Protein Packed Granola Bars

Add a little Life to your granola bars!

Finding your favorite granola bar recipe can take some trial and error baking, at least that's what I have found.  I love that these are simple to make and bake up nice.  They taste delicious and bonus...they're healthy too!

Ingredients

1 Cup Rolled Oats

1/4 Cup Shaklee Vanilla or Chocolate Protein Powder*

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 Cup unsalted Peanut Butter (or omit adding salt if your peanut butter is salted)

1/4 Cup Sugar

1/4 Cup Maple Syrup

1 Tablespoon melted coconut oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 Tablespoon mini chocolate chips

Directions

1.  Preheat oven 350 F. Line an 8x8 square baking dish with parchment paper.

2. In a small bowl, combine peanut butter, sugar. maple syrup, melted coconut oil, and vanilla. Mix until combine well.

3.  In a larger bowl, combine rolled oats, protein powder, cinnamon and salt.

4.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients until completely blended. Then fold in chips, mixing well.

5. Transfer batter to baking dish, spreading into an even layer, making sure to press evenly and into the corners.

6.  Bake at 350 F for 15-17 minutes.  Bars will be light brown.  Remove from oven, cool in pan for at least 20 minutes.  Lift the parchment paper out of baking pan and set on cutting board.  Slice bars when completely cool.

7.  Optional:  drizzle some melted chocolate over top of bars before cutting.

*I choose to use the Shaklee Life protein powder as it is natural, non-gmo, and free of any artificial ingredients.  Shaklee conducts over 350 tests to confirm their products are free of any contaminants, plus I love their philosophies and passion for always doing what is right.  Learn more about their commitments and what they call, The Shaklee Difference.

Indulge in a Healthy Sundae treat

Tips for creating nutritious & delicious treats that you and your family will enjoy all summer long. 

Often times when we think of enjoying a treat, we may think of words like, indulging. Actually when I looked up the definition of indulge, the sentence summed it up!

in-dulge
verb
allow oneself to enjoy the pleasure of. 
Example sentence: "we indulged in some hot fudge sundaes" 

I'm forever seeking tricks to creating healthy treats that not only taste delicious but offer little guilt~ and honestly, knowing the treats are healthy, I'm ok with a little indulgence-often!

One of the best tips I've learned for making treats healthy is to add protein to a snack or treat as the protein will help to fill us up~therefore, we typically eat less.  I look to add plant proteins like nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, soy, etc.  I've also learned that if I make the treat look like other, "indulgences" I seem to enjoy it more, and so does my family!

Here's a couple recipes that feel like you may have indulged but truly you are eating a healthy snack~

Blueberry Sundae Delight

Put 1/4 cup plain yogurt in bottom of sundae glass (I use plain greek yogurt as it offers low sugars and high protein)
Add 1 scoop protein powder  (I use Shaklee Life protein powder as it is natural, non-gmo, and truly delicious).
Top with another 1/4 cup of plain yogurt
Add a handful of blueberries or any berries!
Add a dollop of Truwhip
Add a cherry!
~ENJOY~

Packed with protein, this treat is very easy to make and seriously delicious and if I do say so myself,  beautiful!

Craving chocolate or love coconut?  This is another favorite: 

Coconut Chip Sundae Dream

Simply layer the protein powder between yogurt and top with chocolate chips, coconut & a cherry!

You could definitely add nuts, seeds, other berries, bananas, etc. I'd love to know how you would create a healthy sundae! What toppings or ingredients would you add in?

Below are a few of my favorite, "indulgent" products!

Shaklee Life Protein Powder

Truwhip

A yummy and healthier alternative to other whip toppings. 

Stonyfield Organic Greek Yogurt

Heart Healthy Overnight Oats

Need a little kick-start to begin your day? These overnight oats are filled to the brim with heart-healthy ingredients & added energy boost to keep you energized and satisfied all morning long!

Denise's Heart-Healthy Overnight Oats

 I typically don’t get overly excited about oatmeal, but I am truly loving the overnight oats with all the endless possibilities! And what’s not to love; they’re simple, yummy, and healthy! And this recipe offers heart healthy oats, soy, and berries. In addition, a natural energy boost your heart and whole body will enjoy!



Ingredients:  

For 2 pint sized jars, split the following:

2-Cups fresh or frozen berries

2-Cups Milk or Milk Alternative

1-Large banana-mashed

½-Cup Oats (I like quick steel cut oats)

½-Cup Vanilla Protein Powder 
(I only use Shaklee's Protein Powder)

2-Packets Matcha Tea Sticks 
(I used Shaklee-Pomegranate tea)

Recipe:

Into each of the 2 pint-size glass jars, place ingredients in this order:

Berries

Mashed Bananas
Dry Oats
Protein Powder 
Dry tea
Milk/Milk Alternative

There is no need to stir or shake the contents. 

Use jar lid or tin foil and close/cover each jar and place in refrigerator overnight. 

To enjoy, simply place desired amount of oats mixture in a bowl and warm in microwave. If desired, top off your oats with a serving of healthy fats like a handful of nuts or coconut. 

{Additional milk/milk alternative may be added per your taste.}

Enjoy!

To your health,    Denise Gaskell~Gaskell Healthy Solutions ~815-385-2834~

Tuesday's Healthy Turnaround Tip~Eat Breakfast! Quick & Easy ways to LOVE Breakfast time

Tuesday's Healthy Turnaround Tip~

This week's simple suggestion for improve long-term health....Eat Breakfast!

Whether you're sick & tired of being sick & tired, or just ready to take your health to the next level, this Healthy Turnaround Tip is sure to help you achieve your goal.

You won't find fad diet tips, extreme meal changes, or excessive work-out plans...as it really is the simple actions we do every day that will get us to our optimal health.

This week's simple Tuesday Turnaround Tip is...Don't Skip Any Meal...Especially Breakfast!

Have you ever run your vehicle out of gas...or rolled into the station crossing your fingers and praying you won't run out? Now picture yourself getting up and skipping breakfast, or hoping that the cup of coffee you downed will get you thru the morning?  How far to you think you will get in your day? This is a great analogy because obviously you can't run a car on empty, but it's the same for our bodies.

Food is our fuel and if you want to start your day right you must eat healthy meals. Without food it's harder to concentrate, you're more likely to be tired, moody and you're probably thinking about lunch way sooner than it will arrive. And did you know, skipping meals only make you hungrier and you will overeat later?
In addition and more importantly, studies have now linked skipping breakfast to harming your health, impairing your heart, increasing your risk of heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and may lead to poor long term health.

Let's stop making excuses and get started on making breakfast a priority for you and your family!

So what does a healthy breakfast look like? The ideal meal should include high-fiber carbohydrates for quick energy, lean protein that digests slowly to help you feel full, and some healthy fat for satiety. This breakfast combo should keep you satisfied for at least three hours. If it doesn't, and you feel hungrier after eating breakfast, then it's probably because you had too many carbs and not enough protein.



Easy breakfast ideas are:
• One cup low-fat plain organic Greek yogurt, with a ½ cup of  high-fiber cereal (minimum 3 grams fiber, and fiber grams should be higher than sugar grams) and a cup of blueberries.
• A whole-wheat English muffin with 2 tablespoons organic peanut butter and banana slices or raisins.
• One cup of high-fiber cereal with 1 cup milk or preferably a milk alternative like rice, almond, organic soy, etc, add a sprinkle of almonds or walnuts, and ½ cup sliced strawberries.
• A half-cup of dry oats cooked (not instant) with 1 cup non-dairy milk, a tablespoon of chia, or flax seeds, a sprinkle of cinnamon, add a handful of nuts or dried fruit..
*Two whole wheat tortillas smeared with an organic nut butter and filled with sliced fruit.
*Two whole wheat tortillas filled with sauteed (in olive oil) veggies from last night's leftovers!
• Two slices of whole-wheat toast smeared with tofu cream cheese, topped with three scrambled egg whites and a tomato slice.
*One whole-grain bagel slice with a generous amount of olive oil and topped with avocado & tomato 
* Protein Shake. A quick and easy breakfast is only a shake away! ...And my favorite is the Shaklee 180 Smoothee Mix as it is delicious, easy to mix, filling, and will help you stay energized and take inches off!

Not hungry or  "have no time?" try these:
• One "granola" type meal bar, I love the Shaklee Meal-in-a-Bar as it is packed with the healthful nutrients, NO artificial ingredients and will Protein and fiber to help keep you feeling full and satisfied for hours.
• One hard-boiled egg and a banana.
• One cup plain organic plain Greek yogurt flavored with fruit.
• One whole-grain waffle with 1 tablespoon organic peanut butter.
• One apple, pear, or other fruit with 1 tablespoon organic peanut butter.
*Its worth repeating...A Protein Shake!. A quick and easy breakfast is only a shake away! ...And my favorite is the Shaklee 180 Smoothee Mix as it is delicious, easy to mix, filling, and will help you stay energized and take inches off!


The take-home message here is to EAT BREAKFAST!