Category: Protein

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White Bean Chicken Chili

White Bean Chicken Chili

This creamy white bean chicken chili is a super nutritious meal prep dish. Blending the beans and yogurt provides rich texture without the need for heavy cream.

I love easy recipes that I can batch prep on weekends for meals throughout the week. This white bean chicken chili is super simple and tasty! The beans are an excellent source of healthy carbs including fiber, and also provide some protein on top of the protein in the chicken.

To save time, purchasing pre-cooked chicken is a great option. A personal favorite is Costco’s pre-cooked rotisserie breast meat which doesn’t have the rubbery texture of some of the other pre-cooked options.

I found this dish to be very filling. Strongly recommend topping with some cilantro, habanero for heat, and a dash of mild cheese. Turkey also works great if chicken isn’t handy. For a plant based option, omit chicken (consider extra firm tofu chunks), swap the stock for vegetable broth, and use cashew yogurt instead of plain nonfat Greek yogurt.

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High Protein Soft Baked Gingerbread Cookies

Get your holiday gingerbread fix while staying on track – these soft and chewy cookies are sure to curb your cravings.

Classic ginger, molasses, cinnamon, and nutmeg flavors combined with vanilla protein powder provide amazing flavor with the right macros. Perfect with a cup of coffee and a healthy swap for a coffee shop pastry.

Give this recipe a try and let me know how it goes!

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Meal Prep: Green Dragon Lean Turkey Sliders

These lean little turkey burgers pack a lot flavor thanks to Trader Joe’s Green Dragon Sauce.

Lean ground turkey (99/1 or 93/7) is a staple food in my weekly meal prep. Usually I throw it in a pan as-is with whatever seasoning I’m in the mood for….lemon pepper, taco seasoning, hot sauce, harissa, or simple salt and pepper.

One great way to turn ground turkey into a portable snack is to make sliders. For this, my go-to seasoning is Trader Joe’s Green Dragon Hot Sauce plus Everything But the Bagel Seasoning. It takes boring dry turkey and converts it to magical deliciousness – that’s all I’ll say. If I’m in a huge rush sometimes I throw these in a plastic bag and eat as a snack on the road. More often than not, I put them in pitas with some lettuce – and extra Dragon Sauce.

Green Dragon Hot Sauce is a mild sauce, and NOT made with bits of real dragon. No dragons are harmed in the making of these burgers.

Not true.

Important note for this recipe to ensure you get juicy sliders – as you form them in your hands use only your fingertips and just enough pressure to make the shape. We want to keep them airy. If you over-compact the mixture the burgers will turn out tough and dry. During cooking, the patties will puff up a bit, make them flatter again by lightly pressing down on them with a spatula.

An entire 16 oz package of 99/1 lean ground turkey has 104 g of protein, 0 g carbs, and 6 g of fat. I chose to divide the mixture into 11 patties to get just under 10g of protein per burger. Divide how you wish – make fewer or more depending on your plan and how you want to eat them.

Please let me know if you’ve tried this recipe for your meal prep, and how you like them!

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Savory Turkey-Cranberry Hash

I’m not ready for Thanksgiving to be over. Seasoned with sage and garlic, this healthy turkey cranberry hash uses riced cauliflower as the base with a bit of crunch from almonds and celery. This dish takes very little time to make and is great for meal prep!

Cauliflower is a staple food in my diet. It is awesomely versatile – on it’s own it has little taste, but readily absorbs other flavors while cooking. Just as importantly, it has an outstanding micronutrient profile with high a content of dietary fiber, Vitamin C, K, and folate.

Frozen riced cauliflower is sold at all major grocery stores, Target, and Costco. I keep a stock in my freezer for whipping up quick meals – all it takes is about 5 minutes in the microwave. If you have the time, you could also buy fresh cauliflower and rice it yourself.

Regarding the macros, I set up this recipe for 20 g of protein, 10 g of fat, and 13 g of carbs for a total of 220 Calories per serving. It is readily adjusted to your needs:

  • Increase/decrease protein by adding more or less turkey
  • Increase/decrease fats by modifying the amount of almonds
  • Increase/decrease carbs by modifying the amount of cranberries

Please let me know if you tried this recipe!

If you are looking for some help to manage your health and fitness through the holidays, and transition to healthier habits, please reach out.

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Healthy Vanilla Maple Baked Apples

Deliciously sweet baked apple stuffed with high protein oat vanilla maple filling. Amazing flavors with a fraction of the sugar and fat!

This is a great snack to get an apple pie a la mode flavor fix with lower calories, while also getting dose of protein. This beautiful treat is delicious direct from the oven or cold. These apples are also highly portable – I’ve been packing them in Tupperware this week as part of my meal prep to snack on after a workout. Half of one of these apples is only 150 Calories.

Honeycrisp apples were used here, but any variety will do. Size and type may impact the baking time; you want the apple to still be a bit firm after cooking.

Given the apple already has a relatively high amount of carbs, I used a minimum amount of rolled oats in the filling mixture – just enough for taste. Steel cut oats also work great if you prefer those.

For the fats I incorporated sunflower butter, however almond butter also works nicely. The addition of hemp hearts adds a delicate nutty flavor and some texture to the filling. Crushed toasted almonds or walnuts would be a great substitute if you don’t care for hemp hearts.

For protein, Trutein Vanilla was used. For the cinnamon, adjust the amount to your liking. After baking, the core is dense and cake-like. The additional filling placed on top of the apple makes it really decadent and its a great dip for the “lid”/top slice.

Given that apple has plenty of natural sugar, to keep the sugar lower I used Walden Farms sugar-free pancake syrup in the filling and also drizzled on top of the apple after baking. Traditional maple syrup or pancake syrup also works if you don’t like the taste of artificial sweeteners (however it will add additional calories).

Enjoy!

Give this recipe a try and let me know how it tastes!

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Meal Prep: Juicy Chicken Breast

Friends don’t let friends eat nasty chicken! This is a fast, simple method to cook juicy chicken breasts – perfect for weekend meal prep.

Chicken breasts are a staple in my diet, so I make sure they taste good. They are high in protein, lean, and relatively flavor neutral so can be spiced up in almost any combination imaginable.

They are one of those foods that are super delicious when prepared well, but can also be a rubbery or dried out nightmare if not done right. I don’t like eating things that taste like tires, so I went on a mission to identify a fast, failsafe way to cook chicken tenderloins and breasts.

This chicken comes out MOIST, every time. The best part is that you don’t need to turn on the oven or stove…. it’s all about the George Foreman tabletop grill! Using a batch style process, you can cook 1-2 lbs of chicken breasts in less than 30 minutes. I like to use breast tenderloins as it saves me the step of butterflying whole breasts.

In this example, I use just salt and pepper for seasoning however you could use just about anything. I keep a supply of this chicken in the fridge and eat it throughout the week. I usually throw it on lettuce, toss on cooked vegetables, or put in soup. It also makes great chicken salad.

You Will Need:

1-2 lbs of chicken breast tenderloins, or butterflied chicken breasts, fridge temperature

Cutting board

1 extra large bowl

1 piece of aluminum foil

Tabletop grill, such as the George Foreman grill

Canola spray oil

Cracked black pepper and sea salt

Instructions

  • Lay out the chicken on the cutting board while the grill heats up
  • Add salt and pepper to the top side of the chicken
  • Chicken on the grill!
  • After 4 minutes of cooking
  • Place cooked chicken in bowl
  • Cover bowl with foil immediately

Before starting, ensure your chicken is not frozen. It should be cold, at refrigerator temperature. If you are using full size chicken breasts, butterfly them first.

Step 1: Plug in your tabletop grill and allow it to heat up. Do not spray any oil on the grill just yet.

Step 2: Take your chicken out of the fridge and lay out the pieces on a cutting board.

Step 3: Add salt and pepper on the top face of the chicken, amount to your liking.

Step 4: When your grill reaches temperature, lightly spray the top and bottom grill surface with oil.

Step 5: Place your chicken tenderloins, (salt and pepper side down), onto the grill. The size of my grill let’s me cook 6-7 tenderloins at a time.

Step 6: Sprinkle salt and pepper onto the top side of the chicken pieces, amount to your liking.

Step 7: Close the grill, cook for 4 minutes

Step 8: THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP: Remove your chicken pieces from the grill and place them into the large bowl. Immediately cover the bowl with the aluminum foil.

Step 9: Set the bowl aside, and repeat the entire process again for your remaining chicken, making sure to transfer each batch to the bowl and re-covering with the foil immediately after.

NOTE: allow the entire covered bowl of chicken to come to room temperature on the countertop before transferring to a storage container and putting in the fridge. This resting time ensures the chicken stays juicy. Note that the bowl will contain some extra juices, which you can also dump into the storage container and use when you eat.

Enjoy and let me know if you tried out this method!

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Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls

Let’s get seasonal, without the guilt.

I even wore UGG boots while making these…..

This time of year is full of opportunity to devour decadent treats laced with butter, cinnamon, sugar, and pumpkin. I’m as basic as everyone else when it comes to pumpkin spiced EVERYTHING… and the seasonal cravings have officially kicked in.

It’s so easy to put on a few pounds over the holidays enjoying a myriad of goodies; this year I made a reasonable promise to myself that I would maintain weight by being more mindful so as not to have to start the new year losing the same five pounds AGAIN. One way I’m helping myself is to home bake treats that capture the fall flavors I’m craving but with lower sugar and fat. This prevents me raiding the seasonal bread and cookie section of Trader Joe’s. 🙂 So, I’m swapping pumpkin spice lattes and scones for these homemade high protein pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls and my absolute favorite – Zero Carbon Coffee Sumatra espresso.

This is a great healthy swap. I’ve made a comparison between these Pumpkin Spice Rolls and a Starbucks Pumpkin Scone. For the same amount of food (2 of these rolls versus one Starbucks Scone), you save just about 200 calories, more than half the carbs (a whopping 40g of sugar!), and 15 g of fat. Plus, you get an additional 22 g of protein to keep you full.

These rolls are not overly sweet. If you wanted to make them sweeter, you could add SF vanilla syrup to the icing, Swerve Brown sugar substitute, or more real brown sugar (adds cals).

Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls

Makes: (6) 1.25″ tall rolls (denser), or (10) 0.75″ tall rolls (airier)

Per Roll (6): 153 kcal, 14 g Carbs, 13 g Protein, 4g Fat

Per Roll (10): 97 kcal, 9g Carbs, 8g protein, 2.3g fat

Ingredients:

For the Dough:

  • 90 g Kodiak Cake pancake mix
  • 20g white flour
  • 60 g fat free Greek yogurt
  • 20 grams reduced fat margarine (I used I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter- Original)
  • 40 g pumpkin puree
  • 15 g brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
  • 2 tbsp sugar-free vanilla syrup
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder

For the Filling and Frosting:

  • 70 g fat free Greek yogurt (I used Fage 0%)
  • 60g Neufchatel Cheese
  • 40 g Trutein Vanilla protein powder (order here) use code modus20 at checkout for 20% off
  • 15 g brown sugar
  • 4 tbsp sugar-free vanilla syrup
  • 1.5″ Tall Rolls before frosting
  • 3/4″ Tall Rolls before frosting

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F and place parchment paper onto a baking sheet.
  2. For the dough: in a large bowl combine Kodiak cakes mix, flour, pumpkin spice, and baking powder. Stir until thoroughly blended.
  3. In a separate small bowl, combine pumpkin puree, dough Greek yogurt, I Can’t Believe It’s not Butter, brown sugar and SF vanilla syrup. Blend thoroughly using a hand mixer.
  4. Add wet mixture to dry mixture and blend thoroughly with a hand mixer. Dough will be a bit sticky, form it into a ball and set aside.
  5. For the filling and frosting: in a separate small bowl, mix together Greek yogurt, Neufchatel cheese, protein powder, brown sugar, and sugar free vanilla syrup. Mix on high for 30 seconds until whipped. It will be very thick. Set bowl aside.
  6. Lightly flour a cutting board and place your dough ball on it. Using your hands and a rolling pin, gently roll out the dough into a rectangle. Flip the dough over after every few passes and flour it as needed to keep it from sticking to the cutting board and the rolling pin.
  7. After you have the dough flattened out to roughly (7.5″ x 8.5″). Cut into 6 equally sized horizontal strips for large rolls, or 10 for small.
  8. Take your filling/frosting and apply a very thick coat to the top of each strip, then loosely roll up each strip. Use only 3/4 of the mixture, reserving the remainder for frosting after baking.
  9. Place rolls onto parchment paper. 1.25″ rolls: bake for 18 minutes. Check them at about 16 minutes by sticking a toothpick into one of them. They are done cooking when the toothpick comes out clean. 0.75″ Rolls: bake for 15 minutes. Check them at about 14 minutes by sticking a toothpick into one of them. They are done cooking when the toothpick comes out clean.
  10. Allow rolls to cool to room temperature, then place the remaining icing on top.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, let me know if you tried it out. It definitely helped with my pumpkin cravings.

If you need additional support to make it through the holidays without the weight gain, please feel free to reach out!

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Protein For Fat Loss

Protein is the most valuable macronutrient for retention of lean muscle mass while on a fat loss diet. But how much do we need and how does it help us? Here’s the latest from the research.

The Role of Protein – Three Major Points

1) Protein fuels our muscles with the amino acid building blocks needed to repair damage (catabolism) and grow additional muscle (anabolism). Appropriate protein intake and resistance training facilitates these processes to promote fat loss versus muscle loss.

2) As energy intake decreases, we become increasingly hungry. Beyond it’s critical function in muscle recovery and growth, protein increases levels of our hormones that provide feelings of satiety after a meal, and decrease our appetite stimulating hormone. Extended feelings of fullness enabled by appropriate protein intake is a welcome benefit!

3) Compared to carbohydrates and fats, protein has a greater energy cost to digest and metabolize – around 30%. You are burning more calories by eating protein versus other macronutrients, all in support of maintaining an energy deficit in a fat loss diet.

How Much Protein? Don’t use the US RDA……

The US Recommended Daily Allowance is 0.36 grams per pound of bodyweight per day (g/lb BW) for sedentary individuals – far too low for an exercising individual, particularly someone who engages in some form of resistance training.

A review of the current research on the impact of protein intake on body composition and muscle protein synthesis indicates that a good target for an average adult who is resistance training is 0.73 g/lb BW per day for muscle retention (and accretion).

Practical Example: a 160 lb resistance training individual currently consuming 64 g of protein per day (0.4 g/lb BW) in a calorie deficit would significantly improve their likelihood of lean mass retention by nearly doubling protein intake to 120 g/day. To compensate for the increased protein, this individual would also need to decrease the amount of carbohydrates and fats; simply adding more protein would create a calorie surplus.

So if 0.73g/lb BW is enough, would higher be even better? It’s tempting to make this extrapolation. In a fat loss diet, we want to dial in the right amount of protein to induce beneficial body composition changes, yet not take our dietary protein so high that we excessively reduce carbohydrates and fats to the detriment of performance, mood, hormones, and other markers. There are some studies indicating that higher (upwards of 0.9 g/lb BW) has no detriment and may further support lean mass retention, the overall number of studies are limited and do not yet justify higher levels across the board. That being said, based on some of the other benefits I do recommend higher protein levels to some clients in consideration of lifestyle, food preferences, satiety, training modality and intensity, and existing lean body mass (body fat does not require protein to support it).

What Type of Protein?

Eating high quality, complete proteins containing all nine essential amino acids (our bodies can’t make these and they must be obtained through diet) is the priority. Complete whole food protein sources include red meat, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, milk, yogurt, and soy. Beyond recommendation of these foods, a personalized assessment based on your current body composition and goals can be established.

When transitioning to a diet higher in protein, many people find it challenging to meet their daily protein target eating only whole foods. This is where protein powder supplementation can be useful tool. Examples of complete protein powders include, whey, egg, casein, and soy. These are digested at different rates in the body and can be utilized to their advantage at different times of day.

The specific type of complete protein powder used is of secondary importance compared to the importance of meeting daily protein intake. Bottom line – if you are going to start to incorporate protein powder into your regimen, firstly pick one that has all the EAAs, tastes good to you, and is agreeable to your stomach. The specific type and timing can be dialed in after you have formed the habit.

A lot of folks take BCAAs (branched chain amino acids aka leucine, isoleucine, and valine) as a supplement to their diet. Despite their popularity, research is fairly clear that BCAAs are ineffective for muscle protein synthesis and in this regard they are just expensive flavored water. Instead, eat or drink whey protein around workouts. You are getting plenty of BCAAs by consuming the whole foods and the protein powders mentioned above. I’m not against BCAA supplements if they make you feel good – some studies indicate they do help with recovery – but understand you are spending money on something that, from an efficacy perspective isn’t moving the needle much compared to complete protein.

When Should I Eat Protein?

After you’ve locked down the amount high quality protein you need, distribute it relatively even across the snacks and meals that you eat throughout the day, ideally every 2-4 h. There is a diverse body of research regarding how much protein the body can digest and utilize for muscle protein synthesis from each serving/meal and depends on age, gender, body composition, training status, and other considerations. Given the large number of variables, a good range to stay in is 20-40 g of high-quality protein per meal. An example of 20 g of protein would be 57 g (2 oz.) of cooked chicken breast.

Protein Timing and Training?

Specific protein timing is of secondary importance relative to overall protein intake and general distribution. However, if you are engaging in intense resistance training the post-exercise period should incorporate a solid dose of protein and carbohydrate since muscles are depleted of fuel (glycogen and amino acids) and muscle fibers require repair.

There is a misconception that the post-exercise anabolic window for muscle protein synthesis is narrow, whereby if protein is not consumed immediately post-workout, the opportunity for “gainz” will be forfeit. Far from the truth – the aggregation of research suggests that the anabolic period extends many hours post-training. From a practical eating perspective, try to get a dose of protein within 2 hours after training.

Closing Notes

It’s important to remember that fat loss and muscle growth occur by separate, distinct processes. Although it is impossible to convert fat to muscle, it is possible to preserve lean body mass while decreasing fat mass during a calorie deficit, and it is also possible to increase lean body mass while decreasing fat mass. Protein intake has a strong influence over this; I work with clients on customized protein quantity, type, and timing based on meal frequency preferences, training modality and duration, and schedule. This ensures we are maximizing the benefits of protein from a body composition, performance, and sustainability perspective. I’ve seen incredible body composition changes firsthand in my clients.

I love keeping up with latest in protein research. I’ll keep you updated on the latest credible findings. As always, please feel free to reach out with questions.

Ready to get started on your nutrition strategy?

Recommended Further Reading:

Morton, R.W., et al,A systematic review, meta-analysis and metaregression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults, Br J Sports Med, 2018;52:376–38

Schoenfeld, B.J., Aragon, A.A.,How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? Implications for daily protein distribution, Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (2018) 15:10

Rahmi, M.H., et. al, Branched-chain amino acid supplementation and exercise-induced muscle damage in exercise recovery: A meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials, Nutrition (2017) 42:30

Jaeger et. al., International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise, Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, v14, Article number: 20 (2017)

Longland, T.M. et al, Higher compared with lower dietary protein during an energy deficit combined with intense exercise promotes greater lean mass gain and fat mass loss: a randomized trial, Am J Clin Nutr 2016;103:738–46

Trommelen, J. , Loon, L.J.C., Pre-Sleep Protein Ingestion to Improve the Skeletal Muscle Adaptive Response to Exercise Training, Nutrients 2016, 8(12), 763

Aragon, A.A., Schoenfeld, B.J., Nutrient timing revisited: is there a post-exercise anabolic window? Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2013, 10:5

Wycherley, T.P., et al, Effects of energy-restricted high-protein, low-fat compared with standard-protein, low-fat diets: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trial, Am J Clin Nutr 2012;96:1281–98

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Sweet & Spicy Tofu

Ready to learn how to fuel your goals with the right mindset and plan?

A simple Chinese stir fry-inspired dish packed with protein and veggies.

When my taste buds need a break from chicken and turkey breast, pork, and lean cuts of beef, I use opportunity to explore new recipes with other protein sources. This recipe uses Tofu (a complete protein and an excellent option for vegetarians and vegans) and collagen* as the main protein sources. If you are not a tofu fan, this dish would also work great with chicken or pork.

Firstly, the tofu. It’s important to use extra firm so it doesn’t fall apart during cooking. Typically a tofu stir-fry dish calls for fried tofu which is deep fried in soybean oil and triples the calories:

Instead, I “fake fried” the tofu in a pan with a light spray of canola oil to give the exterior a crisp texture. The end result is nicely browned cubes that aren’t greasy and are ready to absorb the glaze.

  • Before “frying”
  • After “Frying”

For the glaze: A common way to thicken a glaze or sauce is to add corn starch. Rather than corn starch (carbohydrate), I instead used collagen protein which provides the same result but instead adds additional protein. It’s a great substitution; collagen is flavorless and readily absorbs into water. It seamlessly mixes with the other ingredients in the glaze.

Hoisin sauce and chilli sauce can be purchased at all major grocery stores, although it is usually less expensive at the Asian grocery stores. You can adjust the level of heat by adding more or less chili sauce. The recipe keeps it mild, I usually add more as I eat it.

Chinese eggplant and the peppers.

Finally, a note about the veggies. I used Chinese eggplant because it contains slightly less water than the more commonly found large ones to reduce the risk of over-steaming and sogginess. Eggplant is a high fiber food and contains some great micronutrients. It also happens to be an amazing sponge for flavors, win-win! For the peppers, you can use any color – I just happened to have a red and orange in the fridge. Green would change the flavor a bit, but not in a bad way.

Sweet and Spicy Tofu Eggplant

Makes: 4 servings

Per Serving: 256 kcal, 26g Carbs, 20g Protein, 8g Fat

Ingredients:

  • 2 Chinese eggplant, chopped into bite sized pieces
  • 2 bell peppers (any color), chopped into bite sized pieces
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 425 g (15 oz) extra firm tofu
  • 40 g collagen protein
  • 60g (3 tbsp) hoisin Sauce
  • 30 g chili paste
  • 3 tbsp water
  • 6-8 mists of canola oil spray

Instructions:

  1. Cut tofu up into approx. 3/4″ cubes
  2. Mist large skillet or pan (flat bottom) with canola oil spray and place in the tofu cubes.
  3. Turn heat to medium-high and allow the tofu to cook for 6-7 minutes, or until the bottom side turns golden brown. Flip the cubes and repeat the heating process until all sides are golden. Remove tofu from pan and set aside.
  4. In a small bowl, thoroughly stir together hoisin sauce, chili paste, water, minced garlic, and collagen powder to form the glaze. Set aside.
  5. Lightly spray the skillet again and add the chopped veggies. Heat on medium high for 12-14 minutes, or until veggies are tender and you see the eggplant turn slightly translucent. Stir up the veggies every minute or so to ensure even cooking. Try not to let the pieces stack on top of one another to ensure that they all cook through. Here is what they should look like after cooking:
  6. Turn heat to low. Add tofu back to the pan then add the glaze. Gently fold all ingredients together until the glaze coats all of the pieces.

This dish goes great with either white or brown rice.

I enjoy coming up with new recipes for myself and to meet my client’s needs. Please let me know if you’ve given this a try!

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* Meats, whey, casein, and egg protein are excellent complete protein sources. A complete protein source must contain all nine of the essential amino acids – the amino acids that or bodies can’t produce on their own and we must get from our diets. Soy and hemp are also complete if you are looking for plant-derived alternatives.

However, collagen is an incomplete protein- it lacks one of the nine essential amino acids (tryptophan). Further, its amino acid profile is skewed towards glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline which is not ideal if you are looking to sustain and grow more muscle. If your diet is primarily based on the complete sources mentioned above, there is no harm incorporating collagen into your diet…..it will help strengthen your nails, hair, skin, and joints.

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Protein Berry Bowl

Refreshing and packed with protein, healthy carbs, and micronutrients, this bowl has a deep berry flavor.

I see tons of amazing smoothie bowl pictures on Instagram, but they seem very calorie dense. Along with a juice concentrate base and more fruit on top, they are usually loaded with granola, heaps of nut butter, and chocolate. Great for tasty-looking pictures, not so great if you are looking for a treat that is in line with your protein goal and being mindful of overall calories. In contrast, this bowl is a high protein alternative, gets you a nice serving of veggies and fiber, and keeps additional carbs and fats as optional toppings. I love this as an after workout meal.

Give it a go and let me know if you like it!

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