Archive for August, 2012

When you think of a protein supplement drink, do you think of 20 vitamins and minerals, 10 servings of fruits and veggies, zero saturated fat, and organic? Chances are, your answer is “no”. Well, over the last year I discovered a protein shake that does, in fact, supply all of the aforementioned benefits. In fact, I drink one every morning and it has replaced my morning coffee because of the energy I get from the fruits and veggies as well as the vitamins. I can tell a big difference in my energy levels between the mornings I do and don’t drink it. It doesn’t have the highest protein content (only 16g), but I love it for after a morning run or swim (I like to use my Collegiate Muscle Milk for lifting sessions). Plus, the RTD packaging makes it easy to throw in a backpack or gym bag, plus it is pretty tasty. Now, don’t expect the super-thick and creamy protein shake you might be used to: it is slightly watery because it doesn’t have all the fat in it. It is, however, pretty tasty for a protein shake, coming in Creamy Chocolate Fudge, Sweet Vanilla Bean, and Iced Cafe Mocha.

I have tried both the chocolate and mocha and I switch between them, but I have not tried the Vanilla Bean because I am just not a fan of vanilla flavored shakes so I can’t review that flavor. But try it for yourself! It can be somewhat expensive buying them individually or at GNC/Vitamin World, so I actually order through Amazon’s Subscribe and Save program. This gets me a 15% discount just for subscribing to get automatic shipments on whatever time scale I want them, and who wouldn’t want to save money while not having to worry about re-ordering supplements?? And in case you’re wondering what happens if you go on vacation or have excess, you can easily cancel your next order because Amazon sends out an email before it actually places the order! So in summary, it’s a great doctor-developed product that’s a protein shake, multivitamin, and energizer all in one ready-to-drink package. Check out the links below!

Orgain Website

Orgain Nutrition Facts

Order on Amazon

 

I know I’m not the only one who runs short on time some nights. You know, that feeling you get when you’re in the middle of doing something or you just walked in the door and you look at the clock and realize it’s 8:00pm and you haven’t had dinner? Well here is a quick yet well-rounded (and even kid-friendly!) meal to help you win the healthy-meal-in-a-time-crunch battle.

What you’ll need:

Sweet potatoes (1 for each person you’re feeding)

Wheat bread

Reduced fat cheese

Ham or turkey

Broccoli or carrots

Reduced Fat Ranch

Grapes or other fruit

No sodium butter

Brown sugar or honey

Reduced fat milk

 

Start:

Minute Zero: Wet sweet potatoes and put in plastic produce bag with twisted top, put in microwave for 5 minutes on 70% power (you can also cut sweet potatoes into chunks and boil, but this takes slightly longer).

Minute 1: Heat pan with small slice of butter, slice cheese (or use pre-sliced cheese).

Minute 2: Put cheese and ham/turkey on bread and put in pan.

Minute 3: Cut broccoli off stalk and wash.

Minute 4: Wash grapes.

Minute 5: Flip your sandwich.

Minute 6: Take sweet potatoes out of microwave (using pot holders or dishtowel), let cool for one minute.

Minute 7: Turn heat off on sandwich but keep it in the pan so that it stays warm.

Minute 8-12: Cut sweet potatoes in half and use spoon to scoop insides into a bowl. Add milk and 1/2 tablespoon of butter and mash. Stir in tablespoon of brown sugar or honey.

Minute 13-14: Put broccoli on a plate and add ranch, take grapes off stems and put in a bowl.

Minute 15: Take sandwich out of the pan, cut it if you wish, fill up a glass of water and enjoy!