weight.  Unfortunately, many do not get enough protein on a daily basis.  During weight loss (calorie deficit), protein is needed to minimize the loss of lean muscle.  During maintenance mode (calorie intake at TDEE), protein is needed to maintain and support lean muscle.  During bulking (calorie surplus), extra protein is needed to help repair muscle from body building and develop lean muscle.  The problem becomes getting enough protein in your diet which may be difficult. 

I would need almost 34 pieces of bacon to reach my daily requirement of 90 g protein in a day.  That 90 g of protein alone would be 360 calories but when total calories in that bacon are considered it would amount to a whopping 1,700 calories leaving very little room for any further calories from other sources without going into a calorie surplus leading to weight gain.  Clearly, I cannot boost my protein intake in that manner.  A very useful product for helping meet the protein requirements is protein powder.

Protein powder is not a new product.  It is found in many processed foods in the form of milk solids.  Powdered instant milk and powdered cheese are also forms of protein powder.  In fact, powdered instant milk has 24 g of protein in 1 cup!  Protein powder as used by the fitness crowd is more condensed with as much as 25 g of protein in about 1/4 c.  In addition to protein concentrate, this protein powder usually contains natural and/or artificial flavours, sugars, sodium and micronutrients. 

It is important to read the label as protein powders differ in caloric value, and additives.  Protein powder is either animal (eg. whey, casein, egg) or vegetable (eg. soy, hemp, pea, brown rice) base or a combination of both.  If you have a milk allergy, are lactose intolerant or are vegan, whey and casein based protein powders or a protein powder with either whey or casein as an ingredient should not be used.  Whey protein is quickly absorbed by the body making it ideal for muscle recovery in the first 20 minutes after a workout.  This is especially important if you are doing a lot of cardio.  Of note, cardio is muscle wasting and cortisol inducing making it undesirable for weight loss.  Casein protein is absorbed slowly by the body.  It is best used to prevent catabolysis while fasting during sleep.  Hemp protein powder is not a complete protein source so look for one that includes other plant-based proteins in addition to hemp protein.  Soy protein can be problematic for females.  A small amount of soy occasionally is fine but soy should not be consumed on a daily basis.  If you want to enjoy a protein shake on a daily basis, choose a protein powder that is soy-free.  Of the protein powders pictured, only the Vega Sport is soy-free.

Protein powder is a must have product to include in your emergency preparedness supplies.  It is also a good product to help meet your daily protein requirement.  The most common use is as a protein shake but protein powder can be used as an ingredient to increase the protein content in foods like baked goods, smoothies, and so much more.  It can also be used to make homemade protein bars that are tastier and less expensive than the pre-packaged bars.  While some enjoy a protein shake daily, I prefer to reserve the use of protein powder for those days when I know my protein intake from food is lower than I would like it to be.