From the Foodie Files: Sensible Protein Shake Swaps!

One of my biggest crimes as the write of this blog is assuming you all have read this blog as long as I’ve written it. Not true!

So many of you don’t know that I used to be something of a calorie zealot. This blog fed into that big time as I sought ways to make yummy food for the least amount of calories, but the most protein, possible.

To that end I have all these random bits of information stored up in my head that lately I’ve been trying to organize into things that might be helpful to all of you.

Today’s topic: Shake additives! Now you all who have The Bariatric Foodie Guide to Perfect Protein Shakes know that there are several different kinds of additives you can use to enhance your shakes. And you also know my additive rules. In keeping with those rules, here are three easy swaps you can make to your shake additives to save a few calories, maybe add some protein or subtract some carbs!

#1: DO USE sugar-free banana pudding, DO NOT USE bananas!

I’ll disclaimer that. If you are a tri-athlete, a marathon runner, weight lifter or generally do super strenuous workouts OR if you have low potassium and have been advised to eat bananas, go for it. Throw one in your shake and don’t look back!

The rest of us have to tread carefully because they can be a carb BOMB! I see lots of folks throwing whole bananas in their shakes. And it’s not a bad thing, per se. Especially if you want to go all-natural. BUT if you are looking to save a few calories but still want your banana flavor, consider banana pudding. Check out the “comps.”

Small banana: 90 calories, 23g carbs, 12g sugar, 1g protein

Sugar-free banana pudding mix (1 tbsp): 25 calories, 6g carbs, 0g protein

So either way this additive isn’t giving you a lot of protein. So better yet, just use a banana flavored protein and cut the middle man out altogether! But if you don't have that, certainly do NOT accept all those extra calories and carbs to get your banana on!

#2: DO USE Powdered peanuts, DO NOT USE peanut butter

Long-time readers know my love affair with peanut butter. But alas it’s not going in my shake! Why? Well, I hear many of YOU say, when you put it in your shakes, “it’s a good source of protein!” That’s sorta true. Peanut butter is primarily a source of FAT that has a good amount of protein in it. That’s a bit different.

Instead I use PB2, or powdered peanuts. It’s what happens when you steamroll a bunch of peanuts to make peanut oil. You’re left with this beautiful powder that tastes like peanut butter for a fraction of the calories. Check out the comps!

Peanut butter (2 tbsp.): 190 calories, 17g fat, 7g protein

PB2 (2 tbsp.): 45 calories, 1.5g fat, 5g protein

I mean, c’mon! It’s a no-brainer! For the record, I use PB2 a lot in things like protein oatmeal and in yogurt BUT when I want an actual nut butter, I go for the real thing and here are my top picks for peanut butter! 

PB2 is showing up in many Wal-Marts and grocery stores. Look for it where you would normally find peanut butter OR you can order it online! To be fair, you can also just use a peanut butter flavored protein powder and that'd save you a lot of calories too!

#3 DO USE Low-fat cream cheese, DO NOT USE Sugar-Free Cheesecake Pudding Mix

Now this one isn’t so great a difference that using the latter is going to mess up anything. In fact, I discovered this quite by accident one day. But many of you love cheesecake shakes. And cheesecake yogurt. And many of you make these thing using sugar-free cheesecake pudding mix.

The interesting thing about this swap is that my suggested swap has 10 MORE calories than the thing I say not to use BUT it has less carbs. And, in my opinion, it yields something that tastes like REAL cheesecake. I’m sorry Jell-O. Despite your best efforts your mix doesn’t taste like cheesecake to me, but then I am a connoisseur. Anyway, here are the comps:

Cheesecake Pudding Mix (1 tbsp): 25 calories, 6g carbs, 0g protein

Low-fat (Neufchatel) Cream Cheese (1 tbsp): 35 calories, 0.5g carbs, 1g protein

So for your extra 10 calories you’ve gotten rid of 5.5g carbs and picked up a gram of protein and (just to sound like a broken record) you’ve also picked up authenticity! And if you pair it with ingredients that mimic those in cheesecake, like unflavored Greek yogurt (which mimics the taste of the sour cream used in traditional cheesecake), it gets even yummier. In fact, check out this recipe!

So there you have it. Three sensible shake swaps that will keep your shakes yummy AND beneficial. Do you have any good swaps that you use? Share them in the comments! And, as always, PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD!

Nik's WLS-Friendly Shamrock Shake

So you may have heard of this holiday...St. Patrick's Day? I keep hearing about a guy who drove snakes out of Ireland but I'm pretty sure the holiday is about wearing green, drinking ale and being promiscuous (if the Baltimore bar scene can be trusted to tell the tale).

You guys have been thinking about St. Patty's Day for a while. Know how I can tell. Because beginning in JANUARY many of you have emailed me asking if I have a protein version of the "Shamrock Shake."

And yes I do! But before I give you the recipe I have to say that this is what I call a "dessert shake," meaning it's a bit higher in calories than a 100% upstanding protein shake might be but it's meant to replace an even WORSE choice you could make. It's still way less calories than an actual Shamrock Shake with no added sugar, very little fat and a LOT of protein. But don't drink this everyday, k? It's a WLS-friendly indulgence.

Nik's Shamrock Shake

Ingredients:

• 4 oz. milk (whatever kind you use but NOT water0
• 1 scoop GOOD vanilla protein (I like Fit Frappe Vanilla, Pure Protein or Nectar Vanilla Bean Torte best for this)
• 2 tbsp Davinci sugar-free Peppermint Paddy or Peppermint syrup (if you don't have this, you can use a LITTLE bit - like 1/8 tsp - of Peppermint extract. But I am SO serious...do NOT overdo it!)
• 5-8 drops of green food coloring (less if you use the Peppermint Paddy syrup as it's already green)
• 3-5 ice cubes
• Optional (but CRAZY good): whipped cream and 1 tbsp sugar-free chocolate chips (Hershey makes them. I get mine at Wal-Mart!) + a few more for garnish

Directions:

Mix all ingredients EXCEPT chocolate chips and whipped cream according to the Super Chill Method of Making Protein Frosties. 

Then add the chips and whiz about 3 seconds more just to distribute them. Top with whipped cream and SLURP!

BF Tutorial: How to Make Your Own Protein Shake Kits

So as you all have heard ad nauseum I've been selling Bariatric Foodie Protein Shake Sample Kits. I hope you guys liked this year's flavors! And if you haven't tried them yet, they are still for sale and are actually on sale on the "Shop BF!" page.

But did you also know you can make your own protein shake kits? It's not hard at all. And despite the length of this post and the number of accompanying pictures it doesn't actually take that long, especially when only making a few days worth.

Now you might ask yourself why you might WANT to do this? Well...

• Is the only shake you like the special shake you make at home with your syrups?
• Do you find yourself wanting an indulgence during your work day?
• Do you ever find yourself in a pinch needing a quickie meal on the go?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, a shake kit can be a great solution! And I'm going to show you how with a little preparation and a lot of creativity you can take nearly ANY shake on the go with you.

Here are the supplies you'll need

• A Food Saver machine or another kind of vacuum sealer, if you have one (these things are worth their weight in GOLD after surgery when you never seem to finish anything you cook!). If you don't have one, you can certainly use snack sized baggies to just make dry packet shake kits.
• Food Saver bags (I used the rolls that are 11 in. x 16 ft.) 
• A craft cutter (or a good pair of scissors, a ruler and a good deal of determination)
• The dry components of your favorite protein shake recipe (Need ideas? Here are a bunch of them!), which could include (but is in no way limited to):
• Protein powder (here's the kind I use in the pictures below)
• Powdered nonfat milk
• Unsweetened cocoa powder
• Dry pudding mix
• Instant coffee, etc.
• A plastic container (I find the kind deli meat comes in works nicely)
• A clean piece of white paper and some tape
• Your favorite sugar-free syrup (here's a good starter set if you've never tried them before), although you can certainly make shake kits without syrups (and I'll tell you in a minute why you might want to consider that)
• A clip (A bobby pin works...I'll explain in a minute!)
• Glue dots
• A marker or a label of some kind

Step One: Cutting your bags

Syrup bags

Lay your bag roll upright (so the 11 inches is going vertically) and cut out 2 inch strips. Each of these strips will become two syrup bags.

Use your Food Saver machine to seal the the two open 11 inch. sides of your bag.

Use your craft cutter, to cut the strip in half (5.5 inches each).

Now you have two syrup bags. Repeat as many times as you  need to get the number of syrup bags you need to make your desired number of packets.

Dry Packet Bags

Using your craft cutter, with your bags upright again (11 inches going vertically), cut strips that are 4 inches. Each of these strips will make 2 dry packet bags.

Use your Food Saver machine to seal the two open 11 in. sides of your bag.

Use your craft cutter to cut the strip in half (5.5 inches each). Now you have two dry packet bags!

Step Two: Filling the Dry Packet bags

Assemble the dry ingredients to whatever shake you'd like your kit to make. 

Stand your dry packet bags up in your plastic container, open side up.

Use a clean piece of white paper and tape to make a funnel (sorry, I forgot to photo this part!) and empty one serving of each of your desired ingredients into each bag (so if you are adding dry milk, it'd be 1/4 c. per bag, protein powder would be 1 scoop per bag and so on.).

You may need to tap the bag down a bit to get the powder to go all the way down into it before sealing the remaining edge with your Food Saver Machine.

And there you have it - dry powder packets!

Step Three: Filling the Syrup Bags

Now personally I find this part a bit of a pain in the butt. You could just as easily go to the dollar store and get a clear plastic cosmetic bottle and fill it with syrup. BUT, if you are feeling crafty, here's how I made the syrup bags.

Fill each syrup bag 3/4 of the way full with your desired syrup. If you have a mini-funnel that probably works well. I simply open the bag and pour straight in.

You'll need a clip of some kind to keep the syrup from spilling when you seal the remaining edge. I find a jumbo (never been used!) bobby pin works great.

Seal the remaining edge using your Food Saver machine (mine has a gutter to catch any liquid that manages to escape but so long as you don't overfill the bag, it should be fine).

Those who dealt with my first shake kit batch mishap might understand why I tend to double seal :)

Step Four: Putting it All Together

So if you do decide to do syrup packets (and there is merit in them...they look way impressive) you'll want to affix the syrup packet to the dry packet to make it all easy to transport. To do this, use super strength glue dots (they are like $2 for a gamillion of them at the craft store). Finish it off with a cute label (if you are REALLY feeling crafty) or simply use a marker to label it.

...and there you have it. Shake kits! The idea for the BF Shake Kits came from me actually doing this for myself once weekly. I have a cooking day (where I cook my lunches for work for the week) and I'll also make up shake kits (I usually make two weeks worth at a time so I am making an even number). It takes about 30 minutes to make two weeks worth and I have grab and go shakes!

So like I said, this is a good activity for a rainy or snowy day or as you prepare for your week ahead.

I'm thinking a "shake packet" contest might be in our near future. I bet you guys have some great ideas. Stay tuned!

Nik's Christmas Cookie Protein Shake

Funny thing I've noticed. Every year I sell two protein shake sample kits in the Bariatric Foodie Holiday Survival Kit. Both flavors are generally well received but one tends to reach EPIC status.

Last year it was this shake. It can be made hot or cold. You can decorate it with any assortment of sugar-free embellishments. But most of all it is (a) devilishly yummy and (b) it SMELLS awesome!

I hope you enjoy!

Nik's Christmas Cookie Protein Shake

8 oz. milk (whatever kind you use)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I like this kind and it's what I used in the shake kits last year)
1 tbsp sugar-free butterscotch pudding powder
1 oz. either sugar-free brown-sugar cinnamon syrup (what I used last year) or sugar-free cookie dough syrup (I tried it this year and NOM!)

NOTE: In the absence of EITHER syrup, you can use a tablespoon of sugar-free pancake syrup + a generous dash of cinnamon for a cold shake, 1/8 tsp. maple extract + a generous dash of cinnamon for a hot preparation.

Optional: Ice, Whipped Cream, embellishments

Directions:

If making cold: Combine ingredients and mix by the Triple X Method. Or not, your choice!

If making hot: Combine ingredients and mix using the Bariatric Foodie Method for Making Hot Protein Drinks. Or not, your choice!

Top with whippage, if desired, and any deco. Then SLURP!

Merry Christmas!

BF Two-fer: Nik's Twix Protein Shake & Chocolate Chip Cookie Protein Shake

This is actually a two-fer. By accident of, of course. This post was supposed to just be about the Twix shake. Cuz it's almost Halloween. And I promised yummy recipes!

But here's what had happened.

I had one little portion of sugar-free caramel syrup left. I put it on the counter so I could photo the recipe. Well, while I was out my kids, motivated from my last rant about them walking by trash and not picking it up, threw the bottle away, thinking I was done with it. The lesson? Be careful of the timing of your rants, parents!

So I am still going to give you the recipe but there's this other recipe I've also been making with another of the syrups in the Twix recipe so I thought I'd show you that one too. This is me. Being generous. Weird.

Nik's Twix Protein Shake

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. milk
• 1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I used Chike Chocolate Bliss)
• 1 tbsp. Davinci sugar-free caramel syrup
• 1 tbsp. Davinci sugar-free cookie dough syrup
• Ice

Nik's Chocolate Chip Cookie Protein Shake

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. milk
• 1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I used Chike Very Vanilla)
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp Davinci sugar-free cookie dough syrup
• 1/8 tsp. imitation butter extract
• Ice

Directions for both: Combine all ingredients in a blender. Mix according to the Triple X Method. Or not. Your choice!

So now you have two MORE recipes to help you fend off the Halloween candy. Now...I know what some of you are thinking. "Nik, what's up with the syrups we have to purchase online???" 

You're right. Many of my shakes do use syrups you have to purchase online as opposed to buying them in the store. BUT I do try to use them as I did here, in several different recipes so you have more than one idea of how to use them. BUT for those that are still wary, I have to tell you the Bariatric Foodie Holiday Survival Kit (click the link for details) is a great way to "try before you buy" some specialty items I use in my shakes.

If you haven't already gotten your Survival Kit, there are still some available! Remember, I'm only selling 200 of them this year and more than 100 are already spoken for! Also remember when you purchase one you are entered into a raffle to win a BodyMedia Fit Link Armband (read our review here) that measures the calories you burn every day to help you reach your goals! Click here to learn more about the Holiday Survival Kit. 

And keep playing with your food!

Halloween Protein Shakes: Peanut Butter Cup

Have you all entered the "Trick or Chike" giveaway so you can get some WLS-friendly protein yummies for your Halloween treat pail? If not, go do it! I'll wait.

Ok then. So in conjunction with the giveaway I wanted to give you a few ideas on how you could use Chike to make some Halloween goodies! That's why as a part of the contest I asked what treats tempt you the most on Halloween. A fair amount of you said Reese's peanut butter cups (especially the pumpkin ones).

I'm here to help with TWO options:

Option #1: Nik's Peanut Butter Cup Protein Shake

Ingredients:

1 c. milk
1 scoop Chike Chocolate Bliss protein powder
1 tbsp PB2 (What's that?)
1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
No-calorie sweetener, to taste
Ice

Directions:

Blend according to the Triple X Method. Or not. Your choice! You could even skip the ice and make this into a rich, warm drink (here's how) Perfect for fall!

Option #2: Nik's Peanut Butter Cup Protein Frozen Pie

Yeah, why should kids have the market locked on dessert? We can have dessert too! Click here for the full recipe.

Throughout the week I'm going to be posting recipes to help get you ready for your Halloween sample pack from Chike. Remember THREE of you will win one, so be sure to enter the contest and for my Twitter folks, you can gain an extra entry every day by tweeting about the contest!

Pumpkin Chai Protein Shake

So you might remember that I made some pumpkin protein shake starters the other day. I'm just now getting around to using them! It's not that I didn't want to use them. I've just been testing one of the shake flavors that will be included in the 2012 Bariatric Foodie Holiday Survival Kit (those of you who ordered last year will remember you got two yummy shake kits that came with everything you need to make a Signature Bariatric Foodie - except the liquid of course! But if you weren't around, here's the info about last year's Survival Kit to familiarize yourself. Info about the 2012 Kit will be available soon and they'll go on sale in late-October).

Anyhoo...for the last few days I've been testing that recipe and, frankly, I hit a wall with it. It's almost there but I needed something different today to...I dunno, reset my palate maybe? Anyway, this shake got the job done!

Nik's Pumpkin Chai Protein Shake

1 c. milk (whatever kind you use)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
2 pumpkin pie protein shake starter cubes
1 tbsp Davinci sugar-free Chai Concentrate (if you don't have that, you can also use 2 tsp of sugar-free chai tea mix - I believe General Foods makes it)
Sweetener, to taste

Optional: Whippage and an additional dusting of cinnamon, as shown above

Directions:

Combine milk, protein powder, shake starters and concentrate in a blender. Mix according to the Triple X Method. Or not. Your choice! NOTE: I'd use a few extra ice cubes in addition to the shake starters personally (2-4 of them).

This was a neat little drink. Very Starbucks-esque, if I do say so myself.

Now...back to those Survival Kits...

Pumpkin Protein Shake Starters

I'm really busy most days. Are you?

If so you know that making some of the more decadent dessert shakes can be a hassle. Take pumpkin shakes for example. You have to crack open a can of pumpkin, dole out what you need for your shake, find something to store the rest of the pumpkin. All this makes those types of shakes not feasible for when you're on the go.

I have a solution.

Protein shake starters!

"What the HELL is a protein shake starter, Nik?"

I'm glad you asked.  I make protein shake starters so that I can quickly and easily assemble my shakes with all the flavors I love but without all the mess and time investment.

I just made up a batch of pumpkin protein shake starters and here's how I did it:

Step One: Assemble the ingredients

So here we have a can of pumpkin, some pumpkin pie spice, some vanilla extract (or you can use some sugar-free vanilla syrup), a bowl, a wooden spoon and an ice cube tray.

Step Two: Mix it Up!

Combine the ingredients in your bowl and mix well! You want the flavors to be well distributed. Here I used the whole can of pumpkin, 1 tsp. of vanilla and 1/4 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice. You can adjust to your liking though! I did not add sweetener. I'll add that directly to my shake if I want it.

Step Three: The ice cube tray

This is your secret weapon in this whole deal. The one thing that always irked me about pumpkin shakes was feeling like I had to figure out what to do with the rest of that can of pumpkin. Well, once you mix up your starter, fill an empty ice cube tray with it, using a tablespoon measure. On a standard ice cube tray this should get you perfect, one ounce servings of your pumpkin mixture. Remember to tap down your ice cube tray on the counter to make sure it settles in there nice.

Step Four: Freeze!

Then all you have to do is pop it in the freezer and freeze until solid. When they're done, you pop them out of the ice cube tray and into some freezer bags (I recommend getting smaller bags and only putting a few in each bag).

Then when you're ready to make your shake, combine your shake starter (two cubes) with milk (or water, if that's your thing), protein powder and any other flavor additives you like (additional sugar-free syrups, etc.) and away you go!

These starters take about 10 minutes to make but they save you time and money. Now that you have your canned pumpkin all prepped to become a shake, and now that you have it all frozen (so it lasts longer) you waste less pumpkin and you can mix up your pumpkin pie shake in no time!

And it's automatic portion control. Remember, generally one ice cube slot = one ounce.

I make protein shake starters out of all sorts of stuff. Look for more combinations to come!

Nik's "Peanutella" Protein Shake

Ok, so I could post a picture with this recipe. But it wouldn't be of this shake. Why? Well I'm in the process of packing up my house (while simultaneously decorating for Christmas...how psycho is THAT???) and all my pretty glasses are packed away.

Besides, I tend to make this shake at work, thanks to these babies:

Smaller sized bottles of Davinci that I get at my local Wal-Mart (or Wally World to some of you) for less than $3. Sweet! When I do shakes at work I drink them in my purple cup. My purple cup does not lend itself to a beautiful photographic moment.

So just imagine what this shake looks like in your head and know that Bariatric Foodie does, in fact, have artistic integrity. Although this shake may LOOK like a million other chocolate shakes I've made...I will not pass off a fake photo!!! (/end melodrama)
Nik's "Peanutella" Protein Shake

8 oz. milk (whatever kind you use)
1 scoop chocolate peanut butter protein powder

- OR -

1 scoop of chocolate protein powder +
1 tbsp PB2

1 tsp good instant decaf coffee (no cheap stuff)
2-3 pumps (or one tbsp) sugar-free Hazelnut syrup

Directions:

Mix everything in a blender according to the Triple X Method. Or not. Your choice.

Add a poof of whippage (whipped cream). Or not. STILL your choice. Heck, you don't even have to drink it cold. I know some of you like it hot! (Especially you...the one sitting in the computer chair...YOU like it hot).

Have it your way!