BF Top 5: Protein bars!

There was a time, not so long ago, that I was very opposed to protein bars. Because I only tended to see protein bars at 7-Eleven and Wal-Mart, I had the idea that they were all carb heavy and no better for you than a candy bar.

I’m here to admit—before you, the world-wide web and God—that I was wrong.  There are plenty of great bars out there! For those that don’t have the time or inclination to have a protein shake, the right bar can be a great choice. Just yesterday I forgot my lunch for work. I had to run an errand during my lunch hour and knew I wouldn’t have time to stop and get a full meal. Protein bar to the rescue!

Thanks to some good friends, I’ve found some great bars with decent stats to use in a bind. And I have a little secret. Come closer…closer…yeah…that’s close enough. I like to cut them into tiny pieces and eat them as treats sometimes! (giggles like school girl)

So here’s our picks for the “Top 5 WLS Friendly Protein Bars” (in no particular order)

#5 – Best bar to get at 7-Eleven



I don’t know about your “7-E” but mine is a WLS patients dream. They have four different kinds of low-sugar/no-sugar and low-fat ready-to-drink protein drinks AND a huge selection of protein bars. My go-to is the Detour Lower Sugar bar. They only carry one kind at my local convenience store—peanut caramel. Those that know me, know exactly why this is NOT a problem! The carbs on this one come in just slightly lower than the protein (which is really all you can reasonably ask of a protein bar) and it has vitamins and minerals to boot!







#4 – Best bar to order online



These babies are small but gooooooood. Choco-lite bars honestly don’t taste like a protein bar. I don’t know if they were even intended to be or if that was just a side bonus or something. But who cares? They are SO GOOD! Every time I go to Jen’s house she sets some out for me (because she is from “the South” and women from “the South” do hospitable things like that. In my house you get offered a glass of Crystal Light and some good conversation…but you can’t have my Chocolite bars I’m sorry…).





#3 – Best bar on a budget



Being a single mom I HAVE to have a budget friendly choice. Cuz I’m broke as hell most of the time. When I was just starting out in this process, my go-to bar was the South Beach meal replacement bars. They have everything a good bar should have—protein, calories, nutrients. And I could always find them on sale somewhere. My favorite (not surprisingly) is the peanut butter bar. You can find these in stores but they end up cheaper per unit if you order them online. Use your best judgment!






#2 – Best “mini” bar (besides the one at the Hilton)

Supreme Protein makes a variety pack of lil’ baby protein bars. I guess this is to keep you out of the bag of mini-Snickers that your co-worker INSISTS on keep in a glass jar on her desk in your direct line of vision. I dunno if that works (hit us up if it does) but these little babies are very cute and very good sources of protein. You just have to make sure you don’t overindulge, which is easy to do with mini-anything.







(Thanks to the dedicated reader who pointed out to us that we linked the wrong product! These are the minis which are NOT 400 calories! They are 200 with 15g of protein. In a pinch these do well for a newbie with not much tummy room!)

#1 – Best bar you can make yourself

This is a cooking blog so we couldn’t let you get away without at least one recipe! A good friend of ours on OH invented this bar and it has become a staple in many post-WLS kitchens. Seriously…she sent me a batch…make these!!! They taste great nuked. A “warm and oozy” treat.



Shari’s Otter Bars

Dry ingredients: (Mix in big bowl)

2 cups quick oats
1 cup Fiber Cereal (twig type)
4 scoops vanilla Whey Protein (I used Pure Protein this time)
1/4 cups toasted coconut (toasted in oven)
1/4 cup slivered almonds (toasted too with some butter extract and a little salt)
1/4 c. toasted soy nuts (ditto)
3 tbsp Sugar Free Mini Chocolate Chips (check Netrition.com)
1/2 cup raisins
2/3 c. nonfat dry milk powder
1/2 cup Splenda for cooking
dash of salt
2 tbsp cinnamon
---------------------
Wet ingredients:

1/3 cup NSA Applesauce
3 egg whites (I used 3/4 cup egg whites in carton)
1/3 cup coconut flavored DaVinci (or any yummy flavor)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all dry ingredients together.  Mix wet ingredients thoroughly in second bowl.
Pour wet into dry and mix thoroughly.  Spray 9x9' casserole with Pam. Spoon in mixture evenly.  Sprinkle top with a little cinnamon/Splenda.  Cook 15 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Unbelievably tasty and fudgy when served a little warm!

Yields 15 bars (stats below):

Cals: 142

Fat: 3.7

Carbs: 19

Protein: 11.5

Fiber: 4g

Banana Cream Pie Ramekin

~~ by Jen

So we asked "how do our Pouchers wanna go bananas?" and you answered, mostly "Banana Cream Pie!"  I was secretly hoping for Banana Pudding, because my StepMom makes THE BEST banana pudding you ever put in your mouth, and I come from a long line of great Southern cooks.  So, since this is my recipe, I decided to combine what I love about Mom's banana pudding and create a pie filling for the banana cream pie. Her pudding substitutes sweetened condensed milk for part of the regular milk, but I could not find a sugar free version and Mom says she doesn't know of one.  Sooooo, I used cream cheese!  It gives it the same consistency as the sweetened condensed milk without all the sugar and carbs. Thanks for waiting so patiently for the recipe, I had to put it through Nik's "3 Trials Before Posting" method to make sure I worked all the kinks out of it for y'all.

While I was tinkering around in "the lab" I also came up with a new version of a WLS friendly crust for those who aren't too keen on the Fiber One version that we normally use.  (I like it ok, but I must not make it right or something, because I can always taste the Fiber One in mine.  Maybe I just want Nik to make me pie!! Yeah, that could be it!) The secret ingredient is......wait for it......Sugar Free Shortbread cookies!!!!!!!  I used the Voortman's brand (side note, these things are TOO damn good and not something I could keep around.  Even the non-ops in my house were scarfing them down!)  My original plan was to use SF Graham Crackers, but the grocery stores in my new 'hood don't have them for some reason.

The ins and outs of crust creation are covered in detail in a separate "BF Basics" post, because I came up with quite a few different versions that work.  The Shortbread one is perfect for any type of cream pie or I also made a strawberry pie with it (yes, there will be a recipe posted soon).  It's great with the bananas and would be good with lemon or any other fruit flavor, because it's a basic flavor, just like graham crackers.  If you don't feel so inclined to make a crust, and we all have those days, you could always order some SF graham cracker crusts online if your store doesn't sell them.

S'anyway, let's go bananas, shall we? Oh, before I forget, I made individual pies in ramekins for fool-proof portion control.  I love this set and use it quite often because it's perfect for my egg custard creations or meal-size mini quiches.  Even at two years out I still am not the best at "eye-balling" a dessert portion (mainly because the fat chick in my head starts screaming "MMMMMMM--PIE--NOMNOMNOMNOMNOM" and I lose concentration) so it's best if I make them individual size.


Jen's Banana Cream Dream Pie
Ingredients:
For The Crust:
1 cup SF Shortbread cookie crumbs (if you use Voortman's that is 8 of the shortbread swirl cookies)
1/4 cup melted butter (yes, I use REAL butter feel free to use whatever you like)
2 tbsp Splenda

Directions:
Combine all three ingredients until well mixed, then press evenly into the bottom of a pie plate or if you make individuals like I did, split the crust mixture evenly among 6 ramekins.  Press evenly to cover the entire bottom and sides of the pie plate or just the bottom of the ramekins.  I set mine in the freezer for a couple minutes, this gives the crust time to firm up so it doesn't fall apart when you slice the pie.

Ingredients for Pie Filling:
1 box Instant Sugar Free Banana Cream Pudding Mix
1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder
1 cup 0% Greek Yogurt (I used Chobani because it was on sale, any brand is fine)
4 oz cream cheese softened (you can use reduced fat, but I didn't)
1 1/2 c 2% milk
16 oz container of SF Whipped Topping
1 or 2 fresh bananas (optional)

Directions:  Set whipped topping aside.  In a large mixing bowl, combine Pudding mix, protein powder, yogurt, cream cheese, and milk with an electric mixer on low speed until well combined.  Once it is mixed, set it aside for a couple of minutes so the pudding can set a bit.  Remove your crust from the freezer, and pour in the filling.  Now top with the container of SF Whipped topping.  If you choose, you can slice a fresh banana or two and put those on top of the filling before you add the whipped cream topping.  I opted NOT to do so, because I have an issue (yes, I have more than Reader's Digest, thanks for noticing) with bananas getting slimy & brown when they oxidize.  Not to mention bananas are hella carby and not everyone tolerates them too well post-op.  What I chose to do, as you can see in the pic, is top mine with a slice of banana, and some more of the shortbread crumbs. Cover the pie and refrigerate for 3 or 4 hours before serving. (You can get plastic lids for the ramekins, these are INVALUABLE when you're early out.) Your family will love it, and they won't even know it's good for them, I promise!!!!

Veggie Frittata

~~posted by Jen

Lots of times I steam fresh or frozen veggies for a side dish, and inevitably when I clean out the fridge, there is always a sad little container of leftover vegetables.  Today was my weekly fridge cleaning day, and I found just such a container of mixed vegetables (peas, corn, carrots, & green beans), maybe a cup and a half.  I was about to make breakfast, and was planning on eggs, so I decided to make a frittata.  I also happened on an almost empty container of Greek Yogurt, it had maybe 1/4 cup in it.  Those of you who know me (whether online or IRL) know that I consider myself the Queen of Greek Yogurt.  Nothing is sacred, I will try it with Greek yogurt AT LEAST ONCE just to say that I have.  (Yes, I probably need some hobbies.)

S'anyway, I sometimes put cream cheese in my quiche instead of brie or a pricier cheese, so I figured wth, the Greek Yogurt might make the eggs creamier.  Holy Snaps, Batman!  I am not kidding.  Y'all, these are some of the best damn eggs I ever ate in my entire 39 years of egg eating.  Seriously!!  Added bonus:  the non-WLS peeps in my house went bonkers over this frittata.  There was not a SPECK of it left!  Plus, it is super duper quick and easy if you're in a rush and need a healthy meal the whole family will like.  You can whip this up quicker than Domino's can deliver.  I didn't add any meat to this, but you certainly could add meat if you have some leftovers that need to be used.  I served mine with a salad on the side, but it would be great with a cup of soup too.  Here's how I did it, super easy!!

Jen's What A Frittata!
Ingredients:
6 eggs (use eggbeaters if that's your thing)
1/4 cup 0% Greek Yogurt
1 tbsp chives
1 tbsp parsley flakes
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1/4 cup 0% milk
1 1/2 cups cooked vegetables (whatever you like or have on hand)
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar, use whatever you have or like)
1 small pat butter
1 tsp Olive Oil  (or you can use cooking spray for the butter & oil, personal choice thing)
salt & pepper to taste
OVEN SAFE SKILLET  make sure it is oven safe to at least 400 degrees


Directions:


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, yogurt, and seasonings.  Beat this well, so that everything gets really combined.  You don't want lumps of yogurt in your eggs.  I used a hand whisk and took out all my aggressions, but you could use an electric mixer on low for maybe a minute or two.  Set the cheese aside for later.  On top of the stove, heat the skillet and add butter & oil or spray well with cooking spray.  Once it is hot, add the veggies and stir them around til heated through, then pour in your egg mixture.  Using a rubber spatula, slowly stir the egg mixture and veggies until thoroughly combined.  You want the eggs to be about 2/3 done but still in a solid mass (think omelet) and not in pieces like scrambled eggs.  Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top of the eggs.  Remove the skillet from the stove top and place it in the oven for about 8 to 10 minutes or until the cheese is thoroughly melted.  Let it cool slightly before cutting it into wedges, that gives the eggs extra time to set up so it comes out in one piece.  Makes 8 pie-slice sized servings.  

Cookies and Cream Protein Frozen Pie

Soooo…remember way back when we did the poll on frozen pies? And I told you my divas were mad at all of you because they wanted the cookies and cream one?

Well the other day I noticed my puppy was missing. On the kitchen counter was my batter bowl and under it was a note that said,

“Make our pie and the pooch lives. That is all!”

So…in the interest of saving my dear puppy I had to make the pie.

Thankfully, doing so was neither difficult nor expensive. It requires no special orders from the internet. In fact, it uses stuff you may already have in your kitchen (well…short of one particular thing and you’ll know what it is when you see it).

So to those many who voted for the C&C pie…enjoy it good health. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a puppy with PTSD to attend to…

Cookies and Cream Protein Frozen Pie

Ingredients
1 box sugar free vanilla pudding

3 scoops vanilla protein powder

1 ½ c. milk

1 c. unflavored Greek yogurt

1 c. fat-free whipped topping

1 serving sugar-free chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed

2 tablespoons no-calorie sweetener

Optional toppings: additional whipped topping, more sugar-free cookie crumbles

Directions

In a large bowl combine pudding mix and protein powder and whisk until thoroughly mixed.

Add milk and mix through until pudding starts to thicken. Let it stand while you chop up your cookies (I used a slap chopper).

Add Greek yogurt and sweetener and mix through.

Add cookie crumbles and mix through.

Add whipped topping and gently fold into the mixture.

Transfer to a pie plate and freeze about two hours before slicing.

Now notice that I did not make a crust for this. Why? Because it was too damned hot!!! I have no AC in the downstairs of my house and it has been over 100 degrees every day for…freaking forever. So the oven was not an option.

But I noticed with the Reese’s cup protein pie that even when my crust sort of fell off (which it did because the version I snapped didn’t get enough butter in the crust), it survived. So you choose: crust or no crust. It’s up to you. I like the Fiber One crust (sweet and gives you good fiber), Jen does not. Some of you may feel iffy about crusts at all. So this recipe is HIGHLY customizable.

The verdict from the divas? Well, I got the puppy back, so that says something. The first two times I made this (keeping in mind my 3 prep rule for my recipes) I added too much Splenda. It was SWEET. And if my Splenda-crackhead children, say it’s too sweet, then it is WAY too sweet. So just a little to help the sweetness carry over through the freezing process. That’s all you need.

For you number crunchers, here's the stats.

Enjoy!

Homemade Citrus Green Tea

~~by Nikki

Anyone who knows me knows several things: first, that I am a shameless "know-it-all," second, that I'd give you the shirt off my back if I thought you needed it. Lastly, those who TRULY know me...know that shirt didn't cost much cuz I am CHEAP!

Well I wouldn't say cheap...frugal. That's a better word. Either way I try not to spend too much money. Part of this comes from being a single mummy but also because I've been striving to be a better steward of my resources (whatever that means...).

Keeping all this in mind, I set about an experiment recently. I love Diet Green Tea, especially the citrus flavor. I go through a LOT of it. In fact, at this point I've probably made huge deposits to many landfills with the plastic I've used (well...until recently when I became a more dedicated recycler). Between that and the cost of buying the stuff AND the fact that I'm not exactly sure where they get the tea from and if the person who grew it is actually benefitting from my addiction...well let's just say I wanted to find a way to drink my drink, save money, respect the environment AND my fellow man.

So in a way this is no just a drink. It's a MOVEMENT. :) My version is made using Fair Trade green tea. If you don't know about Fair Trade, you should check it out.There are many, many fairly traded products out there. I have done a taste test amongst fellow diet green tea enthusiasts and this blend gets their seal of approval.

(My apologies for the lack of pictures lately. I seem to have misplaced my digital camera battery charger somewhere between here and I-don't-know-where and the camera phone is iffy. I will resolve this soon though because I know you all love your food porn!)

Good-for-everyone Green Tea

Ingredients

8 cups +2 additional cups water (NOTE this is a change from original posting. I was half asleep last night folks...my bad!)

5 bags of Fair Trade Green Tea
2 cups no-calorie sweetener (I used Splenda)
The juices of:
1/2 a large orange (I used a navel)
1/2 a lemon
1/2 a lime

2 trays of ice cubes

Directions:

Fill a large pot with 8 cups of water and add tea bags and set over a medium flame.

While that's going, in a smaller pot combine Splenda and other cup of water and bring to a boil then remove from heat.

When pot of tea comes to a boil, turn off flame and allow tea to continue to steep for about five minutes until it is a dark amber color.

Add fruit juices to the hot tea mixture.

Combine tea mixture and simple syrup in a pitcher and let it sit on a counter until it comes down to room temperature.

Add ice and then refrigerate (the ice is more for adding more water to the equation and making it the proper temperature to go in the fridge without sending it into hyper overdrive)

When ready to serve, do so over ice in a glass and, if desired, add slices of lemon and/or lime.

Cool, refreshing, cheap to make and it does something for your carbon footprint and your sense of humanity.

What more could you ask for?