Spoonful of Sugar Free

Registered Dietitian

healthy

Swanson Health Review

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Recently, Swanson Health Products sent me a $25 coupon to review some products on their site. Swanson is a family-owned business that sells a variety of organic foods, vitamins, supplements, teas, eco-friendly cleaners, natural beauty products, etc. for very low prices. You can learn more about them HERE.

I was very excited to choose some products to review, and after a couple hours of searching (They sell everything! I couldn’t decide what to get! I wanted it all!) I chose a nice variety of products.

  • Kiss my Face Liquid Rock Roll-On Lavender Deodorant: It smells good and it doesn’t have a bunch of nasty chemicals like most deodorants. Rolls on easily, and yes, it works. $3.69
  • NOW Foods Completely Kissable Lip Balm Pomegranate: I’m a sucker for chapstick. I am always putting it on, and I love the fun flavors! But I do not like the chemicals most have. This chapstick is great because it doesn’t have those chemicals; and instead contains healthy and moisturizing Beeswax, coconut oil, sunflower seed oil, vitamin E, shea butter, and cacao seed butter. It also has a great fruity flavor, but not overly fruity-which I like. It also rolls on clear, so it doesn’t turn your lips strange colors! $1.18
  • Nutiva Organic Hemp Protein Powder+Fiber: I actually have yet to try this, but I have heard such wonderful things about the benefits of hemp protein. This one as only one ingredient: Raw certified organic hemp protein powder. No added sweeteners, which is huge for me. Have you tried hemp powder? If so, do you have any good recipes? $8.91
  • Organic Raw Cacao Nibs: I love cacao nibs! I haven’t had them in while because they can be rather expensive. Swanson sells them for a great price, though, so I might be able to have them more often! My favorite way to eat them is rolled on a spoonful of peanut butter. $4.99
  • Bob’s Red Mill Stone Ground Whole Grain Spelt Flour: I was excited to experiment with this new flour (see what I made below). Spelt is actually not gluten-free, but some with gluten intolerances my be able to handle it. A whole grain ancient wheat that dates back 9,000 years. It has a nutty flavor and can be substituted in most recipes calling for wheat flour. $2.84
I was very happy with the service I received from Swanson’s. Everything as well-priced, and it arrived at my doorsteps quickly. They have a flat-rate shipping charge of $4.99 (which is great when your stocking up on vitamins and healthy foods), and you can find a lot of promo codes that help bring the price down even more.

Thanks again, Swanson!

Now I’m sure you’re dying to know what I made with my new spelt flour, but you’re going to have to wait until tomorrow!
Any guesses on what I made? 

You say Tomato…

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 Recently, a friend gave me this tomato plant. I planted it in a larger plant, and I cannot wait for it to start producing some fruit! Then I can make some more delicious “lasagna.”

(Bad camera pictures, still. I will be getting my camera back tomorrow, so I will have some better food pictures soon!)

Instead of noodles, I sliced some zucchini into thin slices.

Layered it with tomato sauce and a variety of veggies and mushrooms.

Some ground beef.

And made a vegan “ricotta cheese” with walnuts, cashews, tahini, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and salt.

I baked it for 30 minutes at 375* and topped it with fresh basil.

It was very tasty, but I still need to tweak the recipe a bit. There was too much “juice” with the tomatoes and sauces that I needed to drain it before serving.

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

What is your favorite way to eat tomatoes?

I like mine in bruschetta, fresh salsa, or as “buns” for burgers!

 

 

Homemade Protein Bars

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Supposedly “healthy” protein bars resemble candy bars more than energy-lifting, muscle-building real food bars.

Consider a typical protein bar like the PowerBar:

Power Bar High Protein Bar Chocolate Peanut Butter

Nutrition Facts per Bar:

Calories 300

Calories from fat 50

Amount/Serving
% DV*
Total Fat 6g
9%
  Saturated Fat 3.5g
18%
  Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 5mg
1%
Amount/Serving
% DV*
Sodium 210mg
9%
Total Carb 39g
13%
  Dietary Fiber 1g
4%
  Sugars 19g
Protein 23g
46%

Ingredients: POWERBAR TRISOURCE™ PROTEIN BLEND (SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE, CALCIUM CASEINATE), GLUCOSE SYRUP, CHOCOLATEY COATING (SUGAR, FRACTIONATED PALM KERNEL OIL, COCOA, WHEY, NONFAT MILK, SOY LECITHIN, NATURAL VANILLA FLAVOR), CANE SYRUP, GLYCERIN, MALTITOL SYRUP, NATURAL FLAVOR, PEANUT BUTTER, PEANUT FLOUR, SOY LECITHIN, SALT, ALMOND BUTTER, MINERALS: CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, MAGNESIUM OXIDE, ZINC GLUCONATE, IRON (FERROUS FUMARATE), COPPER GLUCONATE, CHROMIUM ASPARTATE, VITAMINS: VITAMIN C (ASCORBIC ACID), VITAMIN E ACETATE, VITAMIN B3 (NIACINAMIDE), PANTOTHENIC ACID (CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE), VITAMIN B6, VITAMIN B2, VITAMIN B1 (THIAMIN MONONITRATE), FOLIC ACID, BIOTIN, VITAMIN B12. CONTAINS ALMOND, MILK, PEANUT AND SOY INGREDIENTS. MADE ON EQUIPMENT THAT ALSO PROCESSES WHEAT.

The commercially-made protein bars contain four different kinds of sugars, highly-processed proteins, and a multitude of preservatives. The 38-ingredient long list compared to my recipe with only 6 ingredients, no sugar, and a natural source of protein.

Simply take my recipe for High Protein Cookies and bake in a pan instead of making it in cookie form. Cut into squares and wrap for on-the-go convenience.

I calculated that it costs less than $3 to make an entire batch of homemade protein bars (makes about 20 bars at 15 cents each!). Compare that to buying commercial protein bars that can cost $3 each!

Mine taste better, too.

Nutrition Facts per Bar
Amount Per Serving
Calories 115
Calories from Fat 58
Total Fat 6.4g
Saturated Fat 2.1g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 37mg
Total Carbohydrates 11.8g
Dietary Fiber 3.7g
Sugars 2.3g
Protein 5.1g
Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 1%
Calcium 4% • Iron 10%

 

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day: 

What are your thoughts on commercially-made protein bars? Do you buy them? If so, do you have a favorite kind? Would you consider making your own?

If your still in the mood for protein bars, try making Sweet Potato Spice bars or some Crazy Healthy Granola bars!

Again, apologies for the bad camera pictures!

Easiest Dinner

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Great to hear about all of your in-a-rush breakfast recipes, but what about dinner?

My vote goes towards stir fries, like the one I had last night. My basic stir-fry recipe is as follows:

Your Basic Brown Rice Stir Fry

~Stir fries are easy, quick, healthy, filling, and tasty! 

  • Cooked Brown Rice
  • Chopped Vegetables (any leftovers you have in the fridge will do. For this batch I used carrots, garlic, onion, bell pepper,
  • Protein (tofu, beans, meat, eggs. For this batch I used scrambled eggs and toasted white beans)
  • Oil to grease pan (I used sesame oil)
  • Soy sauce (or any other oriental seasonings you may have)
  • Optional: chopped peanuts or sesame to top
I didn’t provide measurements because that is the whole point of stir-fries! You can put whatever you want in them, and make it for however many people you want. It makes a simple dinner for one, and a filling, inexpensive dinner for 15! Simply grease a pan, mix ingredients, and stir until golden.
–
In other news, check out my tire:
While driving home the other day, my tire blew up. I didn’t just have a flat tire-it blew up! Have you ever seen such a crazy thing?

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

What are your favorite in-a-hurry dinner recipes?

And have you ever blown up a tire like mine? Or done any other crazy things to your vehicle? Give me your stories!

Banana Blueberry

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Have you made Breakfast Oat Cakes yet?

They are easy to make, portable, versatile, filling, tasty, and healthy.

This batch I made “muffin-style” by baking it in muffin tins with liners instead of on a cookie sheet. Works just fine.

I added 2 mashed bananas to the batter and a handful of fresh blueberries. 

Perfect for breakfasts on-the-go, brunches, or even an afternoon snack.

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

When you are in a rush in the morning, what do you usually grab to eat? Or do you eat breakfast?

I usually like to plan ahead if I know I am going to be busy the next morning by making some Oat Cakes, a smoothie, or some High Protein Cookies. However, if I don’t have time to do this, I will grab a piece of fruit (usually a banana) and some nuts.

Grain-Free Pumpkin Pancakes

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The mystery pancakes were Pumpkin Pancakes! So Val and the Flourishing Foodie were right!

I know Pumpkin is not a summer flavor, but it is full of vitamin A, fiber, and it is delicious! I saw a huge can of it at the store, so I had to buy it.

Grain-Free Pumpkin Pancakes 

~The almond extract really makes these pancakes. It is at almost every grocery store, and I highly suggest buying a bottle. Grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, and, of course, sugar-free! 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pumpkin
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 Tablespoon garbanzo bean flour (or flour of choice. I have also tried millet and coconut flour. Both work fine.)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Heat skillet to medium heat and grease with oil of choice (I used coconut oil). Drop batter by spoonfuls on skillet.
Flip after about a minute or until the pancakes hold together and are slightly browned. Take of skillet and serve with toppings like shaved coconut or chopped almonds.
Serves one. Each serving makes about 15 small pancakes. Feel free to double or triple recipe as needed.
Leftovers make great snacks for later!
I topped mine with Homemade Coconut Butter. The coconut really compliments the pumpkin well.
Health Benefits of Pumpkin:
One cup of pumpkin has 7 grams fiber, 2650 IU Vitamin A, 564 mg potassium. It also boasts a truckload of antioxidants like Alpha-carotene and Beta-carotene.

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

Favorite Pancake Flavor?

Blueberry, chocolate, banana, cinnamon, pumpkin?