Living the Blessed Life!

Hey Ladies, it’s time to talk bout lunch: YOUR NOT EATING ENOUGH!!!!! Bet you weren’t expecting that? There are some exceptions but most of us eat a very light lunch, bar or smoothie that lacks sufficient calories and protein to get us through a busy afternoon. Leaving us hungry, lethargic or just plan grumpy, which often leads us to make bad decisions when making food choices, for our selves and our families. Sometimes just changing a few ingredients in a recipe can make a huge difference in nutritional value and satiety: for instance take mayo, highly processed, high fat and low or no real nutritional value, except fat! Here’s a recipe substitution that could be used in just about anything that calls for mayo.

If using 1/4 cup mayo, substitute 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt and 2 tablespoons of prepared hummus. This is awesome in tuna or egg salad. This cuts way down on empty fat calories and ramps up protein and flavor. It’s also good as a sandwich spread.

A nut butter is a spreadable foodstuff made by crushing nuts or seeds.  The butters are rich in protein, fiber, and essential fatty acids and should be used to replace butter or margarine on toast or bread.

1. Nut Butter Recipe –

What you need:

2 Tbl. Nut Butter or Seed Butter – choose your favorite

Whole grain sprouted breads, tortillas, or crackers

Bananas, raisins, dark chocolate chips, granola any thing you want to add to the top.

Spread the nut butter onto the bread and top with your favorite topping.  You can grill, toast, or not.  Enjoy!  Nut butters travel and keep well in back packs or purses for whenever hunger may strike!

2. Protein Cereal Bar

What you need:

1 stick butter

4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips,
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate squares (I used Bakers)
3/4 cup peanut or almond butter or tahini (paste made from ground, hulled sesame seeds)
1/2 to 1 cup High quality, low sugar protein powder, (chocolate or vanilla
6 to 8 cups of cocoa puffed rice cereal (I used the bargain brand – comes in a large bag.Spray an 11 X 13 pan, cover bottom in foil and spray the foil.  Melt butter then add the semi -sweet chocolate chips and the Bakers chocolate and your nut butter.  When ingredients are melted add the protein powder and mix well.  When mixed well – add the puffed rice cereal.  Mix together well.  When all ingredients are well blended  – pour into prepared pan, refrigerate till set enough to cut up and place in individual baggies.
Best if kept refrigerated until eaten or packed to go. Possible add-ins:  any or all, raisins, nuts or seeds, M&M’s.  Use your imagination.

3. Steel Cut Oats

What you need:

1 Cup Steel Cut Oats
4 cups water
1/2 tsp – 1 tsp salt.The night before combine the ingredients and boil on low for 10 min.  Cover and put in refridgerator.  Next morning heat the oats over low heat until thoroughly heated through.Possible add-ins:  any or all, raisins, nuts or seeds, cran-raisins, chocolate chips, chopped apples, chopped pears, peanut butter, almond butter, dried fruit or just add butter and skim milk.  Enjoy!  YUM!

 

 

4. Greek Yogurt & Fruit

What you need(per serving):

1/2 cup Greek non fat yogurt
1 scoop (high quality protein powder)
Squeeze fresh lemon juice or raw apple cider vinegar.

Mix first 3 ingredients well and then pour over –
1 organic apple, banana or pear chopped

Top with Pumpkin seeds, chopped nuts or ground flax seeds,or granola with raisins for sweetness.

If you need more sweetness drizzle with LOCAL honey, for its immune properties! Any fruit or or berry could be substituted, but local is best!  Enjoy!  YUM!

While this is a simple recipe my hope is that you will see that it is not hard for us to simply live healthy.  Come on over to  my page and I’ll be glad to help you in any way I can!