Paleo Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin season is upon us. The past few mornings have been chilly and perfect for a warm cup of coffee and hot slice of pumpkin bread! If it weren't for pumpkin and the leaves changing I think I'd hate fall. Thank goodness for pumpkin!!

Breakfast with a paleo pumpkin spice latte (recipe in the works)

Paleo Pumpkin Bread

-1 overly ripe banana (mashed)
-1/2 c. pureed pumpkin
-3 eggs
-1/4 tsp sea salt
-1 tsp cinnamon
-2 T coconut oil
-1 T vanilla extract
-1/4 tsp ground ginger
-1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
-dash cardamon
-2 c. almond flour or hazelnut flour
-1 tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350F

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until well combined. It'll be a little lumpy, that's a-ok! Spread into a greased bread loaf pan (I used coconut spray). Bake for 45-60 minutes, depending on your oven.

I like to top my bread with a spoonful of almond butter but it's great plain too.

*Sorry everyone, I forgot to snap a picture of what this looks like mixed and coming out of the oven. If you look back a few posts (meal prep one) you will see the bread cooling in the picture.

Protein Brownie Bars

Protein bars are good- convenient for a pre-workout pick me up, or post-workout refuel.  Or even to just keep in the car for a quick snack when your day doesn't quite go as planned.  However, store-bought bars can often be loaded with preservatives, lots of added sugar or artificial sweeteners, and other ingredients that just don't offer you any nutritional goodness!  Lucky for us, homemade bars are even more delicious than something you unwrap from the store.  Try this new recipe for protein brownie bars- tested out on Sonny, and approved ;)

Protein Brownie Bars
Makes 12 bars

1 cup rolled oats
3 scoops vanilla protein powder
1/3 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup pure cocoa
1/2 cup chopped prunes
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/3 cup dried unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup almond butter
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 Tb local honey
3 Tb unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Preparation
Process first four ingredients (oats, protein powder, chia seeds and cocoa) in a food processor.  Oats should look roughly chopped, and the rest of the ingredients well combined.  Pour the dry ingredients out into a bowl and set aside.

 



 

 Next, add your fruit, coconut, almond butter, pecans and honey to the food processor.  Blend until fruit is chopped into small pieces. 

 

 You will alternate between adding back the dry ingredients (one third at a time) and your almond milk (1Tb at a time).  Pulse your mixture in the processor between each addition.  Your mixture should come together, and hold shape, when squeezed between your fingers. 

Lightly coat a 9x9 baking dish with non-stick spray.  Pour your mixture into the pan and pat with your fingers until evenly spread.  Place the baking dish in the freezer for 30 minutes.  Remove and cut into 12 even pieces.  Store your bars in the refrigerator to best keep the desired taste and texture.  Feel free to play with the recipe- try different fruit and nuts to suit your taste preferences!

Nutrition information per serving- 175 calories, 8gm fat, 2gm saturated fat, 43mg sodium, 19gm carbohydrate, 4gm fiber, 7gm sugar, 10gm protein

Paleo Buffalo Meatloaf

I should start by saying I had my first meatloaf experience a few weeks ago. It was awesome. I don't know how I've gone so long without having it! 

After doing a little online research and getting inspiration from a few blogs online (www.paleomg.com) I decided to experiment. If you saw my last post this was pictured in it. I served it alongside cauliflower rice with sauteed zucchini, cremini mushrooms, and onions. It was delicious! If you're used to traditional meatloaf, I'll go ahead and say this won't tickle your fancy. It's just a little different but I happen to think different is good :). 

Buffalo Meatloaf:

-1 lb ground bison

-3/4 cup chopped onion/celery/carrot mix (i got precut ones)

-3 T hot sauce (chalula)

-2 T tomato paste

-1 T chopped garlic

-3 T coconut flour

-1 egg

-Salt/pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350F

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Spray a bread loaf pan with coconut spray or grease how you like. Pat down mixture and bake for 30-45 minutes, depending on your oven. 

I promise I'll get better at this picture thing!

The Benefits of Meal Prep

Many of my clients ask how I stay on track and keep motivated to eat healthy when life gets crazy. It's simple. I meal prep! I plan out meals on Thursday night or Friday morning, grocery shop on Friday, and meal prep on Saturday. 

The work week always seems to get the best of me. Early mornings, busy work days, and work outs make it difficult to cook meals every night. I find that meal prep on Saturday (my Sunday) makes the week so much easier. Having prepped food for meals/snacks makes it so much easier to stay on track and far less tempting to eat out. It's way more convenient to have a pre made meal then to stop by a restaurant on the way home from work. Sure it takes a little planning and time but it's a lot more efficient to bulk prep then do a little each night. 

This past Saturday I followed my usual routine: wake up, eat breakfast, work out, meal prep. I find it really relaxing to turn on pandora and knock out a weeks worth of meals all at once. I also take the time to pre wash veggies so I can grab them for quick snacks during the week. Since I happened to get half of the veggies/fruits in bulk I prepped them all and stored half of them in the freezer for quick meals next week and smoothies.

On the menu for this week…

1. Banana Bread (a great grab and go breakfast with my iced coffee)

2. Sauteed zucchini, baby portabella mushrooms, and onion

3. Bison meatloaf*

4. Tuna salad*

5. Veggies to freeze

6. Cauliflower rice*

7. Diced watermelon and cantaloupe

8. Pumpkin almond butter spread* (not pictured)

Forgive me, this picture isn't very clear

*recipes to follow! 

Iced Coffee Protein Style

After a long break from blogging Morgan and I have decided to pick it back up. Many of my clients and friends have asked for my Iced Coffee recipe so I thought it'd be a great "Welcome Back" post.

Mornings start early for me during the work week so I typically drink my breakfast on the go while I teach classes or meet with clients. This drink gets me going and keeps me full until I have a snack/meal. You can leave out the protein powder and add a sweetener of your choice. You can also change it up with different protein powder flavors or extracts (peppermint if you like peppermint mochas). I've been using NoBrew iced coffee concentrate or Trader Joes cold brew concentrate.The recipe below is my typical style and it's been a keeper!

Iced Coffee Protein Drink

-1 part iced coffee

-1 part coconut water

-1 part unsweetened vanilla almond milk

-1 tbsp coconut milk (the real deal)

-1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I use DaVinci grass fed whey protein)

-ice

Shake it all up in a blender bottle and drink it down!