Healthy Lifestyle Update- Power on with Protein Balls

I'm happy to share with you that I went to the Wharton Clinic over the weekend and was down 3lbs and 2 inches since last month! This is a total loss of 72 lbs since I started my journey/blog!

It's definitively progress.... but slower than I would like. My goal is to lose about  1.5lbs a week... so I ran through the past month to see what some of the issues that may have slowed my progress down a bit:

• Stress (makes you hold on to fat for some reason)
• Less sweat inducing exercise this month. For various reasons, I missed about half of my 1 hour zumba/aerobics classes this month.
• Eating close to 1700 calories, rather than the 1600 calorie range I like to stick to
• Eating more simple carbs and less protein than I would like

Thanks to myfitnesspal.com,, I was able to analyze that the quality of my food choices, on a nutrient, clean eating scale value, was not where I wanted to be. The amazing BR I met with at the clinic suggested ensuring that I meet my protein goals at every meal and snack to help me achieve my weight loss goals and suggested making these Protein Balls for quick energy snacking after working out.

Here's the breakdown she suggested:

• 10-15g protein for breakfast
• minimum of 20g of protein with lunch and dinner
• always have protein with every snack

So, I went on a search for a good recipe for these illusive protein balls and found this really easy to make recipe.

The recipe suggests that it makes 20-24 balls, but I ended making 28 smaller balls, at about 70 calories and 4g of protein per ball.


Protein Energy Balls 
(adapted from http://www.thehealthymaven.com/2015/08/no-bake-oatmeal-protein-energy-balls.html)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup vanilla whey protein powder (about 2 scoops)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 T chia seeds
• 1/2 cup smooth natural peanut butter (or any nut butter)*
• 3 T natural honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup raisins, chocolate chips, craisins or preferred add-in
• 2-4 T liquid (almond milk, milk, water etc...)

Instructions

Add oats, protein powder, cinnamon and chia seeds to a large bowl.

Add in peanut butter, honey and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.

Add in raisins (or preferred add-in). Mixture should be slightly sticky but still crumbly.

Slowly add in liquid 1 tablespoon at a time and using hands (get dirty!) combine until it comes together in a sticky ball that holds together. If mixture is too dry, add in more liquid but not so much that it won't hold shape.

Roll into balls using hands.

Place in a container to set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Store in fridge until ready to eat.

A few of my huband's favourite things...

Peanut butter and some football, to start...

I love my husband, and so when I want him to enjoy some healthy alternatives to the usual Sunday NFL snacks, I make him some homemade, heart healthy snacks. Quacamole is one of his favourites, and I thought I would try incorporating Chia seeds -full of Omega-3 and fibre- into some oatmeal peanut butter cookies.  Of course, served warm from the oven with a cup of his favourite tea in his team mug, it was a recipe for success!

... and for me, a little dark chocolate, just a few little chips, makes the whole thing a totally delicious snack. Check his little cute smile in the background!

Here's the recipe:

Chia Seed Peanut Butter Oat Cookies

 (adapted from: http://www.hungryhealthygirl.com/2013/02/26/chia-seed-peanut-butter-oat-cookies/)

Yield: 24 cookies

Serving Size: 1 cookie, Calories per serving: 133

Ingredients

    1.5 cups rolled oats

    1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

    1 tsp baking powder

    2 tbsp Chia seeds

    1/4 cup coconut oil, room temperature & unmelted (I used butter)

    1/2 cup Stevia baking blend (brown sugar would also work)

    3/4 cup peanut butter or other nutbutter

    2 eggs

    2 tsp pure vanilla extract

    1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine oats, flour, baking powder and Chia seeds in a medium bowl and set aside.  Add coconut oil, Stevia, peanut butter, eggs and vanilla to a mixing bowl and beat ingredients together using an electric mixer.

Gradually add oat mixture to wet mixture and stir together with the electric mixer. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spoon about 1.5 tbsp of dough onto baking sheet that has been prepared with parchment paper or natural cooking spray. I like a flatter cookie, so I used my hands to flatten dough and shape it in to a circle. These cookies will not spread, so you can set them on the baking sheet close to another cookie.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool for a couple of minutes.

...couldn't wait to taste those golden, puffy mounds of chia, peanut butter, oatmeal goodness!

 

Oh, there's one of my husband's favourite things-  Kiss... and me serving him some fresh baked wholesome peanut butter cookies in his old Kiss concert tee, PRICELESS!!!