Category: Post-Workout

Coconut Vanilla Reboot Smoothie- Vegan and Dairy-Free!

Because life just tastes better through a straw…

I’ve been pretty excited about coconut water lately. I love that it’s just slightly sweet, but naturally-so (if you get the kind without any extra sugar, not from concentrate). My favorite so far is Organic Naked but I’ve liked a bunch of brands including Vita Coco and the Whole Foods 365 kind. I’ve been hearing a lot about how coconut water can do so much for you to recover following a hard workout. Low in calories and fat, it also has a high amount of fiber and electrolytes to both help you stay full and rehydrate following strenuous activity. In Durham during mid-July, this is super important! It actually gets hot here… who knew?

I was reminded about the importance of hydration in a recent post on my favorite blog, Kath Eats Real Food. In Kath’s own words, “we need every reminder we can get to stay on top of our water drinking this summer!” I understand that some of you may not be feeling the whole water thing. As someone who drinks about 4 L a day, it’s sometimes tough for me to imagine that some folks only drink about a cup’s worth! If it’s hard for you to “swallow” (heh) the recommended 8 cups (or however many your PCP recommends), try some of the tips Kath recommends: namely, adding some fruit juice or sparkling water, a sprig of mint, or some frozen fruit to give it a little more pep!

This smoothie is dairy-free but is still creamy enough to feel decadent. I used a half scoop of protein powder and handful of oats to thicken it up, but otherwise it’s really just coconut water and frozen fruit. You can add some ice cubes or more water to make it thicker or thinner as desired!

Enjoy, and stay hydrated!

Coconut Vanilla Reboot Smoothie- Dairy-Free!
Recipe Type: Smoothie, Vegan, Dairy-Free, Low-Cal
Cuisine: Breakfast
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
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Serves: 1
Because life just tastes better through a straw… this smoothie is low-cal, hydrating, and perfectly sweet. A great breakfast or post-workout snack!
Ingredients
  • 1 cup coconut water
  • 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 2 tbsp raw oats
  • 1/2 banana (mine was frozen)
  • frozen fruit of your choosing: I used some frozen watermelon chunks, strawberries and peach
  • 3-4 ice cubes
Instructions
  1. Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. Add more ice or water if the consistency is too thin or thick!
Coconut Vanilla Power Smoothie
Coconut Vanilla Power Smoothie

Happy hydrating!

ClaireLeave a comment

Patriotic Oats & Yogurt Parfait

Here’s a little breakfast that’s not only pretty to look at, but will keep you going all morning! Packed with hearty oats, yogurt and fruit with a touch of honey for sweetness, I promise you’ll feel more and more American with every spoonful. May your Fourth of July be happy, healthy, and delicious in every way!

Patriotic Oats & Yogurt Parfait
Patriotic Oats & Yogurt Parfait
Patriotic Oats & Yogurt Parfait
Recipe Type: Breakfast, Brunch
Cuisine: Healthy, Vegetarian
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
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Serves: 1
Here’s a little breakfast that’s not only pretty to look at, but will keep you going all morning! Packed with hearty oats, yogurt and fruit with a touch of honey for sweetness, I promise you’ll feel more and more American with every spoonful. May your Fourth of July be happy, healthy, and delicious in every way!
Ingredients
  • 1/3 cup old fashioned oats
  • 2 tbsp raisins or other dried fruit
  • 1/3 cup milk (I used some almond, some 1%)
  • 3/4 cup plain yogurt
  • 1 tsp honey (optional)
  • sprinkle of cinnamon
  • Toppings of your choosing: Fruit (I chose bananas, blueberries, and strawberries for the holiday!). chopped nuts, nut butter, dried coconut, dried cereal, etc.
Instructions
  1. Cook oatmeal by adding raisins, milk, and 1/4 cup water and microwaving for 1 1/2 min. Stir and sprinkle in cinnamon, if using.
  2. Stir together plain yogurt and honey for sweetness.
  3. In a mason jar, layer fruit, oats and yogurt, finishing with a yogurt dollop on top. Top with chopped nuts and other toppings.

What are your plans for this Fourth of July?

ClaireLeave a comment

Crispy Chickpeas

Looking for a quick snack? This is an easy way to satisfy your salty craving when 4 o’clock rolls around, and it’s a healthy snack loaded with protein and fiber to tide you through ’till dinner! I also enjoy topping my salads with these! You can experiment with any seasonings you like- I chose a sprinkle of cumin, paprika and red pepper flakes- but you can also make them sweet with a drizzle of maple syrup and some cinnamon! Dry them and then pop ’em in the oven at 400 deg for 40-50 minutes. Allow to cool and enjoy!

CRISPY CHICKPEAS
CRISPY CHICKPEAS
Crispy Chickpeas
Recipe Type: Snack
Cuisine: Vegetarian
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
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Serves: 8
Looking for a quick snack? This is an easy way to satisfy your salty craving when 4 o’clock rolls around, and it’s a healthy snack loaded with protein and fiber to tide you through ’till dinner! I also enjoy topping my salads with these! You can experiment with any seasonings you like- I chose a sprinkle of cumin, paprika and red pepper flakes- but you can also make them sweet with a drizzle of maple syrup and some cinnamon! Dry them and then pop ’em in the oven at 400 deg for 40-50 minutes. Allow to cool and enjoy!
Ingredients
  • 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • sprinkling of cumin, paprika, and red pepper flakes
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 deg.
  2. Spread chickpeas on a couple of paper towels and pat dry.
  3. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle spices on top.
  4. Cook for 40-50 minutes until crispy.
  5. Cool and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

 

ClaireLeave a comment

Homemade Honey Almond Pistachio Butter

Happy Snow Day! Again! Geez Louise, NC doesn’t know what to do with itself with all this snow! Just when the snow from Tuesday had melted away, we were hit with another good 6 inches of wet snow. Read: enough to close down the entire state for like, a week, and to cancel school for the eight day in the past two weeks.

With the extra time this morning, I decided to do a little recipe development. Honey Almond Pistachio Butter! I love the combo of almonds and pistachios, and I’ve been on a big almond butter kick lately. I like how it’s not too sweet (I’ve been buying the little packages of Justin’s Classic Almond Butter and adding it to oatmeal, plain yogurt, and cereal) but still nutty and creamy. I’ve also been meaning to make my own nut butter for months now. I keep hearing how easy it is, so why keep spending money on something I can make just as well at home? Plus, when you make it yourself you can really get creative and add lots of fun different types of spices and add-ins.

Here we go!

Homemade Honey Almond Pistachio Butter
Homemade Honey Almond Pistachio Butter
Honey Almond Pistachio Butter
Recipe Type: Nut Butter
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 24
Making your own nut butter could NOT be easier! Feel free to experiment with your own add-ins and other types of nuts!
Ingredients
  • 1 cup raw almonds
  • 1/3 cup roasted pistachios, shelled
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp canola oil (coconut would work too!)
  • 2 tbsp milk or water
  • dash of cinnamon
  • dash of salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375. Spread almonds and pistachios in an even layer on a baking sheet. Toast for 8 minutes, sifting halfway through. Nuts will be fragrant!
  2. Pour nuts into a food processor with blade attachment. Process on low for 2 minutes until the nuts form a gritty mixture.
  3. Scrape down the sides with a spatula and continue processing 8 more minutes, scraping down the sides every 2 minutes.
  4. Add honey, oil (optional), milk/water, and a dash each of cinnamon and salt. You can also experiment here with other add-ins!
  5. Process on low until smooth. It will take at least 5 minutes for the nuts to release their oils and become creamy!
  6. Store in mason jars in the refrigerator for up to a month.
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After two minutes of processing on low, your nuts will look like this- a fine crumb mixture!
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Keep on processing… the nut butter might form a big pasty ball! This is how you know it’s time to add in your liquids and spices.
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After a little bit more patience, your butter will start to look like this. Make sure to keep scraping down the sides!
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Store in mason jars in the fridge for up to a month!

Claire1 Comment

Peanut Butter Power Breakfast Cookies

I caved today. After years of turning my nose up at all the yoga-pants-wearing, kale-eating, “I only shop at Whole Foods” granola moms who insist on cooking with only organic ingredients, I finally caved. I became one of those Whole Foodies who spends three times as much than she needs to because the recipe calls for almond flour and ground flaxseed. But hey- before you poo-poo me with that look of disdain on your face, let me just say that I did NOT buy the natural peanut butter or pure maple syrup! Some things are just not worth it. But today, I wanted to do this recipe justice, and make it full of as many whole foods (see what I did there?) as possible, since I plan on having these bad boys for a post-workout, pre-breakfast fuel for the next few weeks as I start my new clinical rotation.

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Peanut Butter Power Breakfast Cookies

I prefer to work out in the morning, and my schedule for this upcoming rotation requires me to be at clinic by 7:30, which means that I need to be at the gym by 5:30am if I want to get my full workout in. I’ve been looking for a recipe for a good post-workout snack that I can take with me to clinic, something with a good balance of protein and carbs, that will help me refuel without giving me GI issues or taking the place of a real breakfast (if I eat too big of a snack after a workout, I tend to try to “push back” a real meal and end up not fueling enough!)

Adapted from one of my favorite blogs, fANNEtastic food, these peanut butter power bites are packed with wholesome ingredients including oats, flaxseed, and almond flour. Just under 100 cals a pop, they also have a great balance of carbs, protein, and fat to be enjoyed as a post-workout snack or breakfast on the go! They’re sweet enough to feel like a treat (especially for all of the other athletes out there who tend to crave sugar after your run!), but not so sweet that you feel like you’re eating dessert. You can also freeze these in ziplock snack bags and grab one or two in the morning before you head out the door- they’ll be nice and chewy by the time you’re ready to chow down!

Peanut Butter Power Breakfast Cookies
Recipe Type: Post-Workout, Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: Healthy, Natural
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 24
Adapted from one of my favorite blogs, fANNEtastic food, these peanut butter power bites are packed with wholesome ingredients including oats, flaxseed, and almond flour. They also have a great balance of carbs, protein, and fat to be enjoyed as a post-workout snack or breakfast on the go! You can also freeze these in ziplock snack bags and grab one or two in the morning before you head out the door- they’ll be nice and chewy by the time you’re ready to chow down!
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
  • 3/4 cup almond flour
  • 3/4 cup ground flaxseed meal
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 heaping tsps vanilla protein powder
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter or other nut butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup (honey would also work!)
  • 2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 deg.
  2. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients from oats to raisins and stir to blend .
  3. In another smaller bowl, melt peanut butter. Stir in applesauce, maple syrup or honey, almond milk, egg white, and vanilla until combined.
  4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir to incorporate.
  5. Chill for at least 30 minutes to allow mixture to set.
  6. Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. When cooled, heap 1 tbsp mounds of mixture about 1″ apart on baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes at 350 deg.
Serving size: 1 cookie Calories: 93

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Claire1 Comment