An Ode to Oatmeal: Protein-Packed TVP Oats

Have you entered my Chobani giveaway?

I’ve recently gotten a few requests for my go-to oatmeal recipe. I may be a bit obsessed [read: eat them every single day] but I just can’t stop! And frankly I see nothing wrong with that. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? 😉

Protein TVP Oats

Serves 1

Ingredients
– 2 egg whites
– 1/2 banana
– 1/2 cup almond milk + splash at the end
– 1/2 cup water
– 1/4 cup rolled oats
– 1/4 cup TVP* [If you don’t have TVP, just substitute another 1/4 cup of oats]
– Cinnamon. Lots of cinnamon!
– Your fave nut and/or seed butters [Optional.. but why wouldn’t you?!]
– Your fave granola [Optional.. see note above]

Directions
In a small pot, scramble your egg whites and put them off to the side. I add cinnamon to mine as they’re cooking, but you can just leave them plain.

Break up the banana into the pot and toss it with a sprinkle of cinnamon to coat. Add almond milk and water. Mash up the banana into the liquid until there are almost no chunks. Add the oats and TVP and bring to a light boil, then turn down to a simmer.

When the oats are almost finished cooking, add the egg whites back in with a splash of almond milk. This will make it creamier and help to incorporate the egg into the mix. When they’re done, top with 1 tbsp nut/seed butter [and another sprinkle of cinnamon!]

I can never decide which nut/seed butter to use so I typically split my tablespoon into 3 teaspoons of different ones.. it makes it that much more exciting 😉 I also throw a little granola on top for a some crunch! [Michele’s is the best!]

*You can purchase TVP from iHerb.com. Use discount code ZAF482 at checkout for up to $10 off your purchase!

Nutritional Information

Per serving, without optional toppings

254 Calories  /  4g Fat  /  31g Carbs  /  5g Fiber  /  11g Sugar  /  24g Protein

Food for Thought

What is your favorite breakfast? What’s your favorite way to dress up oatmeal?

A Marvelous Weekend

Don’t forget to enter my Chobani giveaway!

I’m definitely sad to see my 4-day weekend go, but it ended on the right note. This past weekend was just what I needed!

After running a few errands on Saturday, we decided to hit up the movie theater to see This Is The End but not before a little lunch. Nathan has been raving about porchetta since we went to Italy so I did a little googling and found Isabella’s in Little Italy. Everything I read about this place from the amazing porchetta sandwich, to the tiny area to eat [all of 4 tables], to the super friendly service was on point. And while the porchetta sandwich wasn’t the same as Italy, Nathan was still quite pleased. I, of course, went for the Greek Salad with grilled chicken and it was awesome! The homemade feta was my favorite part.

Greek salad with grilled chicken and homemade feta

Off to the movies! One of my favorite things about our theater downtown is that they have a full bar. It comes in handy when you go to see a movie like This Is The End.. not recommended. But at least it got us out of the house and out of the sun on a scorcher of a day! And I had a super tasty cocktail. Check out that top-notch pic! 😉

St. Germain Elderflower Liquer, blueberries, strawberries, white cranberry juice, and soda water

After a quick run to Whole Foods for sparkling water and figs [the essentials], we vegged at home and watched The Amazing Spiderman on demand. Another winner.. though, it was definitely better than the movie that we paid for! We got lazy and I whipped up a little egg white scramble for dinner which turned out to be pretty awesome! Awesome enough that I repeated it yesterday for lunch.

Egg whites, broccoli, corn, kale, cheddar cheese, avocado, tomatillo salsa, and a little sriracha

Sunday ended up being a bit of later start for us.. I got up and did one of my favorite Tone It Up cardio routines, Bikini Cardio. We were going to head to the farmers’ market, but I needed some food in my belly so I chowed down on my go-to breakfast—oats with egg whites & TVP, topped with Sunbutter, coconut peanut spread, and my homemade pumpkin seed butter.

By the time we got ourselves together to head out, it was 10:30. On our walk over, we decided it was hot, late [for the market], and there would be tons of people there, so we detoured over to Teavolve. Nathan grabbed a bite to eat and I got a delicious matcha green tea smoothie. I had only tried it once before, but it was just as marvelous as I remembered. Matcha powder is so pricey though, I just can’t bring myself to bite the bullet and get some to have at home.

We found ourselves around the corner from Whole Foods again, so we ran in to pick up a few things for some serious food prep when we got home, including these gorgeous beets!

How cool are these beets?!

We got down to business and Nathan was cooking up a storm!

He’s really been jonesing for some good Italian food like we had on the honeymoon, so he made a Tuscan-style ragu. It’s delicious and perfect to serve over pasta, quinoa, salad.. anything really! He also grilled up a flank steak which is going to be great  for sandwiches and salads all week. I roasted my beets which, unfortunately, were not as gorgeous as they were raw. I also made some easy kimchi that I found from Brittany [can’t wait to taste it later this week!], Israeli salad [cucumber, tomato, red onion, lemon, EVOO, & dill], grilled buffalo tofu for my salads, and for dinner I grilled some chicken with buffalo sauce.. plenty of leftovers there too.

We’re set for the week! Lunches and dinners are going to be so quick and easy. It really does wonders to set aside a few hours on Sunday to cook up some food for the week. Hope you have a marvelous Monday!

Food for Thought

Did you do any food prep over the weekend?

Are there any foods that you love but you won’t buy because of the price tag?

What I Ate Wednesday #32: Groupon Date Night

Have you entered my Peanut Butter & Co. giveaway yet?

I don’t know about you, but for me, sometimes Groupon is wayyy off on their deals for months, and sometimes they’re spot on. For months. Which means we end up with a ton of deals! On Saturday, we decided to cash in. Impromptu date night courtesy of Groupon? Sure!

[Breakfast]
Oh, like you really expected to see something other than a sweet breakfast scramble? Of course, my lightened version of it..

I also snuck a Powerball before my workout 🙂 Have you tried them yet? So tasty!

[Lunch]
I had planned on meeting my brother at Panera and devouring another Power Chicken Hummus Bowl [so good!] from their hidden menu, but when I walked around the place for 10 minutes without finding a single seat open, I decided to hit the road!

Off to Cosi! I always like to pretend like I’ll try something new there, but their Asian Salmon Salad is so delicious that I just stick to that. Creature of habit? Me? 😉

[Dinner]
We braved the cold and headed out, Groupon in hand, to Blue Hill Tavern. We started off with some hot, fresh rolls. I snagged the walnut raisin before Nathan even had a chance! I was feeling awfully fancy so I ordered myself an elderflower white cosmopolitan. Sounds fancy, tasted like a cosmo.

Appetizer
Garde Manger – Chicken and pork terrine with spicy homemade ketchup & smoked duck breast with candied orange jam and walnut raisin crostini.

Entree
Seared blackened tuna with grilled baby bok choy, rice, and butternut squash puree. Do you see the size of those pieces of tuna?! Fabulous. I ate it all!

Nathan ordered a rabbit and dumpling stew. It was so full of flavor and definitely very filling! He was lucky enough to end up with some leftover.

Dessert
I really had no choice in the matter. It was being ordered whether I liked it or not! [Spoiler alert: I liked it!] Really though, what’s not to like about a cinnamon butter tart with homemade cinnamon ice cream? Exactly. There is nothing to not like!

[Snacks]
– Carrots & a Laughing Cow veggie wedge
– A piece of black bean powerbake mixed with some coconut peanut spread. It was heavenly!

Food for Thought

Do you make my purchases on Groupon or other similar websites?

Foodie Friday: Toasted Coconut Vanilla Overnight Oats

Recently I discovered a new favorite Greek yogurt from my favorite Greek yogurt brand. Have you ever seen Oikos Toasted Coconut Vanilla? If you’ve seen it, try it immediately. If you haven’t seen it yet, find it immediately!

I don’t typically go for the full-fat flavors, but sometimes it’s necessary. This is one of those times. This flavor is incredible and I knew I would have to try an overnight oats recipe as soon as possible. And the results? This breakfast kept me full for hours and I’ll definitely be incorporating this into my routine more often!

P.S. did you know that January is National Oatmeal Month? It couldn’t be more perfect!

Toasted Coconut Vanilla Overnight Oats

Serves 1

Ingredients
– 1 container Oikos Toasted Coconut Vanilla Greek Yogurt
– 1/2 cup rolled oats
– 1 tbsp chia seeds
– 1/3 cup almond milk [I use Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Coconut]
– 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Optional Toppings
– Unsweetened shredded coconut
– Nut butter [Earth Balance Crunchy Coconut Peanut Spread is highly recommended!]
– Ground cinnamon

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a tupperware container and mix well. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, top with your preferred toppings and enjoy!

I prefer my oats hot so I pop em in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes. If you do this, you may need to add another splash of milk to get it to the right consistency.

Nutritional Information
Per serving, without toppings

286 Calories  /  11g Fat  /  34g Carbs  /  7g Fiber  /  17g Sugar  /  15g Protein

Food for Thought

What is your favorite flavor of Greek yogurt? Have you ever tried making overnight oats with that flavor?

What I Ate Wednesday #15 – Goals and Giveaways!

I always love a good WIAW, especially when there’s a new theme! This month we’re setting goals and embracing healthy changes. What a great way to kick off a new month and almost a new season!

[Breakfast]
Chocolate protein Coach’s Oats topped with Earth Balance crunchy coconut peanut spread (whoaaa! Changing it up over here!), sliced banana, and cinnamon. What can I say, I just can’t get enough of it! And if you missed it, I’ve posted the recipe to this delectable way to start your day.

[Snack]
I was really, really hungry. I realized a few bites in that I didn’t snap a shot of my apple, so here ya go. A munched on apple 🙂

[Lunch]
My mango chipotle chicken salad made 3 servings, so I am happily eating it in wrap form for 3 lunches in a row. I love the little bit of sweetness you get from the mango and it’s super healthy! (Only 131 calories per 1/2 cup serving!)

[Snack]
Yogurt peanut crunch Premier Protein bar. Do you smell a giveaway?! I do! 😉 Loved this bar. It tastes great and has 30g protein! A little higher in calories than my typical protein bar, as it is created as a meal replacement, but it’s great for your high calorie-burning days!

[Dinner]
Skinny baked chicken milanese over quinoa. I love Skinnytaste recipes and this was did not disappoint. Happy to report that this one was fiancé-approved too!

[Snack]
Cottage cheese with peanut fluff. Don’t know peanut fluff? The wonderful PowerCakes introduced it to me and I’m in love. It’s the perfect topping for protein pancakes, cottage cheese, yogurt.. anything really! Just 2 tbsp peanut flour (I use Protein Plus), 1 packet stevia, & enough water to get it to whatever consistency you like.

And if you’re dying to get the peanut flour and are new to iherb.com, use the discount code ZAF482 at checkout for $5 off your first order! I get a bunch of stuff off this site.. protein powder, apple cider vinegar, agave nectar, and so much more! It’s such a great resource!

[Goals]
In August, I ran my first 5K. I was definitely pleased with my time of 26:08 at 8:26 min/mile pace, but my goal for September is to increase my pace for my next 5K. As it stands, that will be The Color Run on October 21. I’m planning on running at least once a week, unless my legs decide they can handle more, in hopes of killing my time! And now that I’ve shared, I have to get it done!

And now for the giveaway!

Premier Protein was kind enough to send me an amazing package and would like to give 5 of you wonderful readers a package of your own! Check it out!

Being that I love chocolate and peanut butter so, so much, my favorite items in this package were the Chocolate Shake (only 160 calories and 30g protein!), the Yogurt Peanut Crunch bar, and the Chocolate Peanut Butter bar. The Vanilla Shake and Double Chocolate Crunch bar was good too, but I just can’t say no to my peanut butter!

Your winnings will include:

• 6 Premier Protein bars: 2 bars in each flavor (Chocolate Peanut Butter, Double Chocolate Crunch and Yogurt Peanut Butter Crunch)
• 4 Premier Protein shakes: 2 shakes in each flavor (chocolate and vanilla)
• Premier Protein nylon bag

How to Enter

You have up to 4 chances to enter! Be sure to leave separate comments for each entry. Entries will be accepted through Sunday, September 9th, 11:59pm. Winners will be chosen Monday, September 10th.

1. Leave a comment telling me which product and flavor you’re most excited to try. (Mandatory)

2. Follow @premierprotein on twitter and leave a comment telling me. (Optional)

3. Follow me (@beermeamartini) on twitter and leave a comment telling me. (Optional)

4. Tweet “I’m entering to win a prize pack of @premierprotein shakes and bars from @beermeamartini on #BarrAndTable! http://wp.me/p2mo7x-6Z” and leave a comment with a link to your tweet. (Optional)