Healthy Protein Smoothie with Nectarines and Oats

I hate peaches. Actually I hate peach fuzz. For as long as I can remember, holding a peach brought chills down my spine, gave me goose bumps and caused my teeth to grind slightly. It is an awful feeling that I still get today every time I hold a peach. The sad thing is that I love the flavor, which is why I adore nectarines. They have a very similar taste to peaches and I don't have to go through the process of cringing every time I pick one up. Just thinking about them right now is giving me an uncomfortable tingle.

Thankfully, I have never found a recipe that didn’t taste as good substituting nectarines for peaches. If you’re not weird like me and peach fuzz doesn’t bother you, feel free to use a peach in this smoothie instead of a nectarine. You’ll end up with a very similar result, though you might need to add a little more ice as peaches tend to be juicier than nectarines.

What I love about this smoothie is that it gives me an opportunity to take advantage of the fresh summer fruits and flavors while giving my body extra nutrients by adding in ingredients like wheat germ and vanilla protein powder. Currently, I am expecting my second daughter and this is something the developing baby, myself and my 1.5 year old daughter Eden can enjoy together. Eden loves this smoothie more than any other and it’s easy to see why. It’s sweet, flavorful and delicious.

For me, I like soaking up as much calcium and protein as I can to keep myself healthy while baby number two takes what she needs from me. It can be so difficult to get in enough calcium, especially when pregnant, so I’m constantly looking for ways to create delicious protein shakes rich in calcium, vitamins and other valuable nutrients. That’s why I typically use almond milk in smoothies instead of regular milk. Not only does almond milk give my smoothies a creamier consistency, but it also gives me an average of 15% more calcium in every serving over regular milk and includes important nutrients such as Vitamin E (50%).

The USDA Daily Food Plan for moms recommends that pregnant women consume 5.5 to 6.5 ounces of protein daily in the first trimester and then increase their calcium intake to between 6.5 and 7 ounces daily for the remaining two trimesters. A healthy protein smoothie like this one then becomes both a meal and an important protein boost all in one. I like starting the day off with a vitamin packed smoothie like this one because not only is it delicious, satisfying and healthy, it’s also super easy to make, and for me, convenience and speed are very important. So enjoy this protein-packed summer smoothie recipe and indulge in a delicious shake-like smoothie without the added guilt and calories.

Like peanut butter? Check out my delicious, protein-packed peanut butter smoothie recipes.

Ingredients:
1 Nectarine
1/2 Cup Almond (or regular 1%) Milk
1/2 Cup Mango Juice
1/2 Low Fat Plain Greek Yogurt
1 T. Honey
2 T. Wheat Germ
1/2 Cup Frozen Banana
1 Cup Ice
1/4 Cup Oats
1 Scoop Vanilla Protein Powder

Mini Crustless Bacon Spinach Quiche

I have always loved a good quiche. I love the way they smell when they are baking and the blend of flavors when consumed. But sadly, most quiches are anything but healthy. For example, a Quiche Lorraine at Mimi's Café will cost you 894 calories, 540 of which are from fat! Order this for breakfast and you could end up consuming 92% of your daily fat intake for breakfast. As much as I love raw vegetables, I don't want to spend the rest of my day eating only celery and carrot sticks because I spent all my calories the moment I rolled out of bed. But quiches are so good!

After closer inspection, it turns out that a large portion of the fat and calories in most quiches comes from the crust. Now, I like a quiche crust as much as the next person, but when eliminated I'm surprised at how much I don't miss it. In fact, I think a quiche without the crust actually enhances the flavors of the entire quiche because you don't have a flaky crust trying to steal the show. Another thick does of calories comes from the whole milk used in most quiches and the substantial amount of cheese. But I've found that substituting a low-fat milk, say 1% does not make me wish for the full fat version. I also use cheese more as a minor supporting role in the overall dish. Most of the flavor in these quiches comes from the teaspoon-sized scoop of crumbled bacon, chives and egg. I've found that the amount of cheese added to a recipe does not significantly change the flavor of it, and so I always use less cheese than typical in my recipes. Don't believe me? Try it. Use a little less than normal cheese in your favorite dish, or go without cheese at all, and see just how much you miss it. If you have enough other good flavors you won't be disappointed.

Finally, most quiches are about 4-5 inches in diameter, which is a hefty size if the quiche contains fatty ingredients. In the U.S., we are consistently given portions that are much larger than we should actually consume, but we eat them because we have been trained since childhood to “finish our food”. So by reducing the size of the quiches, eliminating the crust, using low-fat ingredients and adding in fresh vegetables that provide nutrition, these quiches succeed in making you feel full and satisfied without making you feel like you need to exercise immediately thereafter to eliminate the calories and guilt.

By spraying mini muffin tins with fat-free cooking spray and using it to cook up bite-sized quiches, you end up with not only delicious quiches with easy portion control, you also have a great, easy, healthy brunch offering that your guests will love. It’s also an easy way to appease your gluten-free friends as well as those without dietary restrictions. It’s a win-win for everyone.

Ingredients:

5 Whole Eggs
3 Egg Whites
1 Cup 1% Milk
¼ t. Salt
1/8 t. Pepper
Chopped Chives
Crumbled Bacon
Chopped Fresh Spinach
Mozzarella

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Generously coat a mini muffin tin with fat-free cooking spray. Beat eggs, egg whites, milk, salt and pepper together until blended. Pour into muffin tin and fill to 3/4 of the top. Sprinkle bacon, chives, chopped spinach and mozzarella on the top of each little quiche as desired. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes or until the tops of each quiche turn a golden brown.