Sugar Free Sundays

Sugar Free Sundays: Comforting Protein Filled Meatloaf

Sugar Free Sundays: Comforting Protein Filled Meatloaf

In the south, we put a lot of things in our mouths that most places would immediately classify as unhealthy. Whether you’re in Houston, TX, or Lousiana though, nothing beats the warming fullness that great comfort food can provide. Most comfort food gets its name from a high level of carbs, sugars, or simply an exhausting amount of starches included. There are however some foods that can still be comforting while helping your diet along the way. That’s why today, I’d like to go over a great recipe I found for a great tasting Protein Filled Meatloaf!

Sugar Free Sundays: Comforting Protein Filled Meatloaf

 

Protein Filled Meatloaf

Ingredients

  • 1 and a 1/2 pounds of ground beef (the leaner the better!)
  • 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 and 1/2th tablespoon of chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon garlic salt (optional, keep in mind the pork skins have salt as well)
  • 1 tablespoon garlic pepper
  • 1  4-ounce can of tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup crushed fried pork skins (for texture and holding mostly)

Instructions

  1. While preheating the oven to 375, mix together the Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, eggs,  pork skins, and ground beef.
  2. Next, season them with your chili powder and garlic salt/pepper. Mix until well blended then form it into a loaf in a greased loaf pan or glassware.
  3. Bake uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes and prepare your taste buds.
  4. Let sit 5 minutes after removing to ensure the loaf stays firm and does not budge.

When it comes down to it, this recipe actually should make about 6 servings with each slice coming down to around 400 calories each. Never though comfort food could be so good for you right? Either way, this is just one of many recipes I’m looking forward to making the next time I just need that warm feeling in my stomach!

Until next time, think healthy, be healthy!


Sugar Free Sundays: Protein Rich Low-Calorie Ice Cream!

Sugar Free Sundays: Protein Rich Low-Calorie Ice Cream!

On this Sugar Free Sunday, I wanted to dive into something a little different this time around. Sadly, I haven’t the foggiest on how to make my own amazing Ice cream that isn’t full of hard pieces, however, I am a connoisseur when it comes to this dairy treat. One of the biggest struggles with beginning any sort of diet is giving up the things you love and for me, it was ice cream and baked goods. While baked goods that fit well into any diet are still few and far between, I did find two brands of protein rich low-calorie ice cream that are not as bad as their full flavored counterparts and in moderation can easily be eaten while on a diet.

Sugar Free Sundays: Protein Rich Low-Calorie Ice Cream!

Halo Top Ice Cream

As far as protein rich low-calorie ice cream goes, Halo Top is a great brand to begin with. On average, their flavors range from about 240 – 360 calories and 24g of protein per pint! If you think about it, a pint of ice cream is quite a lot to have in one sitting but it is good to know that once you complete one, you haven’t ruined your intake completely for the day.

Their main boast, however, is that they use organic stevia instead of regular sugar which is a good alternative to sugar but also makes their ice cream have a slightly different flavor. But with the sheer amount of flavors, Halo Top is a great choice for people on a diet. If you’re looking to try one of these out in Houston, TX, they are readily available at Randalls, Kroger, and even Whole Foods.

Artic Zero Ice Cream

While Halo Top is the more decadent on the list, Arctic Zero is where we start seeing far lower calories. Arctic Zero ice cream comes in both pints and bars so you can find what your heart desires. One pint of Arctic Zero has on average 200 or fewer calories and around 28g of protein which, in my opinion, puts most of its flavors leagues above Halo Top.

The main issue I have with this ice cream is because of its different calorie goals, the flavors tend to be a little untraditional with flavors like “A Touch Of Mint” instead of mint chocolate and so on. While this could turn off some dieters, the flavors are just as rich and come in plenty of variety to help crave your ice cream cravings.

In Houston, you can find this brand at just about any grocery store including H.E.B. & Walmart.

Next time you’re with your personal trainer, why not surprise him by saying you ate a pint of ice cream last night and see how they react before you reveal how healthy each ounce you consumed actually was!

That’s it for this Sugar Free Sunday and until next time, think healthy, be healthy!


Sugar Free Sunday : Super Bowl Style Black Bean Dip

Sugar Free Sunday : Super Bowl Style Black Bean Dip

Football season may be winding down but that isn’t going to stop us from making today a great one. While it’s easy to forget our diet’s during “America’s Holiday”, being able to indulge while staying on track is extremely rewarding. Looking at it though, most of the items eaten during the Super Bowl typically are high in calories, protein, and other great things.

Sugar Free Sunday : Super Bowl Style Black Bean Dip

Not counting the potato chips and various dips, I know my family will often grab a platter of chicken wings, a veggie tray, and pizza to top it all off which is always stock full of meat. While the pizza is definitely the worst of the bunch, the other two aren’t as bad as they could be. However, going back to the potatoes and dips, this is where your diet gets WRECKED!

Potato chips are basically just air, salt, and empty carbs / calories. Sure you can get the “good” potato chips or kettle chips but the amount of carbs / calories stays just about the same. Plus, we can never eat just one can we?

While chips have always been the main opponent to a nutritious diet, those five layer dips or jars of Frito Lay ranch that we use to dip, well, everything into, are actually a far more scary proposition.

That’s why, this Super Bowl Sunday, I want you to give a healthy and still delicious dip a try! This is a Super Bowl Style Black Bean Dip that’s low in fat and high on flavor!

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons of feta or cotja cheese
  • 1 small handful of chopped cilantro
  • A 1/2 to 1 cup of water depending on what kind of consistency you are looking for.
  • 1/4ths a Teaspoon of ground chili powder
  • 1/2 a Teaspoon of ground cumin
  • 1/4th a cup of fresh corn kennels (frozen works as well)
  • 1 Chipotle pepper (or whatever fits your fancy)
  • 2 Tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 15 OZ can of black beans (drained)

Instructions

  1. This recipe is pretty straight forward. Take all those ingredients except the water and mix them together in a food processor or blender.
  2. Add water to the mix until it reaches your desired consistency.
  3. Enjoy!

It’s really just that easy to get everything you need for the big game without destroying your diet in the process!

That’s it for this Super Bowl edition of Sugar Free Sunday and until next time, think healthy, be healthy.


Sugar Free Sundays: Simple Yet Delicious Honey Sriracha Tilapia Dinner For Two

Sugar Free Sundays: Simple Yet Delicious Honey Sriracha Tilapia Dinner For Two

If you’re into fitness and dieting at all, then you’re probably familiar with the amazing power of fish. High in both protein and taste, fish is a flexible option for meat or an otherwise unhealthy alternative. On this Sugar Free Sunday, we’re going to tell you how to turn one ugly fish into a great Sriracha Tilapia dinner for two!

For our side, let’s do a coleslaw! However, most coleslaw are heavily based around milk and mayo so here’s an alternative that is full of protein and flavor.

Mayo-Free Coleslaw (Asian Fusion)

Ingredients

  • 6 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
  • 5 Tablespoons Creamy Peanut Butter (Trust me)
  • 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
  • 3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Ginger Root (Can use paste as well)
  • 1 And 1/2 Tablespoons Minced Garlic (Can use paste as well)
  • 6 Tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
  • 5 Cups Of thinly Sliced Green Cabbage
  • 2 Cups Of Thinly Sliced Red Cabbage
  • 2 Cups Of Shredded Napa Cabbage
  • 2 Thinly Sliced Red Bell Peppers
  • 6 Chopped Green Onions
  • 1/2 Of A Cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro
  • 2 Julienned Carrots

Instructions

  1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the rice vinegar, vegetable oil, peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic. Set this aside until later.
  2. In a larger bowl, mix and toss the different cabbage varieties, red bell peppers, carrots, green onions, and cilantro.
  3. Just before serving, add in the peanut butter mixture and toss liberally to make sure it’s spread around to every single vegetable.

Now for the main course, the easy to make semi-spicy Honey Sriracha Tilapia.

Ingredients

  • 1/4th Of A Teaspoon Powdered Garlic (Garlic Salt will also work)
  • 2 Tablespoons Of Lime Juice
  • 1 Tablespoon Of Soy Sauce
  • 3 Tablespoons Of Honey
  • 1 Tablespoon Of Soy Sauce
  • 1 And 1/2 Tabelspoons Of Sriracha
  • 1 Pound Tilapia Fillets

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven To 450.
  2. As the oven heats, line an oven safe half sheet pan with 2 pieces of foil and divide the tilapia evenly between the two sides.
  3. Season the fish with the garlic, lime juice, and salt / pepper to taste. Leave this sitting away from the oven for around ten – 15 minutes to marinate.
  4. After the wait, mix the soy sauce, sriracha, and honey and pour equally over the fish.
  5. Carefully surround the fish with the foil loosely. Poke small slits into the foil to allow the steam to escape.
  6. Put the pan into the oven’s second rack and cook for 15 to 18 minutes or until the fish is noticeably flaky but still moist.
  7. ENJOY!

This dish takes roughly 40 minutes to make and, if you have a fitness buddy, you can make both parts of the dish at once. The flavor will make you second guess the nutrition but both components of the dinner give a large amount of protein without the diet crushing extra parts. Better yet, you’ll leave the table full but not bloated and your taste buds will be swimming in joy!

Just because it’s healthy doesn’t mean it has to taste horrible but until next time, think healthy, be healthy!


Sugar Free Sunday: How To Pick A Protein Bar That Is Right For You

Sugar Free Sunday: How To Pick A Protein Bar That Is Right For You

Protein Bars are actually extremely varied in both size and function. However, deciding on the perfect one for your diet regiment / workout is always tricky when looking through so many options. This Sugar Free Sunday, I wanted to look into exactly what the name brand protein bars have in them and try to identify the type of regiments that would benefit from their aid the most.

To begin, my criteria for choosing these is based on what you can find at a fitness store right as you walk in. Some may be a little tougher to find on the shelves but trust me, they will be there somewhere. This is by no means a top ten list or anything like that but rather just a resource you can reference as you continue your exercise routine.

 

Quest Bar Protein Bar

Quest Bars

Quest bars are some of the best to recommend as both meal replacement and weight loss bars. Within one cookies and cream bar, you’ll find: just 190 calories, 9g of good fat, a total of 4g of net carbs and a whopping 21g of protein. This bar will fill you up and personally, I think they taste quite good for a protein bar with most of the flavors being extremely delicious. Most of their bars also have 0g of sugar so for those looking to curb their appetites and keep the flavor; this is a great bar for that.

Clif Builder Protein Bar

Clif Builders

Clif Bars are typically energy bars that fuel you before beginning a workout. However, Clif builder bars typically average around 270 Calories, 9g of good fat, and a rather high 29g of carbs with 21g coming from sugar. Remember, carbs aren’t always bad especially when they come from fiber, however carbs that come from pure sugar are an issue and make these a little hard to find a perfect workout space in. However, like you’ll see with the Powerbar, these can be perfect for a post workout dinner replacement. Your body tears through carbs, Calories, and sugars during intense workouts. To keep your form, taking one of these as a post workout is not the worst idea to consider. There are better choices however since the added sugar is extremely high so be cautious on replacing too many meals with these bars.

Powerbar Protein Plus Protein Bar

PowerBar PROTEINPLUS BAR

PowerBars are usually what people reach for before and after a workout however, as you’ll see very soon, they may not be the best idea for a protein bar in the long run. Every bar typically contains peanut, almond, milk and soy which racks up quite a bit on the allergy count. Beyond that, nutrition wise, the bars average 210 Calories, 6g of fat, 25g of carbs, 100mg of potassium, and 20g of protein. From a nutrition only standpoint, this protein bar would serve a use as post major workout meal replacement. However, since so much of the carbs come from sugar, as a meal replacement, this does not do what it’s meant to since eating a regular meal would have a bit less sugar on average.

Combat Crunch Protein Bars

Combat Crunch Bars

Combat crunch bars boast the moniker of “The best triple layered “BAKED” protein bar on the market. When looking at their nutrition facts however, this may be a bit harder to discern. Similar to the Power-Bar and Clif builders, Combat Crunch Bars (at least the popular chocolate peanut butter cup flavor) also have 210 calories, 7g of fat, 28g of carbs, and 20g of protein. However, they separate themselves from the above by increasing the dietary fiber to 12g and reducing sugars to only 5g. It’s a great bar that I would recommend for both post AND pre workouts. The amount of fiber should not be underestimated as good carbs can really help during a workout. Recommended for runners right before a long race or just a jog on the treadmill.

So there you have it, a quick look at some of the more popular protein bars out there and what we think the best way to take them would be. The best thing to remember is that every bar boasts its high protein count but taking into consideration the amount of carbs, what you’re planning to use it for, and how often you’d like to replace a meal, only some will fit the criteria perfectly.

That’s it for today and until next time, think healthy, be healthy!


Protein Rich Chocolate Pudding

Protein Rich Chocolate Pudding

We all fondly remember those days when our parents would sit in the kitchen with the store bought pack of Jello Pudding and whip up this tasty treat. The problem is, now that we’re older and looking to stay in shape, chocolate pudding is not the best food to get if you’re trying to stop gaining weight. But what if we can make this treat into a healthy workout incentive? This is the idea behind today’s Sugar Free Sunday, Protein Rich Chocolate Pudding. Yes, I hear the contradiction but we have to start slow!

Protein Rich Chocolate Pudding

To begin, let’s look at the nutritional stats of a standard cup of chocolate pudding you can buy from the store.

1 Serving Size (28g) of Jello Instant Chocolate Pudding With 1/2 Cup 2% Milk

  • 100 Calories
  • 0g Fat
  • 0% of any Vitamin
  • 18mg sodium
  • 18g sugar

Not exactly the best dish since there is almost no nutritional advantages for eating this. Now let’s take a look at our recipe!

Protein Rich Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients:

  • 1/4th a cup of Dutch cocoa powder
  • 1/8th teaspoon of salt
  • 3/4ths teaspoon of vanilla extract (Pure preferred)
  • 1 pinch of uncut Stevia OR 1/4th cup of sugar, maple syrup, or honey
  • 2 cups Fairlife 2% reduced fat milk (the secret ingredient)
  • Another 1/2th cup of Fairlife 2% reduced fat milk mixed with 3 tablespoons of cornstarch. (Don’t worry, the rest of the ingredients almost negate this part).
  • OPTIONAL: Add in 3.5 oz of chocolate chips or shattered chocolate bar

Instructions:

  1. Heat the 2 cups of Fairlife in a saucepan over medium high heat while mixing in the salt, cocoa powder, and your sweetener of choice. Be sure to keep an eye on this as milk burns extremely fast. Lower heat if it begins to cook too quickly.
  2. While the milk begins to warm up in the sauce pan, whisk the cornstarch and 1/2 cup milk in a bowl until it dissolves.
  3. Once the milk is warm, add in your cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil. Once it begins to boil, stir CONSTANTLY for two minutes.
  4. Lower heat to a simmer for an additional minute then turn off the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract (and chocolate pieces if you chose to add these in) until it all melts together.
  5. Put the pudding into the fridge to thicken and it will be good to go within a few hours. Remember, the longer it stays in the fridge, the more it will thicken so be sure to consume when you’re ready to enjoy.

Now that we’ve figured out our protein rich chocolate pudding. Let’s look at the nutrition facts! This recipe should make a good 3 servings and each serving contains:

  • 172 Calories
  • .198g of Sodium
  • 6.2g of Fat
  • 22.3g of Carbs
  • 5g of Sugar
  • 14.2g of Protein (WOW)
  • 5.7g of Dietary Fiber
  • 8.7% of Daily Vitamin A
  • 34.3% of Daily Calcium
  • 1% of Daily Iron
  • .02g of Cholestorol

And that’s just in one serving! Amazing right? Not only does it prove to be delicious but also packs a punch for a post heavy workout reward. While there is still some sugar involved, it is definitely a nice alternative to the typical store bought and tastes just as great. As with any good recipe though, experiment around and see if you can’t boost the healthy portion of the dessert while keeping the taste.

Until next time, think healthy, be healthy!