Protein Jello Cookies

Who loves colorful cookies?! Everyone! Sure, chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies are wonderful, but don't you think pink, green, orange, and red cookies are more fun?! I am in love with these easy and delicious Protein Jello Cookies!

Bright pink cookies! I made these last week.  They were cherry vanilla and so yummy! 

You can make any flavor you like, but today I am going to try key lime ones!

You need vanilla protein powder, nonfat plain greek yogurt, unsweetened almond milk, baking powder, sugar free fat free pudding mix, and whatever flavor sugar free jello mix you like! I also added two little sweeteners.  

Of course you can use any type of milk, and feel free to experiment with other protein powder and pudding flavors!

Just mix everything up in a bowl! You may want to use a whisk to be sure there are no clumps.

Such a pretty color!! These would be so fun for St. Patrick's Day.  Or you could make half red and and half green for Christmas! 

Let the batter sit for about 3-5 minutes.  You will notice that it will thicken up a good bit from the pudding mix.  I highly suggest using a baking mat for these! If you don't have one, at least use parchment paper.  I think they might stick even with non stick spray.  Try at your own risk!

Just drop the batter on the cookie sheet.  You should be able to get one dozen cookies.  They won't rise or spread much at all so you can put them pretty close together.  

They don't take long at all!! Into the oven for only 8-10 minutes at 350. Watch them carefully because if you over bake them they will get hard and rubbery.

They get even prettier after they are baked! It would be fun to do all different colors for Easter! Like pastel Easter egg cookies :)

Now, I consider this whole batch to be one serving! Seriously!

The whole big plate of cookies is under 250 calories!! Yes, you read that correctly! UNDER 250!!

They also have a ton of protein and hardly any sugar! Results may very a bit depending on what brand of protein powder you use.  

You could eat these for breakfast or lunch and make everyone at the office jealous that you are eating a dozen cookies all by yourself! Be careful if you eat these around some kiddos!! They will want to steal them from you for sure!

How could anyone resist the funness!? Plus, these cookies are so soft and gooey and simply delicious!! Everyone is going to love them. So go buy and pudding and jello mix and make these asap!! 

Be sure to post photos of your cookies on all those social media thingamabobs so we can all see the pretty colors!  If you want to make more than one kind, just mix all the ingredients except the jello mix together first.  Then, divide the batter and make as many different flavors and colors as you wish!  You could have yourself a rainbow cookie platter!

Enjoy!!

Protein Jello Cookies

• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (30g)
• 3/4 cup plain nonfat greek yogurt (168g)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (60ml)
• 1/4 package sugar free jello mix (3g)
• 1/4 package sugar free fat free pudding mix (8g)
• 1/4 t baking powder
• sweetener to taste

1. Mix all ingredients in one bowl

2. Let sit for a few minutes (will thicken up a bit)

3. Use baking mat or parchment and drop batter on cookie sheet

4. Makes 1 dozen cookies

5. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes (WATCH, if you over bake they will get hard and rubbery)

6. Eat the whole batch yourself :)

Makes 1 dozen cookies 

248 calories for entire batch

1g Fat

16g Carb

42g Protein

LesserEvil Review

I love going to the grocery store! If I have the time, I like browsing up and down the aisles in search of new yummy and healthy snacks. I was walking through the chip aisle not expecting to find anything that interested me. Sorry, but greasy potato chips just don't appeal to me...I came across a bag with the name LesserEvil written across the top. Ok, interested now... Took a closer look. 

Those are some promising ingredients!! This seemed perfect for me! Did I buy the new snacks?? No. What I did was I contacted the company requesting some samples in exchange for a review. Ask and you shall recieve! Well, most of the time anyhow...

What a generous company! The box arrived a few days later and was huge! There are 5 full sized bags of snacks in there! I couldn't wait to get tasting!

This company sounds amazing! All their products are gluten free and certified organic. I saw a new label on their bags that I had never seen before EC Free! Empty Calorie Free! How cool is that! It means that only use the best, clean ingredients that are packed with nutrients! Lots of other chip like products claim to be healtier alternatives to regular potato chips. Be careful though!! Just because something is healthier doesn't mean it's healthy!!! LesserEvil snacks really are!

I was most excited about the Super 4 Roasted Red Pepper snacks because those were the same ones that struck my fancy in the store. I didn't even request them! They must be psychics too...woah...

How fun do those look?!? Loving these already. They look like little mac and cheese bites. Super crunchy though.

These were beyond amazing!! Anyone who know me knows that I am a big time snacker. I would rather have a big bowl of crunchy snacks rather than a "real meal" for dinner any day! 

I know you shouldn't play with your food but I couldn't resist. You know your kids would love these mini telesopes :) Seriously so yummy though! The flavor is spot on! Only 110 calories for a very generous portion! 3.5F 18C 3P.  These also come in Kale & Roasted Garlic and Cheesy Nacho.

Another type of snack they have is called Chia Crisps. They reminded me of mini rice cakes or pop chips. Which I love!

Not gonna lie, I was a little nervous about these flavors. As a product reviewer I am always worried I won't like products that I try. I hate giving negative reviews on companies that are so generous...I am always honest though and went into these with an open mind!

They smelled good!! Still I was leary... I actually despise olives and feta!! Uh oh!! I decided to be bold and try those first.

Ya know what?!?! I actually really liked them!!! I don't know how to explain it but the taste was really unique and I enjoyed it!! I probably wouldn't buy a whole bag for myself just because I could taste the olive flavor, but these will not be wasted!! And if you do like olives you will LOVE these!! 

Now I do really like pickles. But as a crunchy snack?! Skeptical, but open minded!

So good!!! I will share the olive and feta ones with the husband but these are mine! They were salty and crunchy and definetly had a pickly taste, but it worked so well together! You arnt't going to find these fun flavors anywhere else! Each serving is only 110 calories  3.5F 19C 4P and you get a lot! I am a volume eater for sure so these are perfection!  You can also get these in Jalapeño White Cheddar or Southern Barbeque.  

Lastly I got to try some popcorn from their line of Chia Pop. They sent Aged White Cheddar and Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper.  Also available in Classic Theater Style.

Popcorn made with chia seed?! How great is that! You would never know by looking at it!

I am pretty sure everyone loves cheddar popcorn! As soon as I tore into this bag I could smell the cheesey goodness. 

By far the best cheddar popcorn I have ever had! No lie! The flavor was simply perfect! I can't wait to settle in for a movie tonight with a big bowl of this! Way better than movie theater popcorn! And WAY better for you! 100 calories 4.5F 17C 3P.  Very macro friendly!! That is for 2.5 cups worth of popcorn! Calling all volume eaters :)

I ended my snack fest with a taste of the black pepper popcorn. You can literally see the specs of pepper in there!

I gotta be honest, I wasn't a huge fan of this flavor :( I simple don't like pepper. I never cook with it and don't use it on my food at all. But if you like pepper you will love this for sure! Same nutritional info as the cheddar popcorn. Love the consistency! 

Who does like pepper?! My husband! As soon as he got home I shoved the bowl in his face and said "Try this now!!"

Soooo, about half the bag is gone...Ha, we finally got the watch the new season premiere of 24 and he snacked on this while we watched Jack :) So it may not have been my cup of tea, but the hubby gave it two thumbs up!!

I am so glad I discovered this company! And even more glad because they sell their snacks in regular grocery stores! If you can't find them near you just order some online. 

I couldn't decide what to pack in my lunch for the next day so I gave myself two of my new delicious snacks!

Can't wait til lunchtime tomorrow!!!

Strawberry Protein Muffins

Summer is coming!!! It was 82 degrees and super sunny in Pittsburgh yesterday.  You will never ever hear me say "It's too hot!" I love summertime! So what would be the perfect summer breakfast?? How about strawberry muffins?! 

Ya, I would say that looks like summer to me.

Once you have your fresh strawberries, you only need a couple more ingredients!

Strawberry or vanilla protein powered, egg substitute, baking powder, vanilla, and sweetener.  Normally I would just use vanilla protein powder because I don't usually buy a big tub of strawberry. I just happen to have this great sample so I figured it would be perfect! 

We are going to use 2 cups of strawberries.  

I had to snack on a few while prepping.  Too good!

We are going to puree 1 cup...

And chop 1 cup into little pieces...

 If you wanted, you could puree all the strawberries, but I prefer the texture of having pieces of fruit in there.

Mix everything together in a bowl.  Easy!

You already know these muffins are going to be super pretty! That color!

Use muffin liners or silicon baking cups.  You can fill the cups up just about to the top because these won't rise much.

Into the oven for about 28-30 minutes at 350.

They smell awesome!

They are going to taste even more awesome! 

In case you had any doubt, all 6 muffins are considered one serving! You could always double the recipe if you wanted to share.

All 6 muffins are only 245 calories! I made two batches to freeze for on-the-go breakfasts.  

Each muffin is only about 40 calories.  

These would be so good topped with a little non fat greek yogurt!! Like a strawberries and cream summer treat!  Looks like I will be making a third batch to try that right away.  Good thing strawberries are on sale this week :)

Strawberry Protein Muffins

•  2 c strawberries (300g)
• 1 scoop strawberry or vanilla protein powder (30g)
• 3 T egg substitute (46g)
• 1/2 t vanilla
• 1/2 t baking powder
• sweetener to taste

1. Puree 1 cup strawberries.
2. Chop 1 cup strawberries into little pieces.
3. Mix all ingredients together.
4. Use liners of silicon cups.  Fill almost to the top.
5. Bake at 350 for 28-30 minutes.

Makes 6 muffins - 40 calories each

225 calories for all 6

0g Fat

16g Carb

32g Protein

**What's your favorite summertime food??

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don't think there is anything more comforting than a warm and soft chocolate chip cookie.  Baking with mom, cookies and milk after school, even Santa loves them!! How about some chocolate chip cookies that taste great and are good for you too? Yes please! I will take 12! That is how many you get for just a little over 400 calories.  I don't think Santa's waistline will complain if you leave him some of these next Christmas!

I don't think anyone would complain if you gave them a batch of these cookies! 

These are so soft and have some pretty fun ingredients in them.

MTS Vanilla whey, any type of white bean (chick, garbanzo, navy...), egg substitute, canned pumpkin, vanilla, baking powder, sweetener, and chocolate chips.

MTS whey is great for baking! I always have great results.  

You can order it here and use code KH30 to save 30%

When using beans in baking, you always want to drain and rinse them first.  We don't need that bean juice in our cookies...Throw the beans, egg, and vanilla into your food processor or blender and puree til smooth.  You may need a little additional liquid to get it all blended.  If you do, water or milk will work fine. 

Looks like hummus in the making?! Nope, cookies :)

Add the rest of your ingredients.

Be sure to get yourself some cute little portioning bowls so you can feel like you're on an cooking show! Seriously, it makes baking much more fun!

Mix it all up by hand.  Seems like my batter always looks like baby food...hmm...

No worries! The end product will be pure awesomeness! Make sure your batter is cool before you add the chocolate.  Sometimes after blending the beans at high speed, they get a little warm.  I just stick this in the freezer for a minute so I don't melt my chocolate. 

Add whatever kind of chips you like! Mini, chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, peanut butter, chunks...They will all work wonderfully!

You can also add as much or as little as you want! I only did 1 tablespoon but feel free to make them super chocolatey! 

Be sure to use a baking mat, parchment, or lots of non stick spray.  The dough is sticky so just drop the batter onto your cookie sheet.

I got 12 cookies.  You can make them bigger or smaller, but I think these ones are perfect sized.

Bake at 350 for about 8-10 minutes. They don't take long at all! Be careful the first time you make them.  If you bake them too long they may get a little dry.

Perfection! Now, these cookies do have a slight orange tint to them from the pumpkin...I promise you they don't taste like pumpkin though! They also don't taste like beans! What do they taste like?? Amazing chocolate chip cookies! Soooo super soft.  I love the texture from the beans and pumpkin.  Probably my two favorite baking ingredients.

Now remember, these are healthy so eat as many as you like! Each one is only 34 calories!

Seriously though...who eats only one cookie?! Not me! These made a great breakfast! Yup, cookies for breakfast. With 34 grams of protein, these guys will keep you full and satisfied all morning.  You can make everyone jealous by telling them you ate a batch of cookies for breakfast...hehe...

Enjoy!

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1/2 c chickpeas/garbanzo (130g)
• 1/4 c canned pumpkin (60g)
• 3 T egg substitute (46g)
• 1 scoop MTS Vanilla whey (30g)
• 1/2 t vanilla
• 1/2 t baking powder
• sweetener to taste
• 2 T mini chocolate chips (28g)

1. Drain and rinse beans.

2. Blend chickpeas with egg and vanilla.  Add some liquid if necessary to get smooth.  

3. Stir in remaining ingredients

4. Use baking mat, parchment, or non stick spray.  Drop batter onto cookie sheet. 

5. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

Makes 12 cookies - 34 calories each

410 calories for whole batch

11g Fat

46g Carb

34g Protein

**What kind of cookies do you always leave for Santa??

Do You Cheat??

I am always hearing about people having "cheat days" "cheat meals" and "yolo-ing" in the foody world.  All these things basically mean eating food that is considered unhealthy or "bad" for you, and not worrying about the calories or macros.  Some people then say how they "got off track" or "had a bad day".  I would like to share my opinions on this subject! Feel free to skip this post if you simply don't care!

First of all, do I do "cheat meals".  My answer is simply NO.  Does that mean that I do not enjoy some foods that may be classified as unhealthy?! Heck no! I quite often will have some M&M's, Reese's Pieces, Pop Tarts, gummy bears, or other sugary bites of deliciousness.  

Does this mean that I am "cheating".  No, it means that I am eating something that I wanted! I spent many many years of my life not allowing myself any of these foods and I regret that! I missed out on birthday cake, snacks at the movies, baking with the kiddos and actually eating our creations...I even struggled to allow myself a bite of my own wedding cake! No more!

That cake was so good by the way... Although I got more up my nose than in my mouth...

I would say probably about 90% of my diet consists of clean, healthy, good for you foods.  Whatever that means...Ha, I think these terms get thrown around very loosely.  Some people might say that I eat crazy healthy! Others might disagree because maybe I use a little more Splenda, spray butter, and sugar free syrup than I probably should.  Ya know what though?? Those chemical filled products make food taste goooood...

For the most part though, I eat lots of fruits and veggies, healthy protein, and good carbs and fats.  I love making things like spinach pancakes!

Looks good right?! Am I always super healthy though? No, I could probably do better sometimes.  I know for sure that I don't get enough fat in my diet.  Something I am working on. The other day I finished logging in MyFitnessPal and only had 9 grams of fat for the day! Whoops!! Some people were saying that I should go eat some peanut butter or buttered bread or a bunch of nuts.  But I wasn't hungry and had eaten my fill for the day.  So I had a day with extremely low fat...it that one day going to kill me? No! It reminded me of something I need to be aware of and I did better the next day. 

Extra peanut butter on my peanut butter protein bar which I baked into a cookie? Don't mind if I do!

Yay for more fat!

I use the terms healthy and good for you in my recipes posts all the time, but I use those terms based on what I believe to be healthy. You can agree or disagree. I am not a dietician, nutritionist, or doctor!

Onto my next little ramble.  IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) and do I follow it.  Yes and no.  I basically use it to try and reach my fat and protein goals.  I have figured out the MINIMUM amount of fat and protein my body needs based on my age, weight, activity level, ect.  I also have a minimum amount of calories I try to get in each day. I try to hit those fat and protein numbers first, and then I put the remaining calories into whatever I feel like eating.  It might be more fat or protein, or I might eat a lot of carbs one day.  It is called flexible dieting right?! I have been super strict and rigid all my life and I am trying to find some flexibility in my eating.  I want to be able to enjoy these little morsels of heaven.

Some people like to follow iifym very strict.  That's ok! If that works for them.  But if I have lots of fat and carb left at the end of the night, I am not going to eat a huge bowl of Skittles and a spoonful of peanut butter! I will try to be more balanced the next day, but I am not going to eat something I don't want just to meet my macros.  I am not a body builder or bikini model and I am not bulking for cutting for my next show! I am just someone who enjoys working out, staying fit, and baking and eating as healthy as possible. 

It is not that rare that a lunch or dinner might look something like this.

Is that the healthiest thing I could make? No, not at all.  Sometimes I get home from work very late and don't feel like cooking AT ALL.  I feel like snacking! So that is what I do.  I got my fruit, carbs, protein, and fat! It tastes good and I enjoy eating it.  The hubby and I watch a lot of movies and I would rather have something like this while we watch rather than a "real dinner".  Do I have this every night? No, but every one in while I see nothing wrong with it.  

In conclusion...Do I have cheat meals? NO

Do I allow myself some unhealthy snacks from time to time? YES

Do I follow iifym? Yes, and no...I use it to meet my fat and protein goals and have fun with the rest.

Feel free to follow me on MyFitnessPal!

I do not log every day.  Sometimes I just use it to figure out the macros for my recipes.  Some days I might eat fruit, veggies, nuts, and protein bars! Some days I might eat fruit, veggies, protein bars, and Pop Tarts!  Notice that I ALWYAS eat protein bars...I am slightly obsessed! 

Let me know your thoughts too! Do you consider it cheating when you eat something unhealthy? Do you follow a strict way of eating?