Clean Banana Bread

This clean banana bread makes a great breakfast or snack! Add peanut butter or better yet pb2 (or chocolate pb2) on top...Yummy! 

Ingredients–

3 egg whites

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup applesauce

1/2 cup honey  (agave or any other sugar substitute)

2 cups whole wheat flour (oat flour or spelt flour)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Instructions–

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat egg whites then add mashed bananas, applesauce & sweetener. Mix thoroughly. In another bowl, mix dry ingredients. Then add the wet mixture to the dry mixture & lightly blend together. Pour mixture into a non stick loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry. Let the loaf stand in the pan for 10 minutes, then slice & serve.

Recipe adapted from here

Motivation Monday

Monday is the hardest day for me to be motivated! But today I was determined! I decided to start back up doing Insanity, a Beachbody 2 month workout program. Wish me luck, I did Day 1 today, go me! Bridal body here I come! :)

Colorful workout gear makes me get pumped up! :)

I also decided to try some new products. I'll let you know how they are! The Advocare products I've tried before and the spark is a pretty good afternoon pick me up. I try not to drink/eat these all the time. They're just best when your in a bind and can't reach for a clean meal or snack. From what I hear the Oh Yeah! Nutrition bars are pretty good!

Tips & Tricks!

Thursday's Tips and Tricks!

I wanted to give you a few ideas that I do to cut calories while eating out or even at home.

• I majority of the time eat vegetarian, eating meat on occasion mostly to please Brian. haha But when I go out to eat and get a vegetarian burger (can be regular burgers too!) I try not to eat the bun. Not eating the bread can save you a lot of calories and carbs. If you're really dying for the bread though, choose to eat it "open faced" and only eat the bottom part. Usually the top of the bun is thicker which results in more calories. I do this for all kinds of sandwiches as well! Or if available opt for lettuce. Jimmy Johns does this and I love that they have this option available. You can also make all kinds of yummy lettuce wraps, tacos, and more at home! 

• If you order salad out (or do this even at home!) make sure to get the dressing on the side. I also "dip" my salad in the dressing or on my fork then in the salad instead of pouring over the top. This will save you many calories, you will notice how much less dressing you use. I usually end up not even using a whole side of it. Also make sure to make the right choices when it comes to salad dressing. You can make a salad as fattening and loaded with calories as a cheese burger! Tips: Remove cheeses, croutons, etc. and stick with lighter dressing such as vinaigrettes, they tend to have lower calories than ranch and creamier dressings. 

I used to eat ranch ALL the time, I've finally broken my habit and don't miss too terribly much. But when I am really craving it I buy Bolthouse Farms Yogurt Ranch. It gives me the same satisfaction and its only 45 calories for 2 tbsp.

• When ordering out ask for all sauces on the side. It's okay to be that annoying person, I always am! haha Or opt for mustard instead of mayo. Easy switches like that can save you a lot. 

• When a fry craving comes about I usually try to go for sweet potato fries if the option is there. They give you the same satisfaction with less guilt! (for me anyway, I know not everyone is a fan!)

• Another way to save calories is to drink WATER! I know this is what people are always told but it's the truth. I don't drink anything but water, unsweetened tea, and coffee anymore. Cutting out soda (yes even diet!), juices, and other processed drink can save you so many calories and lbs. I've always loved water so that part has never been a problem for me. But try adding in different fruits to make it taste a little different! I always use lemon if I have them available. Sometimes I do "detox" water with lemon, cucumber, and mint (or just lemon and mint). Really it's so good!

 They say it takes 21 days to make a habit, and I swear I think it's true (but be careful it only takes a few short days to break it!) I, growing up in the south, grew up to love sweet tea. I'm sure a lot of you are right there with me! One day I decided (knowing how many calories & sugar were in sweet) to have unsweet tea, not pleasant at first losing all that sweetness but soon enough all I wanted was unsweet. Now I only order unsweet and don't really like sweet anymore! If you really really want sweet start by asking for half sweet/half unsweet. I also use lemon to add a little more flavor! 

• Greek yogurt has been the new wave of healthy eating these days. It is a great substitution for sour cream, mayonnaise, and much more! I also like to use it for desserts by adding cocoa powder, pb2, and more! 

• At home, try new things! Eat spaghetti squash or zucchini in place of pasta! Or eat quinoa, barley, or couscous instead of potato or pasta sides. Cauliflower is really big now too. Turn it into pizza crust or mashed "potatoes". There are a ton of recipes for these ideas on Pinterest right now.

• A few years ago I started eating dark chocolate when I was craving something instead of milk. Now I love dark (compared to milk) and it is better for you. It has many antioxidants and is good for heart health! Yes please :)

• PB2 in place of peanut butter or PB2 chocolate for those cravings. Check out my previous blog post on my love of PB2! 

Do you have any tricks of your own?

Quinoa

Quinoa is a common word in our house. Brian and I both love it (something we can always agree on!) and tend to always have it around. I love to find new recipes and ways to eat it, please share if you have any good ones! If you don't know what quinoa is... It is a seed, but usually considered a whole grain because it can be prepared like other grains such as barley. Quinoa is a great side to replace starches such as potatoes or pasta (we hardly eat these anymore!). I usually buy my at the farmers market but if you don't have a market you can find it hidden with the rice or in the organic section.

Bob's Red Mill products are always a good choice!

So tonight, while Brian was working, I had to make myself actually cook dinner since I rarely do it anymore! Having a chef for a fiancé really has its perks! :) We are really running low on groceries so I gathered all the veggies we had left and made this quinoa "salad". Learning from my chef I don't really have measurements but really all you have to do is cook the quinoa, add some flavoring and veggies and you're good to go.

Here's what I used...

Quinoa 

Mixed greens

red, orange, yellow & peppers

tomatoes

lemon

olive oil

splash of red wine vinegar

garlic

salt, pepper, italian seasoning

a little feta to top it off

Delicious! You really can use your imagination when it comes to quinoa!

Colbie thought it looked good :)

PB2

If you haven't discovered PB2 you should. I recently have and it is ah-mahzing!! If you're a peanut butter fan like I am it's a great way to include it in your diet and not feel as guilty with the high calories and fat. I also bought the chocolate version because I constantly have a sweet tooth and I like to use it to curb my cravings. 

Here is the nutritional difference between PB2 and Organic Peanut Butter & Co. Smooth Operator {the peanut butter I usually buy} 

PB&Co— 2 tbsp. 190 calories, 16g of fat

PB2— 2 tbsp. 45 calories, 1.5g of fat

Crazy huh? It comes in a powered form {it keeps longer!} and all you do is mix it with water to get the right consistency. I like to mix it up and have with an apple for a lo-cal snack!

You can also add it smoothies, shakes, pancakes, cookies, or anything else you want to make peanut buttery and delicious without the guilt! I haven't done too much experimenting with it yet but I'm looking to find new recipes to try and use it in! Here are some recipes on Bell Plantation's website PB2 Recipes. Have you tried any delicious recipes with PB2? Please share!