75 Calorie Chocolate Mint Protein Shake

"So Delicious" makes some seriously delicious holiday flavored Coconut Milk drinks - one is Chocolate Mint flavored - this protein shake tastes really similar to that but it has the added benefit of protein!

Recipe:
1/2 serving chocolate protein powder - 45 calories
3/4 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk - 30 calories
1/8 teaspoon Peppermint Extract                              
= 75 calories


1. Blend together all ingredients
2. Refrigerate or add ice cubes if desired

Nutella Truffles

With Halloween right around the corner I know I am going to be tempted with lots of candy - so I figured I had better come up with some skinny, gluten-free and dairy free candy alternatives

These truffles are kind of like Ferrero Rocher candies with the Rice Krispies on the outside - the Rice Krispies do lose thier crispy-ness after a few hours so if you want to make them without the Rice Krispies you could roll them in cocoa powder instead and then they sort of taste like the fancy chocolate truffles from Trader Joes :)

These are gluten free, dairy free, and vegan!

Recipe:

2 tablespoons Original PB2 - 45 calories

2 tablespoons Chocolate PB2 - 45 calories

2 tablespoons Cocoa Powder - 40 calories

1 tablespoon Unsweetened Almond Milk - 2.5 calories

2 tablespoons Water - 0

1/4 cup Rice Krispies - 27.5 calories                               

= 160 total, makes 12 truffles, about 13 calories per truffle

1. Mix together the PB2 and cocoa powder

2. Add the liquids and stir until smooth

3. Take teaspoons sized amounts and roll into a ball with your palms

4. Roll the ball in Rice Krispies or cocoa powder - store in an airtight container

90 Calorie Mocha Protein Latte

I needed a caffeine and protein fix after Pure Barre this morning so I made this Mocha Protein Iced Latte :)

This was really good and much healthier than a Starbucks latte :)

This is gluten free, dairy free, and vegan!

Recipe:

1 cup Almond Milk - 40 calories

1/2 serving Chocolate Protein Powder - 45 calories

1 cup coffee - 5 calories                                             

= 90 calories

1. Freeze 1/4 cup almond milk in ice cube tray(if desired) and make coffee ahead of time and store in refrigerator

2. Blend almond milk, coffee, and protein powder until the protein powder is fully dissolved

3. Serve cold :)

130 Calorie Nutella Tart

I had a ridiculous chocolate craving so I came up with this Nutella Tart :)

This is pretty easy to make and it is soo rich and delicious :)

It is also gluten free, dairy free and vegan!

Recipe: Makes 2 tarts

For the crust:
2 tablespoons coconut flour - 60 calories
1 tablespoon Oat Flour - 22 calories
3 tablespoons Unsweetened Apple Sauce - 15 calories
2 tablespoons Almond Milk - 5 calories
2 teaspoons Stevia

For the Filling:
4 tablespoons PB2(2 tablespoons regular, 2 tablespoons chocolate) - 90 calories
2 tablespoons Cocoa - 50 calories
2 tablespoons Almond Milk - 5 calories
3 tablespoons Unsweetened Apple Sauce - 15 calories
                                                                                                                  
= 262 total - makes 2 tarts, 131 calories each


1. Mix together the crust ingredients, if the dough won't stick together when you press down on it add more liquid
2. Press the crust into greased tart pans
3. Bake the crust only for about 5 minutes at 350 degrees
4. Mix together the ingredients for the filling
5. Remove the crusts from the oven and fill with the nutella filling, smooth the top
6. Top with some soy whip if desired, store leftovers in the refrigerator

107 Calorie Chocolate Strawberry Protein Smoothie

I started drinking Protein Smoothies last year when I got the NutriBullet on sale at Macy's - since then my mom bought the Ninja and I must say I think that the Ninja works better because it is a more powerful blender, but it does take up more counter space so the NutriBullet is a good option if you don't want a bulky blender and are just looking to make single serving smoothies.

I don't like to eat/cook a lot of meat so Protein Smoothies are a good way for me to get more protein in my diet - especially early in the day because I have them for breakfast. I used to use Whey Protein - and although I have read mixed findings on whether or not it affects those who are lactose intolerant, I have decided to try some other varieties of protein powder in order to find which one works best for me. I bought single-serve packets of a few different types at Whole Foods - these are great if you aren't sure if you like protein powder or if you don't know which type you like best, because you don't have to invest in a large tub of a protein powder that you may end up disliking - I have found that different types and brands can have very different flavors/textures.

The first one I tried was the Egg White Protein in Chocolate Flavor - yesterday I blended half of the packet up with some Almond Milk(90 calories total) - it was just ok, it didn't taste great or terrible, but it DEFINITELY is important to drink this cold (otherwise it is gross) so I chilled mine in the fridge for a few hours after I blended it up and ended up having it as an after-class/pre-workout snack.

I was a little more creative with the second half of the packet - I made a Chocolate Strawberry Protein Shake - this has a few more calories(17.5 cal - from the strawberries) but I think it tastes much better than the plain protein powder and almond milk combination, the strawberries add a true sweetness that covers the fake sweetener taste you can get from the protein powder. The egg white protein worked well in this, it turned out very creamy, almost more like a milkshake than a smoothie.

This Protein shake is Gluten free, dairy free, and vegetarian :)

Recipe:

1/2 a Packet of Chocolate Flavored Protein Powder(or half a scoop) - 60 Calories (Egg White Protein)

3/4 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk - 30 calories

1/4 Cup Frozen Strawberries - 17.5 calories                           

= 107.5 calories

1. Add Frozen strawberries to the bottom of your blender cup (slice them if your blender doesn't blend super well)

2. Pour the protein powder on top of the strawberries, then add the Almond milk

3. Blend until smooth - enjoy cold!

Sweeten Your Own Cereal - 5 Ways!

Today I went to the grocery store just to get cereal - I keep craving it as a late night snack and I didn't have any in my apartment - the store didn't have Cinnamon Chex, so I took a closer look at the Gluten Free Chex labels and I realized that General Mills has been pulling one over on me....

Plain Rice Chex has 100 calories per 1 cup serving, the sweetened varieties have 120-130 calories - but those are measured in 3/4 cup servings! That means a whole cup of the sweetened Chex has over 160 calories!

So I decided to get the plain old Rice Chex and spice it up/sweeten it myself!

The first variation I tried was a Cinnamon Sugar copycat using Cinnamon and Stevia - these don't add any significant calories so my version is still about 100 calories for 1 cup (that's without milk - 120 cal with half a cup of unsweetened almond milk) - while regular Cinnamon Chex is 160 calories (without the milk!)

I tried four more variations:

Vanilla Sugar - 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla & 1/4 cup Stevia - 100 cal

Chocolate Chex - 1/2 tablespoon Cocoa & 1/4 cup Stevia - 110 cal

Maple Chex - 1/8 cup Sugar Free Maple Syrup - 110 cal

Peanut Butter Chex - 1 tablespoon PB2 Powder - 122 cal 

You could do this with any cereal you like! 

~ The more you know... ~

Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cake (Under 300 Calories!)

Chocolate and Peanut Butter are a classic combination - So I decided to try making a low-cal and gluten free  Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

This cake is super moist and sweet - I made it in a fluted pan but you could use a loaf pan or small cake pan - whatever you have on hand

This cake is gluten free, dairy free and vegan - and under 300 calories for the entire thing!

Recipe:

For chocolate cake:
3/4 cup Pumpkin Puree - 60 calories
1/4 cup Oat Flour - 90 calories
1/4 cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce - 25 calories
2 tablespoons cocoa powder - 40 calories
1/4 cup Stevia

For Peanut Butter Swirl:
1/4 cup Almond Milk - 10 calories
3 tablespoons PB2 - 68 calories                             
= 293 Calories Total


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix together the pumpkin, flour, apple sauce, cocoa powder and stevia
3. In a separate bowl mix together the almond milk and PB2 until well combined
4. Pour about half of the chocolate batter into a greased pan
5. Pour the peanut butter mixture on top
6. Spread the rest of the chocolate batter on top of the peanut butter layer
7. Bake 35-40 minutes - remove from oven and let cool before removing from pan

33 Calorie Pumpkin Chocolate Brownies

Fall always puts me in the mood for all things Pumpkin - whether its candles, decorations, or dessert - or in this case Brownies!

These were really easy to make and I think they look more impressive than my usual loaves because of the distinct colors and layering - and they are only 33 calories each!

These are also Gluten Free and Dairy Free!

Recipe: Makes 15 Brownies

3/4 cup Oat Flour - 270 calories

1 can Pumpkin Puree(1 and 3/4 cups) - 140 calories

1/4 cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce - 25 calories

1 egg white - 17 calories

4 tablespoons cocoa powder - 80 calories

1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 cup Stevia                                                               

=501 Calories for whole pan - makes 15 brownies, 33.4 calories each

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

2. Mix together the flour, pumpkin, apple sauce, egg white, baking powder and stevia

3. Put about about 1/3 of the mixture in a separate bowl

4. Add the cocoa powder to the larger amount of batter (the 2/3 portion)

5. Pour half of the chocolate batter into a greased 9x13 pan

6. Spread the pumpkin batter on top of the chocolate layer

7. Spread the remaining chocolate batter on top

8. Bake for 35-40 minutes

9. Let cool before cutting into 15 pieces, store in the refrigerator in an airtight container

17 Calorie Brownie Bites

Today I had a baaaaad craving for chocolate, so I thought I'd try making some gluten and dairy free skinny Brownie Bites.

These turned out GREAT, super fudgy and chocolate-y, which is how I like my brownies (not cake-y)

These are gluten free, dairy free, and vegan - AND they're only 17 calories per brownie bite

I used a mini muffin pan and cupcake liners to make these but you could use the same batter for regular with a regular size muffin tin, or in a loaf pan, or you could just eat the batter raw since it doesn't have any eggs!

Recipe: Makes about 17 Brownie Bites


1 Cup Pumpkin Puree - 80 cal
1/2 cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce - 50 cal
4 tablespoons Baking Cocoa - 80 cal
1/4 cup Oat Flour - 90 cal
1/4 cup (plus 1/8 cup) Stevia or to taste         
= 300 Calories in Whole recipe, makes 17 Brownie Bites with about 17 calories per Bite

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix together Pumpkin and Apple Sauce
3. Stir in Cocoa powder until desired chocolate intensity is reached
4. Stir in Stevia until desired sweetness is reached
5. Spoon batter into cupcake liners and place in muffin pan
6. Bake for about 15 minutes
7. Let cool, or enjoy hot from the oven - store in an airtight container

Skinny-tized 200 Calorie Hot Fudge Cake

My Dad was out of town when I made the last Chocolate cake, and he has been dropping hints about it ever since - so I decided I would make another version of Chocolate Cake for him last night for dessert (because I am such a good daughter :) )

I wanted this cake to be very fudge-y and chocolate-y so we ate it right out of the oven, and it didn't disappoint! This definitely didn't taste like it was less than 200 calories for a whole loaf, but it was!

Recipe:

3/4 cup pumpkin puree- 60 cal
1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce - 30 cal
1/4 cup stevia
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 egg whites - 34 cal
1/2 cup oat flour - 180 cal4 tablespoons Cocoa powder - 80 cal            
= 384 whole recipe - makes 2 mini loaves 192 cal each



1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix all wet ingredients, then all dry ingredients, except the cocoa powder
3. Stir in cocoa powder until the cake reaches the level of "chocolate intensity" you want -A little less cocoa than the amount I added was enough to cover up the pumpkin taste but I wanted this it be extra chocolate-y
4. After mixing well, pour the mixture into 2 greased mini loaf pans (or 1 large loaf pan)
5. Bake for about 20 minutes (40 minutes if using one large pan)
6. Enjoy hot out of the oven with the whipped topping of your choice!

Lately my Dad has been opting for regular Cool Whip instead of the Soy Whip, it has about twice as many calories, but hey whatever floats your boat right?

 

Skinny-tized 8 Calorie PB2 Buckeyes

I LOVE peanut butter, especially with chocolate. I decided to Skinny-tize those "Buckeyes", or Peanut Butter balls you see at potlucks and on Pinterest.

I used PB2, Stevia, Almond Milk, Cocoa Powder, and Oat flour to make these, so they have NO OIL.  That makes them a little sticky when you are making them so I would suggest refrigerating the peanut butter mixture before rolling into balls, and storing these in the refrigerator. These are also gluten free and dairy free!!

Recipe: (Makes 14 small Buckeyes, or 7 larger Buckeyes)


4 tablespoons PB2 - 90 cal
2 teaspoons Stevia - 0
1 teaspoon Oat Flour - 7.5 cal
2 tablespoons Almond Milk - 5 cal
1 1/2 tsp Cocoa Powder - 10 cal          
= 112.5 calories for whole recipe - 8 calories per small Buckeye (makes 14), or 16 calories per large Buckeye(makes 7)

1. Mix together the PB2, Stevia, and Oat flour
2. Add the Almond Milk, and stir until combined into a smooth batter
3. Refrigerate about 20 minutes
4. Take teaspoon sized amounts and roll into balls using your palms (for larger Buckeyes use 2 teaspoons of batter per ball)
5. Roll the balls individually in a dish of Cocoa Powder
6. Refrigerate, and enjoy!

Recommended Products: Jell-O Sugar Free Pudding Cups

Jello-O Sugar Free products have been popular in my house since they first were produced. When I could still eat lactose I LOVED the sugar free pudding cups, especially the double chocolate :) These are only 60 calories for a decent amount of pudding, and they are delicious.

My Dad still eats these as a dessert, but I can't have them because they contain milk :(

I tried to make a dairy-free version but it was unsuccessful :( The pudding doesn't set up correctly when you use non-dairy milk, but I am going to try to make it with Lactaid and see if that works correctly

Wish me luck!

Skinny-tized 320 Calorie Chocolate Cake

What could be better than Chocolate cake, really?

A gluten free Skinny-tized chocolate cake of course!

There are only 640 Calories in this entire cake!

Recipe:


1 cup Oat Flour (360 cal)
3/4 cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce (75 cal)
1 egg (70 cal)
2 egg whites (34 cal)
5 tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (100 cal)
1/2 cup Stevia in the Raw
1/2 tsp Baking Soda                        
= 639 calories (makes two 320 calorie mini cakes using mini loaf pans)


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix together the dry ingredients
3. Mix in the wet ingredients
4. Pour into greased pans
5. Bake for about 17-18 minutes
6. Remove from oven and let cool

I decided to top one of the cakes with toasted marshmallows!  I put about 1/3 of a cup of Kraft Jet Puffed Mini Marshmallows(50 cal) on top of the baked cake and broiled it in the oven for about 5 minutes until the marshmallows were toasted.

 This was delicious, I can't wait for my family to try it!

You could also top this with icing, sprinkles, soy whipped cream, or anything else you like! 

Recommended Products: Enjoy Life Brand (Allergen free!)

For years I knew I was lactose-intolerant, but I continued to eat dairy because I LOVE it and I had a supplement that I could take to help digest the Lactose. Unfortunately that supplement stopped working for some unknown reason so I had to give up dairy. The dairy product I missed most was CHOCOLATE, which is why I was so excited to find Enjoy Life Brand products at Whole Foods.

Enjoy Life makes allergen free products, their products are free of: wheat, dairy, tree nuts, peanuts, egg, soy, fish and shellfish. I have loved all of the Enjoy Life products I have tried but I especially love the Chocolate Chips and Chocolate Chip Softbaked Cookies because I haven't found very many(if any) other dairy and gluten free pre-made substitutes for these products in particular.

The Chocolate Chips are great for baking, it is so nice to have a dairy free alternative to regular chocolate chips!

I am addicted to these Softbaked Chocolate Chip Cookies! They are sweet and delicious! I have had trouble making low calorie cookies so until I am able to perfect the texture I want I will just have to keep eating these treats!

65 Calorie Skinny-tized Nutella

I LOVE Nutella. For real, I could eat the whole jar. Unfortunately that would be about 3,000 calories, and my waistline just cannot handle that. Even the natural alternatives like Justin's have 180 calories for 2 tablespoons and you know I do not have that kind of self control. Also, regular Nutella contains milk, which I cannot eat because of the lactose :(

So, naturally I needed to come up with a lower calorie alternative.

This recipe makes a thick, chocolate/peanut buttery spread that is great on fruit, toast, ice cream, or (my personal favorite) spoons. :)

The really great thing about this version is it is only 65 calories for 3 tablespoons instead of 180 calories for just 2 tablespoons!

Recipe:

1 Tablespoon Chocolate PB2 Powder
1 Tablespoon Regular PB2 Powder
1 Tablespoon unsweetened Cocoa powder
Water


I mix up all of the powders and then add in enough water to stir it into the consistency I want. (The more water you add the thinner the consistency will be) About equal parts water and powder makes a nice paste.

PB2 is a powdered peanut butter that has a lot less fat than regular peanut butter, but tastes just as sweet and peanut-y! You can find it at Whole Foods or buy it on Amazon, it is only 45 calories for 2 tablespoons! I love it on apples, as an ice cream topping, in smoothies, or mixed with water to replace peanut butter!