93 Calorie Biscuits

Tonight I whipped up some super easy gluten and dairy free biscuits - these are great with Earth Balance butter, or honey, or as the base for a breakfast sandwich -

These biscuits puff up without yeast - and they are gluten free and dairy free!

Ingredients

3/4 cup Gluten Free All Purpose Flour - 300 cal
1/4 cup other flour of choice - coconut, cornmeal, almond etc. - about 100 cal
6 tablespoons egg whites - 50 cal
1 tablespoon olive oil - 100 cal
1/4 cup almond milk - 10 cal
1 teaspoon Baking powder
1 pinch salt                                                            
= 560 calories total, makes 6 biscuits - 93 calories each


Directions:

1. Preheat over to 400 degrees
2. Mix together the dry ingredients
3. Add in the olive oil and almond milk
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy
5. Fold the egg whites into the other mixture until combined
6. Divide into 6 balls and form into biscuits on a parchment paper covered baking sheet
7. Bake for about 18 minutes - cool on a wire rack, store in an airtight container :)

126 Calorie Purple Protein Smoothie

I whipped up this protein shake as a snack between homework and Pure Barre this afternoon - This protein shake only has 3 ingredients, and it has 7.5 grams of protein and 126 calories :)

This shake is also vegan, gluten free, and dairy free if you use Vega Protein powder.

Ingredients:

1 cup almond milk - 40 cal

1/2 serving vanilla protein powder - 40 cal

1/2 cup frozen blueberries - 46 calories              

= 126 calories total

1. Combine all ingredients and blend until fully combined

2. Serve cold :)

16 Calorie Peanut Butter Pretzels

I had a craving for those peanut butter-filled pretzels - but I have yet to find a gluten free version so I had to make my own - 

I used Glutino Gluten Free Pretzels and PB2 to make these - using PB2 really lowered the calories in these because 2 tablespoons of regular peanut butter has 180 calories(that's more calories than my entire batch of peanut butter pretzels!) and PB2 only has 45 calories for 2 tablespoons

These make a delicious and easy gluten free snack :)

Recipe:
2 tablespoons PB2 - 45 calories
1 tablespoon water - 0
14 Gluten Free Pretzels - 70 calories                                                           
= 115 calories total, makes 7 pretzel sandwiches, about 16.5 calories each

1. Mix together PB2 and water into a thick paste
2. Take about 1 teaspoon sized spoonfuls of the peanut butter and press into a pretzel
3. Press another pretzel on top of the peanut butter - repeat with the rest of the pretzels and peanut butter
4. Enjoy :)

90 Calorie Spicy Shrimp Cocktail

Frozen cooked shrimp is a great healthy snack to have on hand - I like to buy a big resealable bag (40-50 count) and keep it in my freezer so I can thaw and use them as needed in lots of different recipes

This spicy shrimp cocktail makes a great appetizer, snack or light entree - 

and it is gluten free, dairy free, and paleo :)

Recipe:

For the sauce:
1/2 tablespoon Barbecue Sauce - 15 calories
2 tablespoons Sriracha - 30 calories

3 oz. Frozen Cooked Shrimp - 45 calories
                                                                        
= 90 calories

1. Mix together the barbecue sauce and Sriracha
2. Thaw the frozen shrimp by running under cold water
3. Dry off the shrimp - serve with the sauce :)

100 Calorie Carrot Fries

I love sweet potato fries - but these carrot fries are even healthier, and they taste really similar!

These make a great snack or side dish

These are also super easy to make, and they are gluten free, dairy free, and vegan :)

Recipe:

1.5 cups Baby Carrots - 78 calories

1/8 cup Sugar Free Maple Syrup -10 calories

Coconut Oil Spray - 10 calories                                          

= 98 calories total

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

2. Slice the baby carrots in half length-wise, then in half length-wise again - cutting each carrot into 4 long pieces

3. Spread carrots on a foil covered baking sheet, spray lightly with coconut oil

4. Bake for 30 minutes, halfway through the cooking time move the carrots around to help them cook evenly

5. Remove from oven, serve with maple syrup as dipping sauce

100 Calorie Pumpkin Protein Smoothie

For my next protein smoothie experiment I decided to make a Pumpkin Pie-inspired smoothie. My blender doesn't blend regular ice cubes very well so I made Pumpkin Puree ice cubes over night - I put about 1 tablespoon of pumpkin puree into each ice cube section, they froze pretty quickly so you could probably put them in the freezer for just a few hours instead of overnight

I used the Vega Protein Powder (not the VegaOne all-in-one mix) - it tasted very similar to the VegaOne all-in-one, but it has less calories and it doesn't have all of the other added vitamins - this is the lowest calorie protein powder of the ones I bought to try - and it it is plant-based so it is Vegan :)

This Protein Smoothie has 100 Calories, and it is Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and Vegan!

Recipe:

1/2 Packet of Vanilla Protein Powder (a half scoop) - 40 calories
1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk - 40 calories
1/4 cup Pumpkin Puree(frozen into cubes) - 20 calories
1/8 teaspoon Allspice, 1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon Cloves (or sub all for Pumpkin Pie Spice)
= 100 Calories

1. Freeze Pumpkin Puree in an ice cube tray overnight - if you skip this step you will want to refrigerate your shake before drinking it, or add some ice cubes to the blender

2. Put almond milk, spices, protein powder, and pumpkin in the blender

3. Blend until smooth - enjoy cold :)

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... ~

Skinny Pumpkin Butter (165 Calories for a Whole Jar!)

I picked up some Pumpkin Butter from the Apple Holler - it was soooo sweet, and 40 calories per tablespoon. I checked out the ingredients and thought to myself "Hey, I could make this"

My version didn't use any refined sugar - all you need is Stevia, Sugar Free Maple Syrup, Apple Sauce, Pumpkin and Spices!

Pumpkin Butter is great on fruit, toast, bagels, pancakes, oatmeal, or anything else you want to add a Fall twist to!

This Pumpkin Butter is Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan - and it has less than 6 calories per tablespoon!

Recipe: (Makes one large jar, or about 28 tablespoons)

1 can Pumpkin - 120 calories

1/4 cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce - 25 calories

1/4 cup Stevia

1/4 cup Sugar Free Maple Syrup - 20 calories

Cinnamon, Allspice, Cloves and Ginger to taste(or Pumpkin Pie Spice)        

= 165 Calories for entire jar - or 5.8 calories per tablespoon

1. Mix together all ingredients, add to saucepan

2. Bring mixture to a boil

3. Reduce heat, allow mixture to simmer for 35-40 minutes, cover with lid ajar, stirring occasionally

4. Remove from heat, secure lid on saucepan and let rest for 5 minutes

5. Pour into jar and allow to cool - Store in refrigerator!

Recommended Products: Nana's Cookie Bars (Gluten Free and Dairy Free)

When I stopped eating Gluten I found that most of the cookie replacements were even higher calorie than regular cookies!

But, when I was in Boulder I found Nana's Cookie Bars at the grocery store and I was hooked! I even brought some home with me in my checked luggage because I wasn't sure if I would be able to find them in Chicago

These are only 130 Calories for a LARGE cookie - these are soft cookies but they have a little crispy-ness added by some puffed rice

My favorite flavor is the Banana, but these also come in Chocolate and Berry varieties -

All flavors are Gluten Free and Dairy Free!

You can find retailers that stock Nana's Cookie Bars or order them online here: http://www.nanascookiecompany.com/