Morgan's Homemade Protein Bars

The only way to guarantee that you are “eating clean”… is to make it yourself! No more feeling guilty about eating packaged, preserved, nasty products- homemade is the way to go! These taste WAY BETTER than store-bought protein bars, can be grabbed on the go, and last in the fridge! AND you know they are healthy since you are making them! I bet these will become a weekly tradition for you (especially if you meal prep) and it definitely satisfied my sweet tooth! I've wanted to experiment making protein bars for the longest time.. Well, this one is checked off the blog-bucket-list and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Really, who doesn't love the combination of banana, peanut butter, and chocolate? I wasn't going to include dark chocolate chips in my first experimental batch but I cannot resist that flavor trio. A little sugar won't kill you (and dark chocolate is the smartest option anyway). Ahhh, I am so satisfied. Here we go: 

Banana PB Chocolate Protein Bars

Homemade Protein Bars

Ingredients:

2 medium ripe bananas, mashed

3 egg whites

1/2 c. unsweetened almond milk

2 T. Teddie's natural unsalted peanut butter 

4 packets stevia 

1 t. vanilla

1 c. old fashioned oats

1 c. oat flour

1 1/4 scoops protein powder (I used Gold Standard Whey- Vanilla)

Dashes of cinnamon

 3 T. dark chocolate chips

Instructions:

-Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Coat a pan with olive oil cooking spray. I used a 9" circular pan, I'm sure an 8x8 or other size would work just fine- you just may need to alter your baking time by a few minutes.

-Mash your bananas in a large bowl. I used a handheld mixer.

-Combine the mashed bananas, egg whites, almond milk, peanut butter, stevia, and vanilla

-Next add in the oatmeal, oat flour, protein powder, cinnamon

-Lastly, stir in the dark chocolate chips!

before the oven!

Pour your batter into the greased pan and pop it into the oven (at 350 degrees) for 20 minutes! The middle should appear solid, almost as if you were baking a cake.

after the oven!

Let it cool for a good 10-15 minutes. Next, I was able to flip my pan over and the bars came out easily and cleanly out of the pan! (Remember to coat the pan with cooking spray before pouring your batter in). I placed it on a cutting board to let it cool more before proceeding to slice it!

I sliced it into 16 bars (which is what the nutrition facts portray below!) This gives you 100-calorie servings (99.75 calories to be exact) and is a good serving to fill you up with 6 grams of protein. Enjoy two bars if you're used to having 200 calories/12g protein snack times :)

can you imagine the deliciousness?

melty dark chocolate... mmmm

Nutrition Facts

100 calories

3g fat

12.5 carbs

3g sugar

6g protein

2g fiber

Enjoy one bar warm out of the oven (it made me feel like I was eating a cookie fresh out of the oven- seriously delicious, people) and store the rest in the fridge! I froze a few of mine as well. Since all of the ingredients are fresh, you want to enjoy them quicker than a store-bought product... those store-bought protein bars are filled with preservatives to allow them to last days, weeks, months, maybe years... EWWWW! Not Morgan's Homemade Protein Bars! And let me tell you- I don't know how these will even stay in your fridge for more than a week. They are THAT good.

Since they only take 20 MINUTES (with a 10 minute prep), you should have NO excuse that you "don't have time"- toss them in the oven when you watch the nightly news, when your dinner is cooking, while you're styling your hair... please, people. You have time! This will also save you money from the store-bought protein bars that can be $1/bar (or more)!

ENJOY BEING HEALTHY!

And never forget: healthy is possible.

Morgan :)

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Stay on Track: Meal Prep!

Today I thought I would share a little motivation about a very valuable lesson I've learned this year. And guess what? It is all about FOOD!

Food. We all love it. Who doesn't? It is always on our minds: What am I hungry for? When can I eat next? What should we have for dinner tonight? As someone who has adjusted to a lifestyle of eating every 2 hours, I'm always thinking about what I'll be eating next, however this past year has taught me a lot about exactly what I SHOULD be eating next. You all know that I have that bizarre "I LOVE TO WORKOUT" bug in my system, but after adjusting my lifestyle and planning my meals, I've reached so many more goals. Hence this blog:

MEAL PREP!

Meal prep at its finest :)

 Nutrition is SO important! Of course, balancing a healthy diet and exercise regimen is the key to success, but like they say: "abs are built in the kitchen". If you want to see serious results, an occasional gym session won't be enough. Commit yourself entirely and hop on the healthy-meal bandwagon. This blog is FULL of nutritious ideas!

As I was inspired to blog about this today, I happened to be "meal-prepping" for my next endeavor: the Miss Massachusetts Pageant- THIS WEEKEND! Today called for some intense cooking, as we "move-in" to our hotel tomorrow to begin Miss Mass Week: rehearsals, appearances, interviews, and competition! Keeping my tummy happy is crucial for me, in order to keep my brain happy, my dancer feet happy, you get it. :)

protein, almonds, stevia, here we go!

If you're looking for even more motivation to start meal-prepping, let me tell you my mini-success-story! Two years ago I really began my "healthy transformation" and much of this was trial and error. For example, eating sugary bowls of cereal for dinner was "healthy" to me at one time (bet you'll even find it on my earliest blog posts!). I started working out more, saw results, then seemed stuck. That is when I realized I needed to continue making adjustments to my diet to continue striving for a nutritious lifestyle. It is KEY to make slow, gradual changes to your diet... in my experience, drastic changes typically end in failure because it doesn't seem approachable or realistic for your body to maintain. If you slowly trick your body into a healthy lifestyle, it will respond, and thank you! So anyway.... I began kicking breads and pastas out of my diet (again, this whole transformation is scattered throughout my blog) and 3 months ago I began training with RX Strength Training of Somerville, Massachusetts. This is when I stepped up the intensity even more and meal preparation became my best friend. I would take 2 chicken breasts out of the freezer every night (which I individually bagged after buying fresh chicken breasts), and I would hard boil my eggs in the morning, cook my chicken, pack my raw almonds and greens, and go on with my busy lifestyle. For example... I was eating a homemade chicken, spinach, and broccoli salad yesterday... in the movie theater. Below you'll find me with my protein shake, water bottle, and salad... on my way to the Luke Bryan concert. Like I said, meal prep has been my best friend.

Thaw overnight, cook in the morning. You're good to go!

chicken for days (literally)

Once I began this, I started seeing the best results I've ever had in my life. After intense workouts and strict dedication to my nutrition, lower carbs, and no cheat meals for 5 weeks, I saw my body fat percentage drop from 21.5% in April, to 14.4% today, at the end of June! In only 3 months I came that far! All of my crazy meal-prep paid off, and I will keep doing this for as long as I need to. I've never felt healthier, happier, or more confident and energetic! Hope that inspires you: you CAN do whatever you set your mind to! Avoid McDonalds. Say goodbye to Dunkin Donuts breakfast bacon, egg & cheese. Start your new life, and make it a healthy one! Prep those meals, treat yourself once in a while, and be so proud of yourself!

Morgan + Protein Shaker + Tupperware Salad= BFFs

Easy ways to incorporate meal-prep into your life:

- do one large cooking session on Sunday nights, prep for the week

(or)

- when cooking dinner each night, cook extra and have that for your lunch the following day

 (or)

- whatever works for your lifestyle! 

 You can take anything on the go. However, if you're spending the time to do this, make sure you are making smart choices! Think of things you don't mind reheated (or cold), and find a fridge where you work or bring a cold-pack like I do! ...And PLEASE don't forget to eat breakfast. So important.

- salads (keep the dressing on the side in a mini tupperware)

- sweet potatoes          - greek yogurt (pack cinnamon & stevia)         

- raw veggies          - fresh fruit

- chicken breasts (obviously what I do!)          - raw almonds

- hard boiled eggs

- protein shakes          -snacks fit for your nutrition goals

- water, water, water, water, water. go green, buy a water bottle

- don't forget silverware!

broccoli, protein, mmmmm :)

There you have it, meal preparation at its finest!! Remember, everything you put in your mouth contributes to your health. You can do this!

<3 Morgan

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1-Minute Clean Blueberry "Muffin"

Who loves comfort food on a Saturday morning? ...

Breakfast is my favorite part of the day. I love nothing more than waking up early when the house is quiet, pouring myself a few cups of coffee, reading the news, and of course... enjoying a great breakfast. While training for my pageant, I don't have a whole lot of breakfast options: but this morning I found a great alternative!

Before my run, I found came across an amazing recipe on Pintrest and figured I just HAD to give it a try so I could share it with you all :) I figured a few carbohydrates from the oatmeal would fuel my morning workout, and boy was I right! Ladies and gentlemen: treat yourself this morning with a guilt-free treat. Introducing the:

1-Minute Clean Blueberry "Muffin":

1-Minute Clean Blueberry Muffin

 How DELICIOUS does that look? Let me tell you, for how healthy this is AND how good it tastes, I will never eat a fat-filled blueberry muffin again. Ready to give it a try yourself?

Ingredients:

1/4c. quick oats

1 egg

1/4c. blueberries

1 packet/sprinkle Stevia/Truvia

1 T. unsweetened almond milk

dash of cinnamon

Blueberry "Muffin" ingredients. So simple!

Directions:

Combine all of your ingredients in a coffee mug and mix it together. Put your 'batter' in the microwave for 1 minute (watch to make sure it doesn't over flow!). If the 'muffin' top isn't firm, continue to microwave for 30 second intervals. I used my biggest coffee mug, and my microwave time was closer to 2 minutes total.

fresh out of the microwave!

Once you are happy with the consistency, flip your mug over onto a plate... and get ready to enjoy your Clean Blueberry "Muffin!"

I devoured this in about... 2 minutes.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 171

Fat: 7g

Carb: 19g

Fiber: 3g

Sugar: 4g

Protein: 9g

Let me know what you think! I added the dash of CINNAMON because I love it, and cinnamon also has great benefits! Stabilizing blood sugar levels, reducing body fat percentages, increasing lean muscle mass, and the fact that it is an anti-viral are just a few of the perks! 

If you can't eat EGG, you can try substituting for a "flax seed egg" : combine 1 T. flax seed meal with 3 T. water, let it sit for about 2 minutes, then add it in place of an egg. **I have not tried this with this recipe yet!

Hope you enjoy your new Saturday morning "comfort" food :)

Morgan

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Goodbye Sodium, Hello Not-So-Boring Chicken! Salsa Time!

Chicken. Chicken. Chicken. Chicken. And more chicken.

As Miss Boston, I've spent months and months preparing for the Miss Massachusetts pageant, which includes paying extra attention to my nutrition... and eating so. much. chicken. Pageant girls and fitness advocates la-la-la LOVE our protein! Over the last few months, my chicken breasts not only started to bore me, but my mouth didn't even want to chew them anymore. Alas: it was time to get creative.

As many of you know, there are hundreds of toppings you could pair with a chicken breast to make it more delicious. What you may not know, is most toppings are jam-packed with sodium! BOOOO! We don't like sodium. Not only does it cause higher blood pressure (which could lead to hypertension... heart disease... okay now the nurse in me is coming out), but it bloats you! The phrase "water follows salt" has been pounded into my head through nursing school, but this also holds true when you're training to get in a bikini for summertime... or for a pageant in front of hundreds of people :) So I said "adios" to salt, salty seasonings, ketchup, barbeque sauce, dressings, and most recently, salsa. All I've been seasoning my chicken breasts was herbs, like oregano, basil, pepper, and onion powder. Lately salsa was my go-to topping for chicken, until my trainer suggested, "make your own! The stuff in the jar has a ton of sodium." ... Darn it! Well, this set me up for a little experiment, and I can say my chicken is now delicious, salt-free, and flavorful! 

Introducing: Easy, Fresh, Homemade Salsa

Now, this was the easiest stuff in the world to make and I do not own a food processor! If I did, I'm sure I would have tried this long ago, but on a rainy day like today I had no excuse but to chop, chop, chop all of my ingredients! First of all, let me give you an idea of how much chicken I've actually been eating:

Yes, this occured in one day. Typically I only eat 2 chicken breasts/day.

Oops! There is my jar-salsa. Hi sodium.

I'm not suggesting you start eating 6 chicken breasts a day (unless you are excessively training for a bodybuilding competition or have some serious muscle-gaining goals), but I do suggest that you take in as much lean protein as you can in the day. Fish or chicken breasts are best, especially compared to any red meats. Since I don't like fish, I'm stuck with chicken and protein shakes to accomplish my protein goals each day! Now do you see why I was so desperate for a flavorful topping?

Lets get started! 

Ingredients:

1 tomato, finely diced

1/4 onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves

1 T. minced fresh cilantro

juice from 1/2 lime

black pepper

serrano pepper (optional)

 Dice up ALL of your ingredients, combine in a bowl, and you are set! 

Squeeze that lime, dice that onion, mince that cilantro!

I didn't use diced serrano pepper for my first batch, simply because I didn't have it. It is a great way to add more flavor, though!

Keep in mind, you can alter this however you would like! This was strictly an experiement for me (that turned out to be refreshing for summer and delish). Add 1-2 mashed avocados to turn this into a guacamole. Add minced jalapeno pepper if you like a kick. Add more garlic if you're a garlic lover!

Homemade Salsa

Store it in tupperware in the fridge!

You can use this salsa for anything. I LOVE it with my egg whites. Obviously pairing it with chicken puts a smile on my face. Mix it up with ground turkey breast while it is simmering. Do whatever you want with it, and don't feel guilty- there is no sodium, fat, bad stuff :) I used 2 Tablespoons on my chicken breast, and it looks like my tupperware-full will last me for a good 4 servings! Obviously, if you cook for more than just yourself, increase the recipe to feed your family/boyfriend/farm/whoever.

ENJOY!

<3 Morgan

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Workout Pyramid: 20-1

Ready for an awesome workout but you're unsure of what to do? Take these 3 standard moves and repeat them.... over and over again :) Thank you to Jeff Butterworth of RX Strength Training for giving me (and you!) this awesome workout to do on your own or with a workout buddy! As Miss Boston, I was lucky enough to have Miss Cambridge to push me through it- grab a friend for some motivation!

20-1 Pyramid

Jump Squats

Push-Ups

Kettlebell Swings

Begin your circuit with 20 jump squats, 20 push ups, and 20 KB swings with the weight of your choice. I've worked my way up to 20kg; the bell should be heavy enough to get a good 'burn' going, and not light enough that it flies in the air. Taking as few breaks as you can, continue this circuit doing 19 of each, then 18 of each, then 17 of each.... until you are down to 1 rep of each exercise! All in all, you'll tackle 210 TOTAL!

Miss Boston (me!) and Miss Cambridge demonstrate :)

A few tips I'm always reminded of: when performing your jump squats, get as low as you can before using every ounce of energy to propel yourself into the air. Sit deeper each time! With push ups, aim to touch your chest to the floor- not your chin! And lastly, with the KB swings, ensure proper form with each swing. Your hips should be your main source of power that drives the KB into the air (not using your shoulders to bring it up).

And afterwards, indulge in my new favorite Whey Protein... Swole Sports Nutrition. I recently became obsessed with their Cookies n Cream Whey Protein! Let me tell you.. it has BITS of COOKIE in it. For a girl that has a raging sweet tooth, this is my cure. Already ordered another tub of it and I'm not even half way through my first one... Had to share! Even simply mixing it with water is perfectly delicious to me... and typically I blend everything! This doesn't need the extra effort.

best whey protein

So, there you have it! Tackle your 20-1 workouts and satisfy your muscle's protein craving afterwards! Have a great day and GET HEALTHY!

<3 Morgan

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Protein "Ice Cream"

As you know, I sure love my sweet tooth! While I have to admit that my chocolate and sweets cravings have drastically declined over the last several months, I can't deny that I love a little treat :)

So, as I was daydreaming about what I would eat for a snack yesterday afternoon, I came up with a creative little idea. I knew I needed protein, I was studying pediatric heart defects so I needed a 'pick-me-up', and as I glanced up to my Optimum Nutrition Vanilla Ice Cream Whey Protein... My idea sparked. Why not make my vanilla 'ice cream' flavored protein seem like REAL ice cream?

Protein Ice Cream

And my new favorite healthy treat was born. (With only 155 CALORIES and 30g PROTEIN!) All you need are 3 simple ingredients:

Protein "Ice Cream"
Nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1/2 scoop whey protein
(choose your favorite flavor)
1/2 t. Truvia

Simply mix 1/2 scoop of your whey protein (mine was the Optimum Nutrition vanilla ice cream flavor, found at my local grocery store Shaw's!) into a plan nonfat Greek yogurt and add in truvia for taste. Freeze it for 40 minutes-1 hour and it has an ice-cream consistency texture AND flavor! I was so excited to eat mine (I considered not even freezing it, it was so good) that I only left mine in for 30 minutes. It just depends how you will enjoy it!

Now I'm curious to try this with my chocolate whey, my cookies n cream whey.. The possibilities are endless and your sweet tooth will be SO satisfied! If you find a good combo, leave me a comment below!

Nutrition:

Calories: 155

Fat: 0.5g

Carbs: 8g

Sugar: 7.5g

Protein: 30g

honestly delicious!

Enjoy this guilt-free treat after a workout, for a good filling snack, or whenever your dessert craving hits! Lets get healthy!

Morgan

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"Miss Boston's Dumbbell Blast" Workout Tutorial with RX Strength Training

As you may have read in my previous post, I am lucky enough to have RX Strength Training as my Miss Boston sponsor this year! They are partnered with Energy Bits, and I got to participate in an Energy Bits Workout of the Day (WOD)... This one was specially named "Miss Boston's Dumbbell Blast" and it sure to give you a great workout with hardly any supplies!

(check out RX Strength Training on Facebook!)

So lets get started! Here is a great workout that targets your core, back, arms, (and heart)! Grab two dumbbells (I used 15 lbs in each hand) and aim to complete 8 reps of each exercise. Take a one minute break, and repeat this 4-5 times. YOU CAN DO IT!

And now for the workout tutorial if you have any questions on technique or form, compliments of the incredible Jeff Butterworth who has taught me everything I know about weightlifting!

-DB Clean & Press    -DB Plank Jack Pushup    -DB Plank Row    -DB Burpee

Are you ready to accomplish your Miss Boston WOD? Pump up your music and get started....

But first, if you would like a little laugh (at least we thought it was funny), my sister Lauren and I were joking about the workout tutorial I filmed above and decided to make our own after I came home from the gym.

Introducing: The Sister Squat

That is all for today, folks! Enjoy this new workout and check out the other WODs on the EnergyBits Pintrest page! It is NEVER too late to enhance your lifestyle. Choose health NOW!

Enjoy!

<3 Morgan

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