Protein packed French Toast!

This is my go to breakfast when I know I need a lot of fuel to get through a workout! The balance of protein and carbs provides me with steady energy all morning! Not to mention my sweet tooth is totally satisfied! 

What you will need:

2 slices of Ezekiel bread, or your choice of bread 

2 egg whites (6 tbsp liquid egg whites)

1/2 tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp  vanilla protein powder

1 packet of stevia 

In a mixing bowl combine egg whites, protein powder, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and stevia.

Once you have combined the above ingredients go ahead and place your bread into the bowl and allow it to soak up the mixture.

Place bread into a skillet over medium heat and cook for about 2 minutes on each side.

 Drizzle with honey and enjoy!

Calories: 250

Fat: 1

Carbohydrates: 32

Protein: 26

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies!

I was really wanting homemade chocolate chip cookies last night and these hit the spot! They are by no means low calorie, but they are a healthier (better ingredients) alternative to satisfy your sweet tooth!

1/3 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup honey

1/4 melted coconut oil

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

About a handful of chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

This mixture should make about 12 cookies. Place onto a greased baking sheet. Be sure to flatten the cookies before putting them into the oven because they will not flatten on their own while they cook.

Bake for 14 minutes.

Pesto chicken wrap!

This is one of my favorite things to make for lunch! It's quick, simple, and healthy... yet tastes indulgent.

What you'll need

• 1 Ezekiel tortilla or whole wheat wrap

• 4 ounces of lean chicken breast

• 1 tbsp of pre-made pesto

• 1/2 ounce goat cheese

• tomato or any vegetables of your choice

This is delicious hot or cold, but I prefer it heated. Below I have listed the nutritional information. You can definitely cut some calories by using a lower calorie wrap. However, I find that low calorie wraps are filled with chemicals and I would rather consume more calories and eat REAL food. 

Nutritional information:

388 calories

15 grams of fat

27 grams of carbs

36 grams protein

Enjoy! 

Paleo Coconut Shrimp!

I LOVE the coconut shrimp from Outback Steakhouse. Warm, crispy, sweet, and fattening. One serving of their coconut shrimp has about 420 calories, but to be honest it's not the calories that bother me. What I don't like is that they are dipped in beer batter, fried (probably in canola oil), and served with what i'm sure is a dipping sauce of high fructose corn syrup. So although these are delicious, and I still order them occasionally, I would rather make my own at home and enjoy a bigger portion for less calories and fat. I also like making my own because there are no mystery ingredients. So the other day I attempted to make my own and they came out great! After looking through a few recipes on pinterest this is what I came up with.

MAKES 2 SERVINGS

• 24 regular sized shrimp
• 2 tbsp coconut flour
• 3/4 cup shredded reduced fat coconut
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp coconut oil

In one bowl mix all of your dry ingredients. The coconut flour, shredded coconut, cayenne, salt, and pepper. In another bowl go ahead and mix your wet ingredients. The egg and egg white.

Make sure that your shrimp have been cleaned and patted dry.

In a medium sized frying pan melt 1 tbsp. coconut oil on medium heat.

Place a few shrimps in the egg mixture to coat them, then move them over to your dry mixture to "bread" them. 

Once they are covered with the dry coconut mixture you are going to drop them into the coconut oil. Let them cook for two minutes on each side.

Remove the shrimp from the frying pan and place on to a paper towel.

And here's what they'll look like!

 These are great for lunch! Full of protein,healthy fats, and no processed carbs. They were delicious! Hope you guys enjoy!

How to make the BEST Protein Waffle!

According to Livestrong.com the average Belgian Waffle contains 510 calories... And that's before the syrup and other calorie dense toppings. Traditional waffles contain very little protein and a crazy amount of carbs. I'm going to share with you guys how I enjoy delicious waffles for breakfast and stay fit! 

What you will need...

•1 scoop of vanilla or chocolate protein powder. (I use perfect fit, organic and plant based)

•1/2 cup of quick oats.

•1/4 cup low fat cottage cheese

•Two eggs 

 Pre-heat your waffle maker to medium heat. 

First, place your 1/2 cup of quick oats into a blender or food processor. You want to pulse the oats until they turn to flour. You can also buy oat flour from most grocery stores, but I find it just as easy to make my own.

Once your oats are a flour-like consistency add your eggs, protein powder, and cottage cheese. You can also add one packet of stevia to the mixture for added sweetness.

Mix all ingredients in the blender until you have a batter.

Pour half the batter into your waffle maker and...

Here's your delicious protein waffle! 

This recipe makes 2 waffles. 

1 waffle 

• 202 calories

•19 protein 

•17 carbs

•7   fat

I usually like to drizzle a little bit of honey on top. You can also top your waffle with fruit, shredded coconut, or  1 tbsp of nut butter. This recipe is so delicious and guilt-free. These waffles will not weigh you down and with all that protein you'll be full for hours! 

If you guys make your own protein waffles I would love to see them on Instagram! Just hashtag #JenTheFitFoodie so I can find them!

I used to be fat.

This is me in 2009 (18 yrs. old), the heaviest weight I have ever been. This was the year that I would change my lifestyle. I was about to graduate from high school and I wanted a fresh start. I was chubby all throughout my childhood/teenage years. It didn't bother me though. I was confident in myself, liked the way I looked, and obviously really enjoyed all of the horrible crap I was putting into my body. I was never really made fun of for my weight, maybe a few times. One bitch did call me a pig haha but I just laughed stuff like that off; I have thick skin. It never really got to me. I knew that my family and friends would accept me regardless of my size. Actually, now that I think of it, the only thing that did bother me was not being able to shop at the same stores my friends did. I wanted to be stylish and wear the latest trends. I could barely fit into a large at Forever21. But oh well, I found cute clothes elsewhere. From ages 3-18 I was involved in dance; first for recreation and then competitively. Once I started competing I had dance rehearsal after school 3 days a week, usually from 3-8 pm.  I typically went straight from school to dance and grabbed fast food on the way there. My friends did the same, but they were still fit and skinny haha. Even though I was dancing my butt off, I was still overweight because of the quantity of food I was consuming. I didn't let my weight hold me back though. If you ask me I was actually pretty fit for being overweight. I worked hard (most of the time) and enjoyed every second of it, even going to Florida multiple times to compete at the national level with other dance schools around the country.

So why did I decide to change my lifestyle? I really don't know what clicked for me. One day I just decided to give it a try. I wanted to feel healthier. I wanted to be strong. I started counting my calories. I still ate terribly though, mostly low calorie, low fat, processed crap. I remember eating Lean Cuisine and feeling like I was doing something good for myself. What a joke, but I had to start somewhere. I definitely don't advocate this stuff now, but hey, it worked. Once I saw the numbers on the scale going down I wanted to keep going. I was motivated. Since I was no longer dancing I decided to join a gym. Oh how I hated the gym. I can remember  being on that treadmill and wanting to rip my eyeballs out. I could barely run for 3 minutes straight. BUT, I never gave up.

This is me now. A fit, healthy, happy 22 (almost 23) year old. I lost most of my weight in about a year and a half. I am 70 pounds lighter and I have finally found balance between eating the foods I love and maintaining my weight. I now eat clean, nutritious, healthy foods. I still go out to dinner and enjoy life! I allow myself to indulge, but have learned to get right back on track the next meal. Weight loss is not about depriving yourself, it's about finding balance and making healthier choices. I love to transform some of my favorite fattening dishes into healthy alternatives that I can enjoy guilt-free. I have created this blog to share those recipes as well as things I've learned on my weight loss journey! I would love to answer any questions you guys might have and I hope this blog provides some great tips and delicious recipes for you!