RD FIT LIFE

Banana Puddin’ Protein Shake!

banana protein shake

I’m super excited to share this recipe one of my favorite vegan mom’s uses for a quick family breakfast!

I have slightly modified her recipe adding a protein powder to really boost the protein content!  And of course I used unflavored so it did not change the flavor of her shake.  However, vanilla would taste wonderful with this mixture also.

You can check out her recipes as well as new mom tips and hilarious stories HERE on www.postmodernhood.com!!

So lets get down to business and make this delicious concoction!

 

INGREDIENTS:

  • Ripe banana
  • 1/2-1 cup original almond milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp flax seeds
  • 1 tsp steel cut oats
  • 1 scoop of unflavored whey isolate protein powder

DIRECTIONS:

Blend all ingredients and done!  I used 1 cup of almond milk to really thin the shake out so I could sip it through a straw 🙂

Enjoy!

And a special thanks to Brittany for sharing this awesome recipe!

Please feel free to share using the social media icons below!

The Benefits of Quinoa

quinoa 2

Quinoa comes from South America around Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador.  Humans began cultivating it around 3,000-4,000 years ago.  These seeds are high in protein (for a grain) and contain essential amino acids that are beneficial to our health.

Quinoa can be found in many colors, but there are three common colors you’ll see in most grocery stores.  An earthy white color, a rich clay red color, and black.  I’ve been asked, “what are the differences in red/white/black quinoa?”  So here is what I have noticed.

White quinoa is very susceptible to heat.  It tends to swell quickly when cooked and can become mushy fast.  I would prefer to let it soak in water to soften and use in cold dishes.

quinoa 1

Red quinoa is my favorite.  It tends to hold its texture and form when cooked.  It also adds a nice color to the dish.

quinoa

Black quinoa can be a bit sweeter when cooked and will still maintain its texture and form.

Personally, I prefer the red quinoa due to the color contrast it adds to my dish and how well it holds form when cooking.  Plus in my local grocery stores and health food stores, I can only find red, white, or tricolored mixtures.  So I tend to stick with red.

The nutrition content is very similar among all quinoa no matter the color.  So lets take a look at what it contains.

QUINOA

SERVING: 1/2 CUP

CALORIES: 111

PROTEIN: 4 g

CARBOHYDRATES: 19.7 g

FIBER: 2.6 g

FAT (mostly poly/mono): 1.8 g

*Contains: Potassium, Calcium, Iron, Zinc

If you would like to add more quinoa to your diet, try out my new quinoa soup recipe HERE!

Please feel free to spread the word about quinoa by using the social media icons below!

Tailgating Vegetarian Tri-Bean Salad!

Tri-bean salad 3

It’s about that time!  Time for football!  Which usually means… fried chicken wings, pizza, beer, high calorie dips, etc…  Just because it’s football season doesn’t mean you have to blow your diet!  Or stop eating healthy for that matter.  Here is one of my favorite party foods!  My vegetarian tri-bean salad!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4-6 Roma tomatoes
  • 1 green bell pepper, seeded
  • 1 poblano pepper, seeded
  • 1 banana pepper, seeded
  • 1 jalapeno pepper
  • 3/4 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 2 cans of tri-bean mix (pintos, black beans, red kidney beans)
  • 1 lime
  • 1/2 cup green onions, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

Chop tomatoes, peppers, cilantro and onions.  I left my jalapeno seeds in my jalapeno for an extra little kick.

Also this Vidalia Chop Wizard is one of my favorite kitchen gadgets!  It chops so evenly and makes chopping go by so much quicker.  I always use this when fresh produce needs to be diced!

Tri-bean salad 1

I have an amazing contraption that chops for me so all pieces are the same size.  Once you’ve done all of your chopping, place your mixture into a bowl and set aside.

Tri-bean salad 2

Open both cans of beans and strain out the juice and rinse under water.

Once you’ve added your beans to the mix, stir with a spoon and squeeze plenty of lime juice over you salad.

And viola!  You’re ready to be the health nut tailgating!

Tri-bean salad 3

This is a low calorie, high protein, high fiber way to snack at a football party.

If you’d like to share this tailgating tri-bean salad, please use the social media icons below!

Enjoy!!