Some summer mornings, it’s just too hot for a bowl of steamy oats.

Here is an easy, quick-fix (with a few minutes of prep the night before) breakfast, that will fill you up and keep you cool, since there is no cooking in this recipe!

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup milk (almond, skim, hemp, soy, etc)
• 1/2 banana, sliced
• pinch of cinnamon
• pinch of sea salt
• pinch of stevia or a drizzle of honey (if you like a little extra sweetness like me )

The night before, combine the above in a bowl, stir, then cover with plastic wrap (or whatever you prefer) and place in the frig overnight.

In the morning, remove the plastic wrap and stir the ingredients again. You will notice the texture is very creamy, doughy, and thick. The oats absorb the liquid and become fluffy almost.

Toppings

Topping choices are really endless. Here are a few of my favorites.

• flaxseeds
• flaxseed meal
• strawberries, sliced
• peaches, sliced
• blueberries
• raspberries
• blackberries
• dried fruits
• almonds, cashews, walnuts, chia seeds, trail mix
• nut butter (almond, peanut, cashew)
• Uncle Sam

A few more tips

• You can make this breakfast as big or as little as you would like, meaning you could go 1/2 cup oats, 1/2 cup yogurt, 1/2 cup milk, or if you would like it to be a smaller meal, you could scale it down to 1/4 cup of each instead.
• If you would like to make it vegan, like Angela at ohsheglows, just omit the yogurt and add twice as much milk (obviously a non-daily form like almond, soy, hemp).
• You could add any of the above fruit in the overnight mixture, instead of a topping, for more of an infused flavor.
• You could add other mix-ins to the overnight mixture, like cocoa, pumpkin puree, chia seeds…
• Check out Kath’s list of overnight oats recipes. She is the Queen of all things oats.

Have you tried overnight oats? What’s your favorite way to make them?

Ingredients

• 1/4 valencia orange
• 1/4 sweet lime
• 1 large strawberry, sliced
• 1 small strawberry, for garnish
• 2 large mint leaves, torn into small pieces
• ice
• small can (8 oz) Hansen’s tonic (I used about half of the can)

Directions

Squeeze the orange and the lime into a martini shaker. Add the sliced strawberry, mint leaves, and ice. Put the lid on the martini shaker and shake vigorously to muddle the strawberries and the mint with the ice cubes.

Place your serving glass on the counter in front of you and pour the martini shaker ingredients into the glass at the same time as you pour the tonic into the glass, filling it to the top.

Garnish with the small strawberry.

Serves 1

I live by the motto, less is more with fresh, flavorful ingredients. When you have high quality ingredients, you don’t really need to cover them up with all kinds of spices and extras. This recipe is the perfect example of this notion. I have also made this style of fish “taco” using salmon or mahi mahi as well.

Serves 4

Mango Salsa Ingredients

Note: Salsa is best if made a few hours ahead of time in order to let the flavors develop, although in this particular case, I made this whole recipe in a matter of 20 minutes, and it was incredibly flavorful.

• 1 ripe mango, diced
• 1 large, red and ripe tomato, diced
• 2 tbsp white (or red) onion, diced
• 3-4 tbsp cilantro, chopped
• 2 small Serrano peppers, seeded and minced
• juice of one medium lemon
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

In a medium size bowl, mix all ingredients, and set aside. If you are making it a few hours in advance, transfer the mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Tilapia Ingredients

• 12-16 oz of tilapia
• medium size lemon
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Lay fish fillets on a large plate. Pat dry with a paper towel if necessary to remove excess wetness. Squeeze a drizzle of lemon over the fish (just a little, so it is not overpowering). Salt and pepper to taste.

Place fish on a pre-heated (to med-high heat) and oiled grill. Grill fillets until easily flaked with a fork, about 8-10 minutes.

Remove from grill and allow the fish to cool for a few minutes. Using a fork, flake apart into bite size pieces.

Other Ingredients

• avocado, cubed
• 1-2 heads of romaine lettuce leaves, separated, washed and dried

Lettuce Wrap Assembly Directions

Assemble lettuce wraps by placing desired amount of fish pieces onto lettuce leaf, top with mango salsa, avocado, and garnish with a cilantro.

On the weekends we typically make a pancake breakfast. We love our cakes! The usual recipe consists of banana, oats, stevia, cinnamon, and salt, but this past weekend we decided to try something new, Kodiak Flapjacks.

Ingredients

100% whole grain wheat flour, 100% whole grain oat flour, non-fat dry milk, dry honey (honey, wheat starch), leavening (sodium bicarbonate, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate), egg whites, salt.

All you add is water.

Ryan is the pancake master, he was in charge of the griddle and they were fluffy and thick! I think he learned his secret from Alton Brown, which is to not mix the batter much.

So delish, moist, and so filling! When we placed our order, the package came with two boxes plus Mountain Berry Syrup, which tasted like blueberries. Yum! And it’s nice to know the syrups are:

Sweetened with organic crystallized cane juice and are hand-made with pure berry purees and contain no corn syrup, no artificial colors and no preservatives.

For more protein and fat, we also made Niman Ranch bacon and eggs. The perfect weekend breakfast, filled with whole grains and whole foods!

Pancake Nutritional Info

Serving size: 2 4” cakes

Calories: 130
Fat: 1 g
Carbs: 27 g
Protein: 7 g

We are quickly approaching the “less clothing” season and I know many of you have set fat loss goals culminating in a bikini (or speedo?? ) on the beach sometime very soon. So I thought this might be an appropriate time to offer a few ways to spice up your fat loss program, to help you stay focused and put some spunk back into your meal plans.

Here’s 3 of my favorite ways to add some fun back into your food

1. Try some new combinations

Salmon and cilantro should be best friends. They are so good to each other.

Add some spunk tip: Rub bottom side of a salmon filet with olive oil and top with salt and pepper. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8-9 minutes.

Throw together a bunch of colorful greens, cilantro, red, yellow, and orange peppers, cucumbers, carrots, celery into a salad and top with a little salt and pepper and 1-2 tbsp of homemade dressing.

Top with 4 oz salmon. Enjoy! Its also fun to change up your salads in other ways like adding a chopped omlette on top, ground turkey, smoked chicken, or using fun veggies like endive, beets, apples, dried fruit, and grilled veggies too.

2. Change up the menu with what’s in season

Speaking of salads, it’s springtime, so we have all kinds of new fruits and veggies coming into season. Why not put together a fruit salad, for example, with all kinds of different colored fruits, ready to go when you need a quick snack. I like to do this, and use it as a topping for a yogurt snack.

Add some spunk tip: Here’s a great recipe for a quinoa yogurt fruit salad. This would be a great alternative dish to bring to a spring/summer barbecue instead of one of those multi-layered calorie loaded fruit, cake, and whip cream parfaits.

Even better if you can get the produce from your local farmers market. It really is true, the fresher the produce, the better the flavor.

3. Spice up your water with… fruit!

You would be amazed at the flavor a few slices of fruit can add to water. Try adding:

• Sliced strawberries
• Blueberries
• Raspberries
• Mango
• Lemons
• Limes
• Orange
• Mint
• Cucumber (not a fruit, but still great)

Your hydration quota will become a treat instead of something you dread!

Bonus Fat Loss Tip

Don’t skimp on your pre and post workout nutrition

I used to think that pre and post workout nutrition was for bodybuilders only, but I really noticed a difference in fat loss and my overall hunger throughout the day when I made sure to get in a meal with protein, carbs, and fat 2-3 hours pre-workout and followed up my workout with a meal consisting of mostly protein and carbs. I’ve learned to never underestimate the importance of nutrient timing.

And… if you are looking to put some F-U-N back into your fitness, check out these articles:

• What if Fitness Were Fun?
• 5 Ways to Make Fitness Fun

I whipped up this protein packed recipe today – made with creamy Greek yogurt, chocolate protein powder, fresh blueberries, and Uncle Sam for crunch – and quickly decided this is my new favorite treat.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup 2% Fage plain yogurt
• 1 serving (32g) chocolate whey protein powder (I like Optimum Nutrition Natural)
• 1 tbsp water
• 1/4 cup blueberries, fresh
• 1 tbsp Uncle Sam cereal

Directions

Add yogurt, protein powder, and water to food processor and blend together. You may need to use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the food processor container to ensure that the protein powder is thoroughly incorporated.

Pour yogurt mixture into a bowl. Top with blueberries and Uncle Sam. Indulge… and feel good about it!

Nutritional Info

1 serving

Calories: 282
Fat: 5.5 g
Carbs: 21 g
Protein: 39 g

Note: For less calories and/or protein, use ½ scoop of protein powder rather than a full serving. You could also add cocoa powder for more chocolatey flavor!

I’ve been a fan of Whole Foods’ blueberry granola for quite a while… and whenever I find a food I love, I am always tempted to make my own version. I finally remembered to pick up some dried blueberries on my weekly grocery trip and had the rest of the ingredients on hand. I made this super easy and quick recipe by throwing together a bunch of the ingredients on the back label of the container, as well as, a few other key ingredients and let it bake while I was working at home today. Multi-tasking at its finest.

Ingredients

• 5-8 tbsp melted butter, canola oil, or coconut oil*
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2-3 tablespoons brown sugar, packed*
• 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup wheat germ
• 1/4 cup flaxseeds
• 1/3-1/2 cup almonds
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4-6 oz dried blueberries

* I used 5 tablespoons of butter, and mine turned out more crispy and less clumpy. If you want larger chunks of granola, I would use more butter/oil and brown sugar.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, stir together butter (or oil), honey and brown sugar.
3. Then mix in the oats, sunflower seeds, and cinnamon.
4. Pour the mixture onto a 13 x 18 baking sheet.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
6. Stir in the wheat germ, flaxseeds, almonds, almond extract, and vanilla extract.
7. Bake for 10 more minutes or until golden brown.
8. Remove from oven and immediately stir in the dried blueberries.
9. Allow the mixture to cool completely before storing.

Makes about 5 1/2 cups granola.

When I make this again, I think I will add in some Uncle Sam cereal to mix it up a bit, rather than having just oats. Regardless, it turned out fantastic, and is the perfect slightly sweet topping for yogurt, ice cream (or frozen yogurt), cottage cheese, smoothies, and even oatmeal!

I found this recipe in the Body By Eats cookbook and decided I HAD to try it. It has no flour.

Yields 9 muffins

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 3 tbsp oil (coconut, canola)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 5 scoops vanilla whey protein powder (1 scoop approx 30 grams)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup artificial sweetener (I used stevia, approx 1 tsp, could also use honey)
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 3 oz fat free cream cheese
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 5 second spray non-stick spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Line 9 muffin tins with cups and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Mix cream cheese, cinnamon, and lemon zest together in a small bowl. Cover and set in the fridge.
3. Combine the eggs, oil, and heavy cream into a medium or large bowl; whisk together until mixed well.
4. Add the vanilla protein powder, baking powder, and sweetener. Stir until just combined. Don’t over stir because protein powder can be temperamental.
5. Gently fold in the blueberries. Get out the cream cheese mixture from fridge. Spoon 1/2 the batter into the prepared muffin tins. Scoop about 2 tbsp of the cream cheese mixture into the center of each muffin. Fill prepared muffin with remaining batter.
6. Bake for 10 minutes or until no longer wet looking on top.

Delish! The cream cheese filling is sort of gooey yet cheesecakey.

Nutritional Info

Per serving

Calories: 173
Fat: 10 g
Carbs: 5 g
Protein: 17 g

Recipe courtesy of Body By Eats by Leigh Peele.

Some of us have a tradition of making a big breakfast Christmas morning, but if you are aiming for (or maintaining) fat loss during the holiday season… a pancake breakfast is not something that you want to tempt yourself with, that is, until now.

Enter… our Christmas morning protein pancakes, made with vanilla protein powder, cottage cheese, and flaxseed meal. With 111 calories and 12 grams of protein per cake, this breakfast is going to fill you up and keep you feeling great, rather than crashing after the usual Christmas morning high-carb, high-sugar buzz wears off. Not only that, but they will also help you to not crave sweets later on, because your blood sugar levels will be more stable.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese (or low fat or full fat)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tbsp flaxseed meal
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup water
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
• 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

• cooking spray or coconut oil
• agave syrup

Direction

1. Heat medium size skillet to medium heat.
2. Place the oats, cottage cheese, apple sauce, flax, cinnamon, vanilla extract, water, and salt in the blender and blend on high for 1 minute, until incorporated thoroughly.
3. Add the baking powder and protein powder and give the blender a few quick pulses to incorporate.
4. Coat the skillet with oil and pour 1/4 of the batter on the skillet.
5. After bubbles begin to form around the edges, flip the pancake to cook the other side.
6. Remove pancake and continue to cook the rest of the cakes.
7. Serve with agave syrup, fruit, peanut butter, etc.

Tip: Place cooked pancakes in a slightly warmed oven, to keep the heated while you finish making the rest of the batch.

Yields 4 servings.

Nutrition

Per pancake

Calories: 111
Fat: 2 g
Carbs: 12.5 g
Protein: 12 g

So whad’ya think, do you plan to make this a new healthy holiday tradition?

Serves 3 big portions, or 6 small

Ingredients

• 1/4 of a medium onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound of ground sirloin
• 15 oz can of black beans, rinsed
• 1 tbsp Mexican oregano
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• salt and pepper, to taste
• Frontera Enchilada Sauce, Chipotle Garlic
• 6 whole wheat tortillas
• 6 oz Asadero cheese, grated (perfect for melting, low-calorie too)
• Fage 0% greek yogurt (used in place of sour cream)
• Green onion, chopped
• Cooking spray or oil (I use coconut oil)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

In a medium sauté pan, heat about a half a teaspoon of oil on medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Then add the garlic, ground sirloin, beans, oregano, and other spices.

Break apart the sirloin and cook until the meat has browned. Pour off any liquid in the pan. Add half of the jar of Frontera sauce and stir until incorporated.

Evenly fill the 6 tortillas with the mixture and roll the tortilla. Place the tortilla in a 9 x 13 inch pan, with the fold side facing down. Cover the tortillas with the rest of the enchilada sauce and then the grated cheese. Place into the oven and bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese has melted.

Enjoy with a dab of greek yogurt and a sprinkle of green onion.