Shopping Tips and Guidance by Mandy Claire

Thanks to all who participated in the thinkThin Wellness Giveaway! Winners have been contacted via email or I replied to your comment on the blog post. Please email me your mailing address at kait@rbitzer.com.


I also updated my recipe page and video page for more nutrition information!




And now another high protein breakfast from Amy! 

 
The cookie is a high protein, high fiber, and very filling breakfast. They also happen to be convenient for people who have busy mornings since it is made the night before.

• 1/3 cup old fashion oats 
• 1Tbsp peanut butter 
• 1/2 scoop protein powder
• 1/8 cup chocolate almond milk
• 1/2 banana for the cookie, 1/2 for topping 
• 1 tsp agave nectar (optional) 

All you have to do is combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Once they are all mixed place them on a small plate or tupperware and put it in the fridge over night!

BY: Amy Bortnick

I LOVE oats, hot, cold, in my yogurt, in my muffins, in bread, I mean the possibilities are endless. Lately I have been searching blogs and the web for perfect “overnight oats”! Basically, overnight oats are just oats you let soak in some combination of liquid, yogurt, and spices (optional) overnight and then enjoy in the morning! I couldn’t find the perfect combination of ingredients for myself online so I decided to experiment and here is my first trial:
Ingredients:

·         ½ cup plain non-fat Dannon yogurt
·         ½ cup vanilla unsweetened almond milk
·         ½ cup old fashion oats
·         1 tsp cinnamon
·         3 slices frozen peaches
·         handful of raspberries
·         ½ oz of almonds

1 Scoop Nutritional Frontiers Chocolate Protein Powder
1/2 Frozen Banana (cut into slices)**

By: Amy Bortnick

Good morning!

 Ready for breakfast? ...I am! I've been dying to try my hand at flour-less pancakes since I found a couple recipes on a blog i've been following. I don't know why it's taken me so long because they are DELISH!! They are also very easy to make!

 Here it goes:

 1 Banana

1 1/4 cup Raspberries

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I used pureprotein vanilla cream)

1 Tbsp ground Flaxseed

1 Tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1/4 cup egg beaters (you can use an egg)

1 Tbsp Peanut butter (optional topping :))

 


I mashed the banana in a bowl with the protein powder, flaxseed, almond milk, eggs, and a couple raspberries until combined. Then I formed a pancake on the stove.

 


In no time they were ready I added a Tbsp of peanut butter ...because well I love peanut butter and I tossed on the rest of the raspberries! YUM!

 



The Nutrition:

 432 calories (with the peanut butter)

46 grams of carbohydratess

10 grams of fiber

39 grams of protein

Too busy to cook dinner every night? Trying to not spend a ton of money at the grocery store? Here's how you can take 1 main ingredient and turn it into 5 new dinners. As I mentioned in my meal planning post, cook this main ingredient when you get home from the grocery store, wrap individually and freeze it, to use in 5 different weeknight meals.

1) Chicken

• Grilled chicken parmesan with mozzarella and tomato sauce
• Chicken stir fry with brown rice, broccoli, and sauce of choice
• Chicken paninis with spinach, roasted tomato, and pesto
• Breaded and baked chicken strips with buffalo sauce served over salad
• Chicken kabobs with zucchini, mushrooms, and peppers, marinade and BBQ on a stick

2) Ground Turkey

• Turkey Chili
• Turkey Burgers with carrot fries
• English muffin pizzas with spinach, cheese, and ground turkey
• Turkey meatballs with whole wheat pasta with basil and olive oil
• Italian turkey meatloaf

3) Eggs

• Sweet potato with spinach and egg scramble
• Savory omelete with goat cheese, spinach and onions
• Egg salad sandwiches made with light mayo and terragon
• Add hard boiled eggs to a Greek or Caesar Salad
• Quiche feta, salmon, and dill

4) Black Beans

• Healthy baked nachos with black beans, avocado, and salsa
• Mix with rice, veggies, and tofu for a vegetarian stir fry
• Make homemade black bean burgers 
• Process to make a bean dip for veggies and pita chips
• Black bean soup

5) Salmon

• Make fish tacos with whole wheat tortillas, cabbage, and yogurt sauce
• Top with salsa and serve with roasted vegetables
• Make salmon cakes
• Teriyaki salmon with pineapple and snap peas
• Salmon chowder with vegetables

While this was in the microwave, I cooked 2 eggs on the stove top and sauteed some spinach in some olive and a sprinkle of salt.

I sliced and peeled my sweet potato, just in time for the stove ingredients to finish cooking. Then I simply plated everything and finished.

Last night was a fun, simple evening that I will always remember. After a great day of rewarding clients at the office I drove home listening to recordings of study materials for my RD Exam. Jean Inmann's Boston Accent always puts me in a great mood.

I pulled up just after listening to the information on cholecystitis and was thankful I still had an appetite. The kind BF was waiting for me with dough in one hand, flowers in the other, perfect beginning if you ask me. I also was surprised to see a Happy Birthday Cookie Cake from my generous parents waiting on the door step. It really made my day.



I watched from a distance as He assembled the pizza and I thought it was brilliant that he picked up dough from Cosi and gathered toppings from the salad bar at Harris Teeter. I always find that when I make a pizza with an array of toppings, I only use a little of each thing I purchased. He worked the dough like a pro :) and we sat down to some salads and wine while it baked in the oven on a pizza stone we purchased from Target. It really makes the difference in the crust.




We chatted about our upcoming summer plans and everything going on in our lives and it was a great evening with even better food. After dinner we broke out a piece of the cookie cake and I didn't even know this whole time there were chocolate covered strawberries he sneakily placed in the freezer when arriving. He had a great idea of coating the strawberries with Hershey's hard-shell syrup and it worked like a charm.

Last night was somewhat more indulgent than usual but the circumstances called for a celebration. I was so grateful for everyone's sincere wishes and the thoughfulness of the dinner.

Today I started my morning as usual, coffee and a protein bar for breakfast.  


This was followed by a cheesestring, yogurt, and granola bar for easy snacks throughout the day. I find it is best for my schedule to eat small meals every 2-3 hours when I am at the office. 

Have a great day!