Protein is essential but often the macro we focus on least.
But a lack of protein may be the reason we’ve felt hungry on other diets and have not gotten the results we’ve wanted.
Why is protein so important?:
It’s the building blocks of muscle. Not only will you preserve your lean muscle mass while potentially dieting in a calorie deficit BUT you can also build lean muscle to help you look more toned! AND as we get older, especially us ladies, it can be harder and harder to retain and even GAIN muscle. A diet high in protein helps! Plus, when we are injured, we often think we need less protein, BUT a diet higher in protein can help us prevent muscle loss while we are out and restricted from training.
Keeps you feeling fuller for longer. Protein keeps you satisfied so that you don’t end up feeling like you are starving even if you’re trying to lose weight.
It makes weight loss EASIER! The thermogenic effect of protein makes it EASIER to lose weight and drop body fat on a protein rich diet EVEN if you “overeat.” Plus, because it preserves lean muscle mass, you will tend to burn more calories even at rest and your metabolism will stay healthy.
Improves recovery and muscle repair. You will provide your muscles with the building blocks they need to repair. AND the increase in protein can also help your tendons and connective tissues repair. Greater protein synthesis accelerates tissue repair and strengthens connective tissues to reduce your risk for injury.
Can improve bone density and prevent osteoporosis. It is actually a common misconception that high protein is bad for your bones and this “myth” is based on a misunderstanding of bone metabolism. Actually the amino acids in protein are used to build bone AND because protein increases muscles mass, there is an increase in bone strength!
And studies of protein rich diets have even shown to improve brain functioning, quality of sleep AND even lower blood pressure!
Ok…so you’re now convinced you need more protein.
But how do you get it in if you’re a veggie lover?
That is why I wanted to share this delicious Vegetarian-friendly dish!
Preheat the oven to 425F and place a rack in the middle. Rub a small-medium baking dish with a bit of olive oil and set aside.
Spread cauliflower florets in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over the florets and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Roast in the oven 30 minutes or until the cauliflower is lightly caramelized, turning once.
As the cauliflower cooks, in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, saute the mushrooms in 1/2 tbsp olive oil sprinkled with a couple of pinches of salt.
Stir every minute or so until the mushrooms have released their liquid and have browned a bit. Add the onions and cook another 4-5 minutes until translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute and remove from the heat. When the cauliflower is ready, add to the skillet and stir until combined.
In a medium bowl combine eggs, cheddar cheese and yogurt.
Add cauliflower-mushroom mixture. Stir until well combined and turn out into your prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and cover with foil.
Lower the oven temperature to 350F. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes, until golden around the edges. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
Ready to eat according to your goals and learn how to get even more out of your vegetarian diet? Want to learn how to increase your protein using COMPLEMENTARY proteins even?
I don’t know about all of you, but I LOVE apples and peanut butter!
But I’ve gotten asked, “Is fruit healthy?”
My opinion – HECK YES!
Do I believe that carbs need to be dialed in like all macros?
YUP!
But can fruit provide nutritional benefit and be included in our diet, especially if we ENJOY it?
HECK YES!
And this quick snack is a great way to enjoy your fruit AND even add in a little PROTEIN to that carb and fat heavy snack of apples and peanut butter.
The Greek Yogurt Apple Dipper!
SERVINGS: 1
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup Fat-Free Plain Greek Yogurt*
1/8 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tbsp Honey
1 tbsp All-Natural Peanut Butter
1 small Apple
DIRECTIONS:
Mix yogurt, honey, cinnamon and peanut butter together.
Slice up your apple, dip and enjoy!
MACROS:
Calories: 297
Protein: 15 grams
Carbs: 44 grams
Fat: 7 grams
*You can sub in a diary-free or full fat option. Just adjust the macros
** On occasion, I’ve even added a scoop of vanilla or peanut butter whey protein to this or even an unflavored collagen to boost protein further!
Feel like you’re eating well, but not getting the results you want?
Ready to enjoy the foods you love while getting results?
Yes…We want to eat whole, natural foods as often as possible.
But guess what!?
If all we are doing is constantly DEPRIVING ourselves and telling ourselves we CAN’T have the foods we love, we are going to end up binging.
That is why I love finding a way to balance cravings with staying on track. It’s why I like making Macro-Friendly versions of the not-so-healthy meals I love.
This helps me satisfy cravings while still making progress and remaining CONSISTENT.
Remember it’s not perfection but consistency that leads to long-term results.
So here is one of my favorite macro-friendly pizza recipes – The Thai Chicken Pizza!
The Macro-Friendly Thai Chicken Pizza
SERVINGS: 2
MACROS (in ½ pizza): Calories: 384Protein: 57 gramsCarbs: 18 gramsFat: 9 grams
“I’ve always loved Thai Chicken Pizza so wanted to find a way to make it macro-friendly and healthier. It’s the perfect way to curb cravings and keep yourself on track.” – Cori
INGREDIENTS: 8 ounces Cooked Chicken Breast 1 Joseph’s Whole Wheat Lavash Bread 66 grams Baby Carrots 18 grams (about 3 stalks) Green Onions 4 tbsps Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce or Tamari 12 g (2 tbsp) PB Fit Peanut Butter Powder 4 tsp Chili Garlic Sauce 46 grams (3 tbsp) Egg Whites 20 grams Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place lavash on a baking sheet lightly greased with cooking spray. Place in the oven until it begins to crisp and brown.
As it browns, cook chicken if needed or tear up precooked chicken. Shred or thinly slice carrots and chop up green onions.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the carrots and most of the onions (leave a few to top the pizza with). Let them begin to soften and brown.
Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine (soy sauce, pbfit, garlic sauce).
Then add chicken and the sauce to the skillet and heat. Let it bubble and make sure it soaks into the chicken.
When everything is heated through, add egg whites to the skillet. Let them cook and stir in. Then top the lavash bread with the mixture and sprinkle with the cheese.
Place in the oven until the cheese is melted and the lavash is browned to your liking.
Want a diet that allows you to still indulge in the foods you love while finding a balance that leads to long-term results?!
Want to lose weight? Or maybe you’re tired of that little bit of body fat that seem to cling to your belly or thighs no matter what you do!?
Well let me tell you….depriving yourself of all of the foods you love is not the way to get the results you want…especially if you want those results to LAST!
Part of staying consistent so you can get the body you’ve always dreamed about, and FEEL great, is getting to still indulge in the types of foods you love.
Like for me…I LOVE sweets.
The second I force myself to cut out sweet treats, like ice cream or cookies, I instantly start craving them and end up binging on them!
So instead of cutting out those delicious treats, I make macro-friendly “tweaks” to those recipes so I can still enjoy them AND get the results I want without risking becoming deprived and binging!
One of my favorite macro-friendly MUFFIN recipes is below…You’ll love it too especially if you’re a PEANUT BUTTER LOVER!
INGREDIENTS:
1 scoop PEScience Select Protein Peanut Butter Cookie*
¼ cup Unsweetened Applesauce
1 tbsp Coconut Flour
2 Egg Whites (6 tbsp liquid egg whites)
¼ tsp Baking Soda
¼ tsp Cinnamon
Cooking Spray
Peanut butter drizzle:
12 g (2 tbsp) PB Fit Peanut Butter Powder
1.5 tbsp Water
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a regular sized muffin tin with cooking spray. If you use the regular-sized muffin tin, it will make four muffins. You can use a smaller tin to make more.
Combine all of the ingredient in a bowl and whisk quickly for about a minute to combine and help the batter fluff up.
Then divide evenly between the 4 muffin tins. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.
While baking, combine PB Fit and water to create your simple peanut butter drizzle.
Once muffins are done, remove from the oven and top with the drizzle. You can even save some on the side to dip the muffin in!
* You can use any peanut butter flavored protein of choice.
This is why I LOVE Macro Cycling. No foods are off limits. You can still indulge in the treats you love. AND you can get killer results to look and feel great.
I love healthy snacks that don’t taste “healthy” aka like crap. I like snacks that you can have around that taste delicious, satisfy your cravings while also helping you hit your macros.
And it’s even better if they are easy to make so you don’t add on to your meal prep and can even squeeze in making them during a busy, stressful week. (I love snacks you can make and even freeze for a few weeks so you always have something on hand!)
Because let’s face it…When you’re stressed and tired and bored…and simply want to eat, you’ll reach for whatever is around. Which most often ISN’T healthy. Because most of the time the healthy food we keep around when we are “on a diet” is well…not satisfying.
But if you can have something TASTY AND HEALTHY easily available, you’ll not only satisfy your cravings but also keep yourself on track.
That is why I love these Cinnamon Vanilla Protein Balls.
They are basically a one-bowl recipe. AKA you put all of the ingredients in one bowl, mix, roll into balls and eat! You can freeze them for a few weeks so you always have something around and they are easy to take with you to work or out and about if you’ve got errands to run.
So if you need a quick and healthy treat to satisfy those cravings, you’ll love these protein balls from my Macro Cycling Shred Book!
Cinnamon Vanilla Protein Balls
Servings 16 (1 ball per serving)
INGREDIENTS:
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
3/4 cup Gluten-Free Oat Flour (take oatmeal in a food processor to grind up)
1/4 cup All-Natural Nut Butter of choice
1/4 cup Almond Meal/Flour
2 tbsp Raw Local Honey
2 scoops Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
1 tbsp Cinnamon
***Note you may need to slowly add tbsp of water depending on the whey, oats and almond meal you use to reach the desired consistency.
First make sure to grind up oats in a food processor or buy oat flour.
Then add oat flour, almond meal, whey, cinnamon and nut butter to a bowl. Stir all of the ingredients together.
Then add honey and vanilla extract. Mix well again with hands until dough comes together,
If needed, slowly add a tbsp of water at a time until dough complete comes together.
Then roll into 1-1.5 inch balls and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. You can choose to roll in additional cinnamon and even vanilla whey if desired.
Freeze for 20-30 minutes then transfer to a ziplock bag. You can freeze them for up to 6 weeks!
Looking to dial in your diet? Love the idea of a diet where no foods are off limits? Curious about Macro Cycling and how you can get the lean, strong body you want with a diet that fits your lifestyle?
I firmly believe you want to eat as many whole, natural foods as possible. The cleaner your diet, not only the faster your results, but also the healthier you are going to be.
However, the diet that also works best is the one you can STICK to long-term. The one you can be consistent with.
The one that you can enjoy as you are getting results.
That means finding a balance between being as clean as possible while still getting to indulge and enjoy foods that satisfy those cravings….All while hitting your macro ratios of course 🙂
That is why I think it is important that no food is ever off limits.
BUT that doesn’t always mean you want to completely indulge. Sometimes you want a “healthier” alternative that will keep you on track and not set off other cravings.
That is when recipes like Protein Granola come in handy. This recipe makes it easier to stick to your macros while still satisfying cravings for granola and even sugary cereals.
If you’re craving those sugary parfaits, this Protein Granola with greek yogurt and berries may be the healthier alternative you are looking for!
For me, recipes like this don’t set off cravings for worse foods. There are some foods out there that are “gateway foods”…foods that set off further cravings and cause you to fall off.
Having a healthier alternative that satisfies my cravings BUT doesn’t set off that desire for worse foods, is KEY for me staying on track.
That is why I love finding creative ways to stay on track that freaking TASTE GOOD!
Remember it is about consistency, not perfection. Sometimes adding in things that may be slightly off the “whole, natural foods” list is key to keeping you on track.
Yup…sometimes you have to give yourself some room to ENJOY!
So if you are looking to hit your macros and pack in some extra protein WHILE still indulging in some delicious granola, try this Protein Granola!
Protein Granola Parfait
(photo courtesy of Ashley C.)
Servings 2
Ingredients: 2 tbsp Coconut Flour 1/4 cup TJ’s Gluten Free Rolled Oats 1 scoop Vanilla Whey 1 tbsp Chia Seeds 3 tbsp Sugar Free Maple Syrup (you can use honey or real syrup or anything else!) 1/4 tsp Vanilla extract 1/8 tsp Baking Powder
Combine dry ingredients then mix in syrup and vanilla. Combine until crumbly.
Preheat oven to 350F and then put crumble mixture on foil on a baking tray. Spread it out and then place in the oven. Every 3-4 minutes you may want to mix it slightly. Cook until starting to brown. Then let cool before serving.
Combined with fat-free greek yogurt and even another scoop of whey and topped with half the granola for a delicious parfait!
Macros on the Protein Granola with the Protein Yogurt: Calories: 365 Protein: 51 grams Carbs: 27 grams Fat: 5 grams
Are you ready to enjoy delicious foods while getting results?
Ready for something that will work when everything else has failed to help you get the body you really want?
