Candy Cane Protein Shake

One more recipe (only because it looked really good in the picture)...
 
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 scoop plain or vanilla protein powder
1 tbs instant vanilla pudding mix
5-10 ice cubes
4-6 oz of cold water
2-5 drops of peppermint extract
Sweetener of choice (to taste)
5-10 drops of red food coloring 

Recipe from Dashing Dish.

Snickerdoodles for breakfast

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 servings oats (or other grain) (60g)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• a little over 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 to 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (I use ½ tsp)
• 2 tbsp milk of choice (plus extra if you cook your cereal in milk)
• Sweetener to taste (sugar, stevia, agave, etc.)

Directions

In a large Pyrex-type measuring cup, combine the flakes with about 1 and 1/2 cups liquid. Add a little salt (I use ¼ tsp plus 1/8 tsp).  Microwave for 4 minutes, 30 seconds (watching so it doesn’t spill over). Leave out for around 10 minutes, then stir and put in the fridge, uncovered (it’s ok if the flakes are a bit liquidy, it will evaporate).

The next day, the hot cereal is ready for you to play. Mix in the vanilla, cinnamon, sweetener, and almond milk and stir (you may also want to add 1/8 tsp more salt). If you like your cereal to be hot, you can microwave it again at this time.

 
Recipe courtesy of Chocolate-Covered Katie.

Egg Nog Protein Shake

1/2 cup of lowfat cottage cheese
1-2 scoops of plain or vanilla protein
1 tsp rum extract
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup of water
8-16 ice cubes
Sweetener of choice (to taste)

Recipe from Dashing Dish.

Pumpkin Pie Granola Bar

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup almond butter
• 1/3 cup pumpkin puree

Directions:

Preheat oven 375 degrees F. Grease an 8×8 inch pan with baking spray.

In a small bowl, stir together flaxseeds and water. The mixture will start to gel. In a large bowl, stir together all dry ingredients: oats, flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, sugar, and chocolate chips. Add maple syrup, almond butter [microwave for ~30sec to soften it], and pumpkin to the gelled flaxseed mixture. Stir together well, then fold into dry ingredients until fully combined [the mixture will be thick]. Spoon batter into prepared pan and use the back of a spoon to even out the mixture. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until set. Do not overbake, bars will harden a bit as they cool. Cool completely before cutting.

 Recipe courtesy of The Pajama Chef.

Gingerbread Energy Men

Ingredients:

• 20g dates (packed 3/4c) If unsure what dates to use, see Fudge Baby FAQ.
• 38 g raw almonds (about 3T) 
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/16th tsp cloves
• tiny pinch salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions: 

Using a food process, blend, blend, and blend some more. Then form the dough into little gingerbread runners!

Sugar cookies for breakfast

Mmmmmm... candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup. Yes, in the season where these are the four main food groups, I decided to look for some nutritionally-sound twists. So, I'll start with a "holiday-inspired" oatmeal recipe because (1) I have oatmeal, (2) I like oatmeal, and (3) it's hard to screw up oatmeal (although I did the first time I tried to make instant oatmeal when I was 7 or 8 because I had never seen a fraction written as x/y and interpreted 2/3 as 2-3 cups... yes, I was quite the chef even then).

Sugar Cookie Oatmeal

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup milk of choice (I used almond milk)
• 2 Celestial Seasonings sugar cookie teabags (or perhaps a different tea?)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• sweetener of choice, as desired

Eat this now: Fall Foods

Thanksgiving is this week, which is awesome because it means that I get to eat "real" food that has marshmallows on it! I came across this article from Runners World that talks about the best fall foods for runners. Surprisingly, I actually eat some of the foods on their list, and that apple thingie looks delicious!

Trick or Treat

Here's some "healthy" twists on some delicious Halloween goodies:

• Candy Corn Protein Shake (going to stick with the candy because I haven't heard of half those things and refuse to make a 2-part smoothie recipe)
• Carmel Apple Pie Protein Shake
• Starburst Smoothie
• Snickers Smoothie
• Milky Way Smoothie (y'all just added those last 2 ingredients to make it look healthy

McDonald's Paves the Way

About a month ago, McDonald's began posting nutrition data on their menu. They also added some healthier options (like egg whites, grilled chicken, and fresh fruit), and developed a "favorites under 400" menu. They've also got a meal planner app in the works.

Grocery Shopping

So I started laughing when I read this "ultimate list" from Runner's World. I do actually eat some of these things... although my "veggie burger I don't feel like cooking dinner" go-to did not make the list. This got me thinking about my "staple" grocery list. I really think I could live off of about 10 things and be happy, which isn't probably that great since I know I'm supposed to eat a varied diet. I mean, I try and eat different things, but I always revert back after a few weeks. This made me thing of comfort foods, although I imagine that a runners' list differs somewhat form the "normal" population (I've never seen any of us really crave fried chicken, but ice cream is a whole different story). So, I looked through some "runner's recipes", and I know a lot of runners... who wouldn't miss at least 1 of these 5 if they couldn't eat them again?!

1. Cereal
2. PB&J
3. Chocolate Milk
4. Sweet Potato Fries
5. and Girl Scout cookies!

Energy Gel

So I haven't done a "product comparison" in a while, and I figured I might as well because they'll have 2nd Surge available on the City of Oaks course and I pretty much know nothing about that gel. So, we'll take the "chocolate" flavor from 2nd Surge, GU, PowerGel, Hammer, and Clif Shot.

• Calories: PowerGel-120; Clif Shot- 110; Gu- 100; 2nd Surge, Hammer- 90
• Carbs: PowerGel- 28g; Hammer, Clif Shot- 22g; GU- 20g; 2nd Surge- 18g
• Sodium: PowerGel- 200mg; 2nd Surge- 115mg; Clif Shot- 60mg; GU- 40mg; Hammer- 35mg
• Potassium: Clif Shot- 80mg; GU, PowerGel- 40mg; PowerGel- 20mg; 2nd Surge- 15mg

2nd Surge has 3g of protein, whereas the other gels have no protein. The Hammer Gel also contains an amino acid blend.

Might have to pick up some up and try it out. For more information on 2nd Surge, visit their website!

Juicing

Juicing is fast become all the rage. It's as simple as it sounds... put produce in a blender and presto-chango done. While it appeals to my non-cooking side, I haven't tried it yet (I have a bad habit of eating stuff while I'm working on assembling... a bowl of fruit is one less step). However, if I were a bit more patient, I would be rewarded with a nutrient-packed beverage that not only aids in hydration, but speeds recovery and weight loss and boosts performance.

I Scream, You Scream...

So I've been hearing all of these advertisements for Greek Frozen Yogurt. I know that non-frozen Greek yogurt has like twice the protein of normal yogurt, so I was curious to see if the frozen stuff was equally as "more good" for you. To keep it fair, I looked at frozen dairy products (yeah, I have no idea how to refer to this list) from one brand:

• Regular Ice-cream (Strawberry Cheesecake): Calories- 250, Fat- 15g, Carbohydrates- 26g, Protein- 3g
• Greek Frozen Yogurt (Strawberry Shortcake): Calories- 180, Fat- 5g, Carbohydrates- 28g, Protein- 6g
• Frozen Yogurt (Cherry Garcia): Calories- 200, Fat- 3g, Carbohydrates- 37g, Protein- 8g

Ok, so the frozen yogurt probably has a lot more sugar (looking at the calorie content and number of carbohydrates), but it does out-rank the Greek frozen yogurt in terms of protein. However, the Greek yogurt does have twice the protein of regular ice-cream... might have to check it out!

The Dollar Menu

You know what I like about the dollar menu? You can get a pretty filling meal for like $2 as long as you don't mind drinking water. You know what I don't like about the dollar menu? The "healthier" options are a total rip off. I mean, I am not playing $1 for like three pieces of lettuce and a pale looking tomato wedge... there's more vegetables on the hamburger! So, what can you eat for a dollar or less? Found this. Unfortunately, it's not as convenient as some fast food options, but there's usually a grocery store within a few miles...

Coffee

C+O+F^2+E^2 = 0.85 to 0.9 * risk of mortality
when # of cups of coffee/day >= 6

Wow that's a lot of coffee! So, who wants to be around me when I drink half a dozen cups a day?!

What you think you want...

Versus what you really want/need may be completely different, at least according to this post. Among the more common cravings:

• What you want = sweets -> What you really need = chromium, carbon, phosphorus, sulfur, tryptophan
• What you want = bread -> What you really need = nitrogen
• What you want = fatty snacks -> What you really need = calcium
• What you want = coffee -> What you really need = phosphorus, sulfur, NaCl, iron
• What you want = salty foods -> What you really need = chloride

And I'm just going to throw this out there... some people who crave alcohol or marijuana may not have a protein, avenin, calcium, glutamine, and/or potassium deficit.

Snacks

Running on empty seldom results in a good training session, but sometimes life doesn't allow you to follow an "optimal" eating strategy, so what should you do? Runner's World recently published an article that outlined snacking options based upon how much time you have before you lace up your sneakers:

• 15-30min: oranges, applesauce (no-sugar added is best), pudding (1.5g of fat or less)
• 30-60min: cereal (skip the high-fiber stuff), dried fruit, iced coffee drinks (low calorie/fat options)
• 60-90min: carrots & hummus, instant oatmeal, sweet potatoes

Or, if you don't have time to grab any of these, aim for 16oz of a sports drink (also a good option if you can't stomach solid food that close to a run) or an energy bar.

Peanut Butter

I have always heard that natural stuff was sooo much better for me than the regular stuff. And, since it's a staple in my diet, I figured I'd better choke up the extra $ so my arteries wouldn't clog... my heart explode... or whatever other doom and gloom might ensue. However, one day after finally making it through the door at Food Lion, there was a display of peanut butter right in front of me. The kiosk promised me "wicked savings"... and it was a lot less than I usually pay... but it was the "regular stuff". So, I decided that I'd finally evaluate for myself how "good" natural peanut butter was and flipped the jar over. I noticed that the regular peanut butter had 0mg of cholesterol... didn't seem to have a lot of salt and sugar... the first ingredient was, in fact, peanuts... so why was this sooo bad for me? I carried it back with me, expecting that it would all make sense when I compared it to the natural peanut butter... but no. Then, I figured that in order to be totally scientific about this (because that's necessary when grocery shopping), I should compare products within the same brand. Luckily, Skippy makes both (nutrition labels shown below... left- regular and right- natural).

Nutritionally... ho hum... about equal. The only major difference was in the ingredients- regular peanut butter contains hydrogenated vegetable oil whereas the natural peanut butter contains palm oil. Obviously, the former is better for you than the later... but, all the same, you probably don't need to worry about your arteries clogging and heart exploding because you ate "regular" peanut butter!

Eat This Now: Pickle Doritos

Ok, I honestly forget what I Googled to find these, but what?! And, there was a contest for El Pickle Presidente (that Priya M. won) held in Canada?! Apparently they're good, but they don't have a whole lot to offer nutritionally...

Ok, I got nothing... the Pickle Festival is this weekend and I was trying to find "new content" from last year!

Beer = Hydrating?

 

I was looking for the point at which the dehydrating properties of beer outweighed its hydrating properties, and I came across all of these articles talking about how beer can help you hydrate better than water after exercise. Although I don't believe everything the Internet tells me, Flava Flav corroborated it, so it must be true. So, what gives? Apparently the carbonation helps to quench thirst, the sugar and salt helps the body to liquid better, and the carbohydrates serve to replenish some of the calories you burned. Interesting... see y'all at the Big Boss Run tonight!