Rice - Frozen in Individual Servings

I've thought about buying those individual cups of Minute rice but they cost a pretty penny compared to the bags of rice.  To get more bang for my buck, I buy a box of Trader Joe's frozen brown rice.  It comes with 3 microwaveable bags and each bag makes about 3 cups.  The only problem is that I end up cooking way more than I need for one meal.  So my solution is freezing the leftovers in 1/2 cup portions.   I pack the rice into the measuring cup (works best if the rice is still a little warm), then turn upside down on a cookie sheet, tap it and it slides out.  Stick them in the freezer for a couple hours and once frozen you can transfer to a Ziploc bag.  Now you've got individual servings ready to go!

Girls Bite Out - Latte vs. Misto

The ongoing battle with the Bucks.  Who wants to drink hundreds of calories without a buzz?  Not me.  Lattes are tasty but that cup is almost all milk with just a shot of espresso.  Meet Mr. Misto, aka coffee with steamed milk.  The Misto has more coffee and less milk, yet still has the froth and creaminess.

Here’s the comparison of calories w/ nonfat milk for a Tall (12oz):

Tall
Latte – 100
Misto – 60


And while we're cutting calories, let's not forget about our friend Shorty.  The less known Short is an 8 ounce cup.  It may look small but when you think about it, it's the same size as an old school coffee mug. 

Short
Latte – 70
Misto – 35

Falafel Sandwich Under 300 Calories

Quick and easy sandwich made with store-bought falafel (not fried) for only 250 calories.  It's also good stuffed in half a whole wheat pita.

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Ingredients:


1 100 Calorie Slim Roll
2 Veggie Patch Falafel Chickpea Balls
2 Tbsp Hummus
Sliced Tomato
Sliced Red Onion
Lettuce

Toast roll. Meanwhile microwave falafel balls for 30-60sec to warm.

Spread hummus on one half of roll. Place the falafel balls on the other half of roll and press down with a fork to slightly flatten. Top with tomato, onion, lettuce and dig in!

250 calories, 8g fat, 8g fiber, 8g protein

Pumpkin Protein Pancakes

Pumpkin pancakes with 20 grams of protein per serving

Serves 2

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Ingredients

1/4 cup Multigrain Pancake/Baking Mix
1.5 Scoops Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
1 Tbsp Turbinado Sugar
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

1/4 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
2 Egg Whites
3 Tbsp Canned Pumpkin

Mix the first 5 ingredients together. Add the last 3 and mix until combined. Heat a skillet sprayed with cooking spray. Pour batter in pan to make desired size pancakes. Once the pancake starts to bubble on top, flip over and cooked until done.

Amount of batter will make either 6 small pancakes (aprrox 4" diameter) or 3 larger pancakes.

Nutrition Info (half the recipe): 211 Calories, 5g Fat, 2g fiber, 9g sugar, 20g protein

* Topping with 1 tablespoon of pure maple syurp or agave nectar will add approximately 50-60 calories.



Sweet Cinnamon and Banana Brown Rice

This is like oatmeal but with brown rice instead of oats.  It is amazing and very filling!  Also, check out this video of me making this recipe and you'll see just how easy it is!

Here's what I used:

The Base:
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 tsp agave nectar
Cinnamon to taste

The Extras:
1 tbsp raisins
1 tbsp slivered almonds (or another nut)
A few banana slices*


Just mix it all in a pot and cook until it boils and thickens.  Only takes about 5 minutes.

*I happened to have some frozen banana slices on hand.  I highly recommended freezing and stashing some to use in this, oatmeal, cereal, smoothies, etc.  Just slice the banana and lay out on a cookie sheet making sure that they don't touch.  This way they'll freeze faster and won't get stuck together.  Once frozen, you can place in a ziploc.