Health swap and the 411 on Quark

Instead of using whipped cream, or cream cheese, try mixing fat free ricotta cheese with some sweetener (sugar twin, stevia, splenda), flavor drops or sugar free syrup or sugar free pancake syrup, and a bit of cinnamon. The same applies for baking and baked goods (pancakes with yogurt and pudding instead of oil are amazing).

Try adding some cocoa or chocolate protein powder for a chocolate whipped cream (check my store for my favorite, but I recommend BioX Power Whey Isolate and Iso Sensation 93 Chocolate Fudge).

Or, try topping with sugar free pudding (like Kozy Shack, Jello), or Greek Yogurt.

A mere 2 TB of whipped cream (who only eats 2TB?) has 104 calories and 11 grams of fat, of which 7g are saturated.
1/4c of Fat Free Ricotta has only 50 calories and less than 0.5g of fat. Light Ricotta only has 70 calories and 3g of fat; even the full fat has fewer grams of fat per 1/2serving than 2TB of whipped cream.

Jello Sugar Free Pudding Cups average about 60-70 calories for the whole cup, and have less than 2g of fat. The vanilla is excellent when left in the freezer until it is semi-frozen with cinnamon stirred in. These come in a wide variety of flavors, and are excellent toppers of cakes/protein cakes/toast/oatmeal/oat bran, waffles, toast, and even mixed into cereal.




Kozy Shack has excellent, creamy tasting sugar free pudding cups (refrigerated isle- usually with dairy). They range from 60-100 calories and are full of flavor. These are satisfying, creamy, and thick! Stir in some cinnamon!!!
FYI TIP* Adding pudding to baked goods replaces a lot of the cream/butter/oil by keeping your baked good moist!


A full cup of Greek Yogurt has about 130-150 calories and about 22g of protein. Make sure you add some sweetener, preserves, sugar free syrups/pancake syrup, and cinnamon. Stir it well until it is creamy and cinnamon is incorporated. Adding fruit flavored syrup or sugar free jam/spread is fantastic as well. Few things beat eating cereal (rice krispies/special k,shreddies etc) with pudding and yogurt (dessert!).

For those who don't mind a bit more tang, try Quark. This naturally low fat soft (unripened) cheese is a fantastic topping for waffles! I grew up eating Quark on waffles with maple syrup drizzled on top and fresh sliced strawberries.
100 grams of Liberte's fat free quark is only 60 calories and has 11g of protein! It tastes similar to fromage frais or Baker's Cheese and has no salt added to it. It does have a great, thick texture, and a tangy/sour taste which is a great contrast to adding agave or sweetener to it.

 Quark is an EXCELLENT substitute in making Cheesecake (there a quite a few recipes online), cheese tarts (sweet) and clafoutis, as well as desserts made with marscapone (try a half/half split). It makes a great dip and base of sauces (sweet of savory, depending on what you mix it with). Try adding it to soups that require cream or sour cream. Many European recipes (dessert especially) use this instead of or with sour cream/cream cheese (Especially German and Polish desserts); it is sometimes called topfen, tvorog/tvaroh, and biezpiens. It is excellent in pound cake/coffee cake/sponge cake! Google Quark dessert, or Quark Cheesecake... you'll be baking in no time! Cheesecake that is truly good for you!
Tip= caramelized, grated apples with cinnamon and sweetener are a fantastic add in!

(image from ifood.tv- Quark Tasche German CheesePastry;kilbegdairydelights.ie
)
                                                ( countylive.ca)

Pomegranate Cherry Protein Creme

Greek Yogurt is such a multifunctional protein-packed powerfood! You can use to for everything; from baking, to savory, to sweet, to sauces, thickening, stirbfys, in baked goods, in cakes, toppings, as ice cream, dips, spreads, salads, cassaroles, soups, smoothies, pies... name it, and it will work. It has a great texture like full fat sour cream, but has a wonderful, creamy tang to it.
Here is a recipe using some Crystal Light I had left over, a packet of sweetener, and a spoon!

Pomagranate Cherry Protein Creme

Feel free to use this as a topping for a dessert, with granola/cereal/ on its own!

You will need:

1 (or more) containers of GreekYogurt (I used a 500 gram tub of Liberte)

Your favorite flavor of drink crystals (I used Crystal Light Dark Pomegranate Cherry but you can use whatever you want- even juice or tea will work).

A packet of your favorite sweetener or honey (I used 1 packet of sweet and low)

Instruction:

First, decide on what flavor you want. I usually do desert flavors (caramel, chai, chocolate, cookies, toffee etc), but fruit ones are fantastic!

1. Make sure your yogurt is sufficiently chilled. Take it out of the fridge and open.

2. Add your sweetener and stir it in. I had to remove some of my yogurt from the container so I could thoroughly mix in through out. I also like to leave little chunks in the yogurt, because it is so thick.

3. Sprinkle on, or add your drink powder/tea/juice.

4. Stir

5. Add more to taste and keep stirring it in! Feel free to add any add ins you want for crunch or taste (berries, granola, crackers, cookies, cereal, toast, cauliflower, steamed carrots etc)

 

5. ENJOY

* Feel free to add some protein powder to this as well! I usually do this, or add protein cakes/muffins to it!

It is billowy, creamy, amazing tasting and has about 36 grams of protein, no fat, no added sugar! Nutrabolics Isobolic in raspberry yogurt would be fantastic, as would strawberry banana, banana, strawberry, mint mocha, mocha, cinnamon oatmeal etc.

Recommendation: I made one with some Tangerine Crystal Light, and it tasted like a Orange Creamsicle!!

Protein Packed Dessert Breakfast

I enjoyed such a fantastic, protein-packed, delicious breakfast this weekend, that I wanted to share it with you here. It is not unique from some of the other recipes I have posted in the past-- but it was so good that it deserved a post. I used Liberte Greek Yogurt (review to and info to come), which is so thick and creamy; full of probiotics and protein.


Protein Cakes/Greek Yogurt/Cookies and Cream protein powder, and sweetener,  topped with protien ice cream.


On the side, Greek Yogurt with  10 grams of pure unsweetened Cocoa stirred in with cinnamon, sweetener, oat fiber, and a bit of Walden Farms Peanut Spread and their sugar free Pancake syrup.  This was a 500g tub of Greek Yogurt, and about 40 grams of protein. HEAVEN. I made some of the protein cakes a little crispier (microwaved a bit longer, augmented liquid, and add-ins).


I had a separate unpictured bowl of the chocolate protein frosty/ice cream as well.
I felt like I was eating a sundae/parfait with brownies and ice cream, only better!