Pina Colada Protein Shake

I cannot believe the cold winter weather is already upon us! (If you live in a tropical, warm location- I ENVY YOU). This girl is not ready for the snow! Which must be the reason that I was daydreaming about tropical islands... and Pina Coladas! They are my favorite summer treat, but why not enjoy them in the winter too?

When I realized I had the perfect ingredients for a "Pina Colada" protein shake (coconut, banana, and pineapple), I raced to the gym, killed a workout, and sprinted right back home to make this. And let me tell you: H.E.A.V.E.N. A legit pina colada. But healthy :)

Pina Colada Protein Shake

The super simple ingredients:

2 ice cubes

1/2 frozen banana

1/2 c. frozen pineapple

1 T. unsweetened coconut

1 serving nonfat plain Greek yogurt

1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

1 packet stevia

unsweetened almond milk

Add the ingredients in that order into your blender and "ice crush" on the highest setting until everything is blended. I add just enough almond milk to make it thick and creamy. You may need to stop the blender a few times to stir it, and try adding another splash of almond milk!

If you've seen my earlier fruit&protein shake post, you will know that I freeze my bananas AFTER peeling them and dicing them into 6 slices. I put them on a piece of wax paper and put them in the freezer, as pictured above. 3 slices= half a banana. It helps to make the most delicious milkshake-ish consistency in your protein shake. I found my frozen pineapple in the freezer section, and the unsweetened coconut in the organic section.

Am I on an island? ... or in my 40 degree apartment?

I can't wait until my workout is over tomorrow so I can enjoy this goodness again. Heck, you could even make it as a dessert! Check out the nutrition facts below!

Nutrition:

326 calories

5g fat

32g carbs

21g sugar

39g protein

Luckily, all of the sugar/carb content is from real fruit, so I'm okay with it! These are the perfect macros to fuel you after a good workout. So please, ENJOY, and let me know what you think!

<3 Morgan

Clean Pumpkin Protein Muffins

Tis the season! The fall season that is. After making my mom's delicious pumpkin bread recipe (which includes 3 CUPS of sugar...) I decided I needed to find a healthy alternative for my fall-ish pumpkin cravings! Hence, my Clean Pumpkin Protein Muffins! I mean, not only are these muffins made with clean ingredients, but they have PROTEIN. Morgan's favorite thing. 

These muffins took a total of 30 minutes to make, I had ALL of the ingredients lying around my house, and they are sure to satisfy your pumpkin sweet tooth without the added calories, fat, or sugar.

Try 'em out before winter sneaks up on us! Your house will smell amazing (and your roomates will thank you). 

Clean Pumpkin Protein Muffins

Ingredients:

1 can pumpkin puree 

1/2 c. egg whites

1/2 c. unsweetened apple sauce

1 serving plain nonfat Greek yogurt

2 T. all-natural peanut butter

1 t. vanilla

4 packets stevia

1 c. oat flour

2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder

1/4 t. baking soda

1/2 t. baking powder

1 t. pumpkin pie spice

1 t. cinnamon

olive oil cooking spray

muffin tin

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 

Mix together the pumpkin, egg whites, apple sauce, yogurt, peanut butter, stevia, and vanilla in a large bowl with an electronic mixer. Add in the oat flour, protein powder, baking soda, baking powder, and spices and mix until well-combined.

 Prep your muffin tins with a coat of olive oil cooking spray and you don't even need to use muffin liners!

Spoon your muffin mixture evenly into each muffin tin (makes 15 muffins)

Now bake them for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees! You will know they are done when a toothpick or knife comes out clean. Allow the finished muffins to sit in the tin for about 5 minutes before removing them..... Then indulge :)

The pumpkin puree can be found on any grocer's shelves. Make sure its pure pumpkin with no added sugars. In my first batch of these muffins, I only used 2 packets of stevia and thought they tasted a little bland (oops, this girl has a sweet tooth problem) so I thought 4 packets would add the perfect amount of sweetness. Oat flour can be found in the organic section of your grocery store (this is also what I use in my Homemade Protein Bars so you can get multiple uses out of it)!

Nutrition:

83 calories

1.8g fat

9g carbs

1.3g fiber

2.3g sugar

7g protein

Now I'd call that a clean muffin!

So much deliciousness, I can't handle it. Store your muffins in tupperware and go ahead and freeze a few to keep them fresh for next week! They will still taste great.

Enjoy! and LETS GET HEALTHY!

Morgan