Personal Health Intiative Training

Posts tagged ‘baking’

Healthier Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Chewy Bars!!

October is here! It’s time for some new recipes! I really enjoy eating pumpkin, but it’s harder to find outside of the fall season. I purchased two cans of pumpkin last week and decided to do something with them. I made a healthier version of pumpkin bars that are easy to make and have a good amount of protein. I added chocolate chips because I just love chocolate. You could substitute the chocolate with nuts or blueberries. These are great pre or post-workout.

Pumpkin Bars

Pumpkin Bars

  • 2 scoops of chocolate protein powder
  • 1/4 cup of flaxseed meal
  • 1/2 cup of chocolate chips
  • 2 whole eggs (can substitute egg whites)
  • 2 tablespoons of coconut oil melted (or leave out for less fat)
  • 1 can of organic pumpkin
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1 and 1/2 cups of ground instant oatmeal
  • Enough almond milk to wet the mixture to the consistency you desire ( you can also use water)

1. Spray a square glass baking dish and preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Take about 2 cups of dry instant oatmeal and grind in the blender until it is the consistency of flour. Measure out 1 and 1/2 cups of the ground oats and place in a bowl. Add the baking soda and protein powder in the bowl with the oatmeal. Add the flaxseed meal. Mix.

3. In a separate bowl, mix the canned pumpkin, vanilla extract, eggs, coconut oil, and chocolate chips. You can also add in stevia if you want more sweetness.

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until blended well. Slowly add in the almond milk to make the mixture smoother, but it should still be a little thick.

5. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Check often and make sure it doesn’t dry out too much.

6. Take out and cool.

7. Cut into 10-12 squares.

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New Recipe….And Change of Plans

My boyfriend’s birthday is Wednesday, and I wanted to get a cake of course! I decided to get a co-worker to make a mini-cake and cupcakes for him. I also put in a request for a healthier dessert option for myself (because I thought I was competing in June…more on that later). She made the most wonderful carrot cupcakes and red velvet cake and my special request for a pan of mini-dark chocolate cheesecakes made from tofu.

Since I run a library inside of a school that has a culinary program, I get to explore the wonderful cookbooks and cooking magazines that we have in our collection. I always try to find healthier options for desserts because I LOVE sweets. I came across a book entitled “1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes” by Carol Fenster and found some pretty awesome dishes. I wanted something, low carb, low fat, and low sugar. It took me a while, but I spotted a very simple recipe that fit the requirements. Mini-Chocolate Cheesecakes! They were delightful and still had plenty of flavor. (I also ate some red velvet cake too!)

So you are probably wondering why I am eating red velvet cake if I am preparing for a show…well I am not doing the show. I decided that right now, financially I am not in a position to compete and I want to make some more improvements before the next competition. I am also a tad bit burned out from dieting for 5 months. My body and mind need a break, and I am focusing on getting two other people ready for their competitions which is very exciting! I am still training and might do a one mile race in a month, just to have a goal to shoot for. When I am not prepping for a show, my approach to dieting it FLEXIBLE. I eat what fits in my macronutrient goals for the day. I don’t restrict certain foods but I strive to eat a well-balanced range of healthy foods, and yes, I do eat some “junk.” I just fit everything into my macros for the day. This is the only thing that works for ME long term. I don’t do well with bland restrictive diets. (A sure fire way to binge is to deprive yourself of certain foods unnecessarily.)

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Now, if you want to make a healthier dessert, and you love cheesecake, this recipe is a great option. Note*: You don’t have to use the Tofutti, you can use low fat cream cheese if you want.

CRUST:

1 package of Pamela’s Dark Chocolate, Chocolate Chunk Cookies

FILLING:

2 tablespoons of boiling water

6 ounces of 72% or higher Dark Chocolate

2 8 oz packages of Toffuti Better Than Cream Cheese cut into cubes

¾ cup of sugar OR the SPLENDA Baking combo equivalent which is what I used

2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon of salt

2 large eggs

  1. Place a rack in the middle oven and preheat to 325. Grease a nonstick mini cheesecake pan or mini meatloaf tin, or mini brownie tin.
  2. Place the cookies in a food processor/blender and make fine crumbs.
  3.  Melt the chocolate in the boiling water and set aside (you may need to use more water…use as much as you need to).
  4. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the sugar, vanilla extract, and salt and beat 1 minute, scraping the side of the bowl. Beat in the chocolate mixture and then beat in the eggs, one at a time, just until blended. Pour the filling into the molds, dividing evenly.
  5. Bake at 20 to 25 minutes or until the tops are firm. Cool the cheesecakes in the pan for 15 minutes. Release the cheesecakes by pushing up from the bottom. Refrigerate overnight. Let stand at room temperature 10 minutes before serving.

Take from 1000 Gluten-Free Recipes

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Vegetables In My Waffles!!

So here is a recipe I created to add into my competition prep. Though the diet is restrictive, I like to play around with the food choices I do have and make different combinations. I absolutely love breakfast foods and could eat them all day. I’m cutting out the oatmeal for now so I need a new breakfast option. Waffles are the perfect replacement!

So here is my recipe for low-carb zucchini waffles.

Ingredients:

  • 1 scoop of protein powder, I used Dymatize Elite XT Fudge Brownie.
  • 3 Large Egg Whites
  • 2 tablespoons of coconut flour
  • 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
  • 1\2 of shredded zucchini
  • Cooking spray

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Directions:

  • Shred your zucchini with a knife or in a blender
  • Mix the protein powder, egg whites, coconut flour, baking powder, oil, and zucchini in a bowl. Add as much water as you need for the desired consistency.
  • Turn your waffle iron on and spray. Let it heat up.
  • Pour mixture onto the iron and cook until done!
  • Voila! You have a tasty, low carb, high protein, healthy waffle.

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