Protein, fibre & omega 3 filled pancakes

Breakfast of Champions!!!

Went for a workout this morning and then had what I call my "breakfast of champions".

Pancake recipe (makes 3 pancakes)
4 tbsps of milled/ground flax seed
1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
1 tbsp of cinnamon (you can use less but I like cinnamon, so I put a lot)
splash of vanilla
pinch of salt
1/2 cup of egg white

Stir all ingredients together and then pour batter into a nonstick pan on medium heat.
When pancake sets, flip it over to cook other side. It takes about 3 minutes to make and it is full of great ingredients to fuel your day!!

Flax (4 tbsps) has only 200 calories and 10g of omega 3, along with 6g of fibre and 6g of protein!
Cinnamon will stabilize your blood sugar.
Protein powder (1 scoop) will give you 12.5g of protein along with the added protein from the egg white.

Add some berries (full of antioxidants and fibre) and PLAIN greek yogurt (0% liberte greek yogurt) with chia seeds and walnuts sprinkled on top to give you even more fibre and omega 3s.

Plain greek yogurt is low in calories and zero fat. It boosts your protien intake and it also gives you calcium which has been proven to help you lose weight. Choose the plain versions and save yourself almost 21g of added sugars!!! Always choose plain and add your own toppings...that way you can control what goes into your food!
Coffee and some almond milk (unsweetened, no sugar added almond milk!!!) and I am set for the day!!

Enjoy!

Home made baked pita chips compared to Stacy's brand

Baked chips on baking sheet

Use this brand of pita as it is low in calories and fat and high in fibre and protein!

Great alternative to Stacy's Pita Chips...
Cut the pita into pieces and place on baking sheet. 
Preheat oven to 425 and bake chips for 10 to 12 minutes or until crispy (time may vary depending on your oven).
Enjoy!!


Nutritional information comparison with Stacy's pita chips and this home made healthier version....

Stacy's Pita Chips VS Home Made Pita Chips

Serving size: 50 g or approximately 18 chips

                              STACY'S         HOME MADE
Calories                  240                   140
Fat                          9g                     1g
Sodium                   480mg               480mg
Carbohydrates         33g                    20g
Fibre                        2g                    10g
Sugars                     2g                     0g
Protein                     6g                     10g

If you choose the home made version you save 100 calories per serving and 8 grams of fat!! 
You also get 8g more fibre and 4g more protein per serving!

New Snacks I found at Noah's

Everytime I go to Noah's Health Food store I end up finding something new to try...here are some products I found yesterday...

Cacao nibs (pure chocolate chunks) covered in coconut sugar.  Very high fibre and a great when you want something sweet.

Cacao Beans
A bit bitter (like very dark chocolate) but great snack with lots of fibre and antioxidants...think of it as super power dark chocolate!!!

Detox Tea

Christine Avanti's recipe for detox tea....
3 oz fresh ginger
2 cinnamon sticks
3 bags of milk thistle tea
3 bags of dandelion root tea
30 drops of artichoke extract (one dose, or 1ml)
5 cups water
2 tbsp of lemon juice

Boil water with ginger in pan
Remove from heat and add tea bags and cinnamon. Cover and steep 15 min.  Add arichoke extract and lemon juice. Stir and chill in fridge. Have 2 cups per day.

Ingredients for Cleanse Tea: Dandelion Root tea, Milk Thistle Tea, artichoke extract, fresh ginger, cinnamon sticks,
Lemon juice and 5 cups of water.

Artichoke extract (found at Noah's Health Food Store)

One dropper full (1ml) of artichoke extract

Found at Noah's Health Food Store

Found at Bulk Barn

Cleanse Tea

Store it in the fridge in a container and have 2 cups per day.

Tasty bacon substitue!

I use cooked ham from the deli to make my own version of bacon.  I get the nitrate free variety and you can find low sodium versions as well.

Place cooked ham on foil covered baking sheet.

Place in toaster oven and bake at 400 for about 2-3 minutes per side. You can also bake a larger quantity in the oven.

When the ham crisps up remove it from toaster oven and let cool slightly.

It will crisp up as it cools and then you can use it as you normally would bacon!

This pita is high protein, high fibre and low fat! I found it at Fortinos and Longos.

I make a BLT with a high protein pita pocket and lettuce and tomato.  You can even add a squirt of mayo! Delish!

I also make boiled egg, bacon and cheese pita with it! Really tasty because the ham is salty! Great snack, breakfast or lunch idea!



What to eat to flatten your belly!

http://ca.shine.yahoo.com/video/reluctantlyhealthy-26835339/#crsl=%252Fvideo%252Freluctantlyhealthy-26835339%252Fhow-to-eat-to-flatten-your-belly-28788615.html

Check out this video...how to eat to flatten your belly!!!

Flax muffins

I love making these mini muffins to have as a fibre and protein filled snack..you can top them with peanut or almond butter as well. Great for breakfast and kids school snacks!!
I make them in a mini muffin tin and freeze any extras that I don't think we will eat within a few days.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups ground flax meal
• 5 scoops of vanilla protein powder (I use whey protein powder...Greens plus brand)
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup of coconut oil (melted and cooled) or if you do not have coconut oil then use 1/4 cup of butter instead (melted and cooled)


• 1 tbsp of cinnamon (add more or less to your taste)
• splash of vanilla
• 1 cup of berries (backberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries or mixed) or mashed bananas or both! Feel free to use whatever fruits you like...the banana will make it sweeter and the berries will give the muffins a tart flavor
• 1 cup of apple sauce
• 4 scoops of chia seeds (optional)
• non stick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray your muffin tins with nonstick spray.

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and fill each muffin cup to the top...they do not rise very much so you don't need to leave room like you do with other muffins. 
The muffins take 12-15 minutes depending on your oven...so check them after 12 minutes.  They may look glossy and seem uncooked, but if you touch the top with your finger they will feel firm and will be done.
Let them cool and enjoy!!!
They are dense and not very sweet (depends on fruits you use) but they are a great bran muffin substitute for me (I love bran muffins but wanted a healthier sugar free version that was full of fibre AND omega 3).

Powerfood...ground flax

Flax seeds are rich in fiber, phytochemicals, and omega 3 fatty acids.  It is very nutritious and I use it regularly in muffins and baked goods instead of flour.  Use ground flax seeds so that all the nutrients are available to your body.
You can buy it at most grocery stores and Costco has a great one as well.  Make sure it is vaccuum packed and then store it in the fridge once you open the package.  I will post recipies that use ground flax in place of flour.
One great breakfast (or anytime snack) meal is my Flax Pancake...

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of egg white (I use egg white from a carton)
• 2 tbsp of ground flax seeds
• 2 tsps (or to taste) of cinnamon
• splash of vanilla
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup of raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, sliced strawberries or whatever berries you love!
• You can use banana or other fruit...try different versions to find your favourite!
• Non stick cooking spray or my preference is to rub the nonstick pan with some coconut oil
• Optional: tbsp of chia seeds (to increase the fibre and omega 3 fatty acids)

Mix all of the above ingredients in a bowl or measuring cup and stir or whisk together. 

Heat the pan to medium heat and pour the ingredients into the pan.  Cover the pan and let the egg cook through.  Check on the pancake and when it is solid enough to flip turn it over with a spatula and cook the other side.  It takes a few minutes per side but keep and eye on it and flip when you think it is ready.

It will form a "pancake" and you can eat it as is...or top it with pureed berries or whatever you like.
If you let it cool, you can wrap it in foil and take it with you on the go as a nutrition packed breakfast or snack.

Curried Edamame

This is a nutrient-packed, crunchy alternative to traditional party mix that saves you 7 grams of carbohydrates per 1/2 cup serving and has 4 times as much fiber. It keeps well in the refrigerator, but it's also good to eat on the go.
Ingredients:
3 cup shelled edamame beans
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp curry powder
1 dash of salt & pepper

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss edamame beans, olive oil, curry powder, salt, and pepper together in a bowl until the beans are thoroughly coated. Spread out on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes.

Servings: 6 (1/2 cup)

Chicken meatballs

 While I was at Costco last week I also purchased a big pack of chicken breasts.  I used a few breasts to make chicken broth.  It is so easy and you can use it for many recipies throughout the week.

I fill a pot with water, add celery, carrot, cherry tomatoes (3 or 4) and an onion and 2 garlic pieces.  Add salt and pepper to taste and boil with 3 chicken breasts for 2 hours.  Add water as it cooks if the water level goes down.

I use the boiled chicken breast to make little chicken meatballs to add to my soup.  See pics and steps below.

 Step 1

Shred 1 and a half chicken breasts (boiled chicken from your broth) and place in a mixing bowl

Step 2

Add one egg.

 Step 3
Add a tablespoon of bran flakes






Step 4
Add a tablespoon and a half of grated parmesan cheese







Step 5
Mix all the ingredients together

Step 6

Add spices to taste...salt, pepper and cayenne pepper if you like a bit of heat. 

Step 7

Use a bit of canola oil to keep the mixture from sticking to your hands while you form the little meat balls.

 Step 8
Use your hands to form small "meat" balls.

Step 9

Place meatballs on a sheet of wax paper and freeze until you are ready to use.

Or you can use them right away in your soup.  Just drop them in boiling broth and cook for 3 to 5 minutes.  Add some spinach or swiss chard and you have an awesome meal!