Peanut Butter and Jelly Quest Bar Sandwich Recipe

Here's an easy recipe for a high protein peanut butter and jelly sandwich. This recipe can be easily modified to be low carb too, just use low carb/sugar free jelly. 

- 1 Peanut Butter Supreme Quest Bar
- Jelly of your choice. I used Organic Grape Jelly

Start by microwaving the Quest Bar so it's soft enough to flatten (about 10 to 20 seconds). Cut in half and form into the shape of bread slices for added visual effect. Bake your Peanut Butter Quest "Bread" slices for about 7 minutes or until brown on bottom. You could actually skip this step and it would still be good. The texture would be chewy as opposed to crispy. Finally, add jelly and enjoy!

Macros: 260 Calories. 10 grams Fat. 34 Grams Carbs (13 Sugars from Jelly). 17 Net Carbs . 20 Gram Protein.

I have some other ideas for Quest Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwiches as well, I just haven't had time to try them yet. One is to use a Quest Peanut Butter and Jelly bar as my 'slices' and fill the middle with real peanut butter and jelly. The other idea is to do the same, but fill the middle with half a Quest Peanut Butter Supreme bar and half a Quest Mixed Berry Bliss bar as my 'jelly'. Both of those bars would be heated to make them gooey and that would make a 100% Quest Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich! Yum!!

You can get $4 off any of the bars listed above by using discount coupon code QUEST. Just click on any Quest bar mentioned above or click here: http://www.704nutrition.com/SearchResults.asp?searching=Y&sort=13&search=Quest+Protein+Bars&show=100&page=1&brand=QUEST

Healthy Pumpkin Roll - Lowcarb, High Protein, High Fiber, Quest Bar Pumpkin Roll Recipe

This recipe was very similar to my Cinnamon Roll Recipe (Link: Quest Bar Cinnamon Roll Recipe). Only 4 main ingredients and super easy. Real pumpkin rolls have the pumpkin flavor in the roll with cream cheese filling, but since I was using a Quest Cinnamon Roll Protein Bar as my 'roll', I made my filling pumpkin flavored. Here's the recipe:

Roll
- 1 Cinnamon Roll Quest Bar

Filling
- 2 Tablespoons whipped cream cheese
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons canned pumpkin
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons Vanilla Protein Powder
- Sprinkle Pecan Pieces (optional)
- Pumpkin Pie Seasoning or Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Ginger to taste

Start by microwaving your Quest Bar to get it soft and moist and easy to roll flat (10 to 15 seconds). Next roll out Quest Bar on parchment paper or well greased foil/baking sheet. Top with pecans if you want (nice touch). Bake for 5 to 6 minutes at 350 degrees. (Baking is also optional. It would work just as well cold. Baking makes the roll crispy. Not baking, the roll would be chewy like they are straight from the package.) For the filling, mix all ingredients to the consistency you desire and taste you desire. You can add sweeteners and as much seasoning as desired. Spread mixture on to roll, carefully roll up and devour!

Macros: 341 Kcal, 28 grams protein, 28 grams carbs/17 grams fiber (net 11 carbs), 13 grams fat

Blog readers get $4 off any flavor Quest Bar at 704Nutrition.com. Just use coupon code "Quest" for your discount at checkout. Here's the link: http://www.704nutrition.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=quest+protein+bar

Healthy Burger - Muscle Building Burger Recipe

People are conditioned to believe that burgers are bad for you mostly because we all believe fast food is unhealthy and most fast food chains serve burgers. So, people associate the two. Burgers can be healthy, as can almost any other food. I've been cooking up healthy hamburgers for a long time. The meat isn't the problem. You can find lean beef, even organic lean beef burgers at almost any grocery store. People say a good burger has to have fat, that's not true in my opinion. Good quality lean beef (93% lean or more) is delicious, even superior to the high fat variety most restaurants opt for in their burgers. The biggest issue I've always ran into was the bun. Sure you can get wheat buns at any grocery store, but flip the package over and read the ingredients list. 30 ingredients, half of which you cannot pronounce but more importantly it's the nutritional profile that sucks! Too many carbs, sugars,  calories, enriched, etc.

After searching high and low, I finally found a bun that meets my perfect macronutrient profile. I was looking for a bun with 100 to 120 calories, that was high in fiber, 20 grams of carbs or less and if possible, high in protein. That latter was more like a dream, or so I thought. Then I came across the dream bun and wah-lah! 120 calories, 16 carbs, 14 grams fiber, 14 grams protein. More than perfect!

I've tried other low carb/high fiber buns and most are either tough or too chewy or taste like sh!t. These taste great and have a pretty good texture (I'd give it an 8 out of 10) but were too big or thick to bite into with the burger and fixins, so the second time I made these (see pic below), I cut the middle portion out which solved my problem and left me with the perfect size bun.

 So, here's the recipe I used:

- 1 low carb bun
- 1 Burger patty (you can use Beef, Bison, Turkey, Chicken, Salmon, etc)
- Lettuce, Pickles, Onions
- Ketchp, Healthy Mayo

The macros for this burger (modified bun plus patty only, condiments and fixins will vary based on your preference) 264 Calories, 12 grams Fat, 12 Carbs, 10 grams Fiber, 27 grams Protein. If you are trying to build lean muscle, that's a perfect balance of macro nutrients to do so. If you are trying to drop some excess pounds, it's perfect for you too. Less than half the calories of a similar portion fast food burger plus the high fiber, high protein and quality fats will keep you full for longer.

Here's the pic...

Now That's a Beautiful Burger!

UPDATE: Here's a pic of another one. This one I used hamburger instead of turkey burger, ketchup and mustard instead of ketchup and mayo, and lastly, white onions instead of red.

High Protein Fruit and Yogurt Parfait

A couple of weeks ago I received a sample of Side Effects Sports' new PRIME Beef Protein Isolate. Much to my surprise, the vanilla flavoring was very sweet and I mean very sweet! The sweet flavoring got my creative juices flowing and I started thinking about the things I had in my refrigerator. So, here's what I came up with. A high protein, low carb, no sugar added, fruit and yogurt parfait. The best part of all is that it literally only takes 2 minutes to whip up. After all, it's nothing more than a protein shake.

Ingredients:
- 1 Scoop Vanilla Flavored Protein Shake (You can use Whey, Casein, Beef or any combination, just make sure it has a good sweet flavor)
- Milk (Optional. You can use water, Soy, Almond, Etc)
- 2 Strawberries
- 2 Tablespoons No Sugar Added Blueberry Syrup or Jelly
- 2 Teaspoons Whipped Cream Cheese
- 1 Teaspoon Pecan Pieces

Start by mixing your vanilla protein powder with a tiny bit of milk and cream cheese. The idea is get a thick pudding like mixture. Once you get the consistency of 'Yogurt' set aside. Place 2 diced strawberries in your parfait cup and mash with spoon until it looks like a blob of juicy goodness. You can even microwave for a few seconds at the start. Next spoon in about half of your protein mixture on top of the strawberries. Now for the next layer, add your blueberry mixture whether it's actual blueberries or syrup or jelly or a combination is up to you. Finally, add the remaining protein mix for the final layer and then top with your favorite crushed up nuts (or granola if you have it).

Next time you get bored with your protein shake, try this simple, yet effect spin on the traditional protein shake. If you're anything like me, you probably get all kinds of snide remarks from co-workers when you carry around a regular protein shake. Especially when it includes blueberries. I guess blended up blueberry pieces don't look all that appealing in my protein shakes. If that's the case you definitely want to do like I did and make this in a glass cup so you can come waltzing in to work like da boss while everybody envies your fruit and yogurt parfait. (You 'mirin brah?).

Macros: 200K/Cal, 30g Protein, 6g Carbs, 1g Fiber, 6.5g Fat

Links: http://www.704nutrition.com/Cheap-Side-Effect-Sports-Prime-Protein-p/ses_prime_beef_2.htm

Quest Bar Cinnamon Roll Recipe - Healthy, High protein Low carb Cinnamon Rolls

It's been over 10 years since I've eaten a 'real' cinnamon roll, but from what I can remember these tasted exactly like the real thing..minus all the sugar and saturated fat of course! If you read other people's reviews online for the Quest Bar Cinnamon Roll, a lot of them claim they taste just like a cinnamon roll and that's just the bar itself. So, imagine cooking one with added protein icing for a warm, gooey, sweet, think-your-cheating-but-you're-not, healthy, high protein low carb snack!

Ingredients:

1 x Quest Bar Natural Cinnamon Roll Flavor
3 x Teaspoons Greek Yogurt/Cream Cheese Blend (could just use one or the other)
1 x Dash of Cinnamon
1/2 x scoop of Vanilla Whey Protein Powder

First you'll want to prepare the icing. I recommend using a shot glass like in the picture because it makes it easier to blend the Whey Protein Powder with the thickness of the Yogurt/Cream Cheese blend. You might also need to add a drop or two of milk or water to get it to your preferred consistency. Top with cinnamon for added flavor and set to side.

Now, it's time to get your roll on!

First, heat up the Quest bar in the microwave for 10 to 12 seconds. I rotate 4 times so it heats evenly. Yes, that's 3 seconds per side. DO NOT HEAT FOR ANY LONGER THAN 12 SECONDS. These things will burn up quick. Next, spread the bar out on a cooking sheet sprayed with PAM.

Place in oven on 300* and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from oven and add icing, cut into 2 long strips and roll them up making 2 cinnamon rolls. If you have any icing left over, you can coat the tops of the rolls. Finally, devour!

 

Macros: 270kcal, 30g Protein, 28g Carbs/17g Fiber (net 9 carbs), 9g Fat

Links: 

- Quest Natural Cinnamon Roll Protein Bar: http://www.704nutrition.com/Quest-Protein-Bar-Cinnamon-Roll-p/6340010.htm
- BSN's Syntha 6 Isolate Vanilla Ice Cream: http://www.704nutrition.com/BSN-Syntha-6-Isolate-Reviews-p/syntha-6-isolate.htm
- Other Vanilla Whey Proteins that could be used: http://www.704nutrition.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=vanilla+whey

Healthy, yet flavorful meal ideas

People are always under the misconception that living a healthy lifestyle requires major sacrifices, especially when it comes to their diet. If you've read any of the last several blog posts you'll see recipes that prove quite the contrary. It takes a little creativity and different way of thinking, but it's very easy if you just try. Here are some recent meals I've thrown together, maybe these will help get your creative juices flowing.

High protein bagel sandwhich using P28's high protein bagels. The meat is Boar's Head low sodium turkey breast with lettuce and hot banana peppers added. There may be some mustard on there too (can't remember).

Next is a spinach salad topped with strawberries and toasted pecans. Dressing used was an olive oil based raspberry vinaigrette. My favorite salad to make! You can use green leaf lettuce instead of the spinach. I switch back and forth between the two. 

 

High protein pizza anyone? Here's a high protein pizza using P28's high protein flat bread (made with whey protein isolate). I added a little bit of organic pizza sauce on top, with banana peppers, baby spinach and a hint of mozzarella cheese (just enough to add flavor). It turned out awesome! Hard to believe it was probably under 350 calories and had 30+ grams of protein.

Finally, a quick and easy high protein snack. I wanted an apple but needed protein, so I decided to make a whey protein yogurt dip. I mixed vanilla whey protein with a little cream cheese or cottage cheese and a dash of stevia for added sweetness. It was better than expected! 

Healthy Peanut Butter Cup Recipe - High Protein, Low Carb, Clean Cheating!

This might be the easiest recipe yet and while the pictures didn't turn out as well as I had hoped, the flavor did. These are absolutely NOM, NOM!

Only 2 Ingredients:
1 x Scoop Dymatize Elite Casein Chocolate Peanut Butter
2 x Teaspoons Organic Creamy Peanut Butter

First, it should be noted that I drain all the oil off my peanut butter and refrigerate in order to make it hard and dry (don't judge, that's how I like it).

Mix the Dymatize Elite Casein protein powder with 1/4 cup of water. Add water to desired consistency. It should be very thick. The drier, the better. Next, put 1 layer of protein mix on the bottom of your cup. Then add 1 teaspoon of peanut butter on top and then cover with the rest of the protein mix. Finally, place in freezer until it's as hard as you want it. Remove from freezer and enjoy!

If you freeze it for too long, just set it out until it thaws to the consistency you want.

 

BOOM! So easy and caveman (with a freezer) could do it!

Approximate Macros: 225Kcals, 27.5g Protein,  6 Carbs (1g Fiber), 10g Fat

Links:
- Dymatize Elite Casein 4lbs - http://www.704nutrition.com/Dymatize-Nutrition-Elite-Casein-Peanut-Butter-p/2060383.htm
- Dymatize Elite Casein 2lbs - http://www.704nutrition.com/Dymatize-Nutrition-Elite-Casein-Peanut-Butter-p/2060382.htm