Some tips on travelling fit!

So, we travelled over to the UK for a short but sweet trip so thought it would be cool to share some ideas for travelling fit that you can apply yourselves when travelling anywhere.

We will take you through our luggage and pre-prep travel essentials, as well as advice on meal / snack options during travel (as we encounter them).

So, here we go:
First, here is our top 8 essentials that we simply cannot travel without:

1. Protein Powder

You all may be thinking, ‘are you for real?’ And yeah, yeah I am! Packing 1 or 2 scoops of protein powder into a tub or bag won’t take up much space and means that with 7 hours of travel ahead and my protein catered for, I’d just need to grab some snacks here and there to hit a balanced nutritional intake. It also means that if I’ve struggled to hit my protein at the end of the day (which tends to be the case) I can just have a pre-bed shake and I’m good to go!

I find that carbs are always easier to obtain anyway, bags of Snack-a-jacks, popcorn, fruit, porridge pots etc are all great carb sources and as a fussy eater who tends to get regular flare-ups, would much rather keep the intake simple and safe!

Tip: pack your scoops seperately in sandwich bags, shove them into an empty shaker and leave in your hand luggage. That way you don’t need to faf around to make yourself a shake during travel and if any accident happens all your protein powder will safely explode into the shaker and not into your bag.

My go to protein powder at the moment is Bulkpowders Strawberry Casein, mainly because I’m not intolerant to it (yay). But, also because I find that Vegan protein blends i need to mix with fruits, berries or nut butters to mask the ‘chalky’ taste while this one tastes great on its own which is ideal during travel.

2. Buscopan

As explained above, I am always a meal away from severe flare-ups and cramps, so I always pack some Buscopan to help with that. I also find that flights make me quite bloated and cramp-ey as it is, I would usually take one pre-flight to help ease the discomfort slightly. I also packed some Deflatine with me just incase, which i would take during flight if bloat symptoms got too bad.

3. Liquid Sweetener

Ok ok, this is not exactly an essential but having coffee just doesn’t taste the same unless I have my Vanilla Cinnamon flavour stevia, so I pack it with me for whenever coffee is calling. The small size means that I can carry it on with me and enjoy coffee just as I like it as I travel on the plane or grab a Starbucks to go.

4. Powdered greens

I have this every morning upon wake up and it really helps me regulate my digestive system so naturally I’d take my usual dose pre-flight but also take extra with me for the following few days abroad.

It will ensure that my tummy is as regulated as possible, even with all the varying factors such as different foods, travel stress, etc.

5. Protein Bars

Packing a few bars in your bag means that you don’t have to stress too much about food along the way, with a bar or protein shake (or both) tiding you over. Also, if like me, you like having a sweet treat everyday, taking your own means that… a.) you can pre-log the nutritional info into My Fitness Pal/ Fat Secret and work your remaining macros around them & b.) Not worry about hunting down a sweet treat that caters to intolerances that doesn’t have a million calories.

I find that there is no middle ground of healthy treats out there, they either cater to those wanting the high protein/low-fat/ low-carb/ macro-friendly variety or they cater to intolerances, thankfully The Muscle Bakery tries to cater to both, so would much rather go with something i trust incase winging it doesn’t really work out. (Plus, you’re not really the Muscle Baker if you don’t have any of your own treats, surely!) 😛

From the whole range of MB treats my ‘travel friendly’ suggestions would be our Nuttylicious and Lean Malts, mainly because they have the best macros but also because they are the ones which would hold better during travel and not melt fully.

6. Reading glasses

This suggestion may sound random (and if you are not blind then keep on scrolling) but, keeping healthy isn’t just about what you eat but in general doing little things that make you feel better as a whole. For me, skipping the contact lenses and travelling with my glasses on is key to that. Travelling with your contact lenses on may attribute to making your eyes look tired (and add sexy looking bags to your eyes), they would also dry out your eyes if your drift off to sleep which isn’t ideal. So, keep your contact lense carrier in your handbag and just pop them in when you arrive to your destination, your eyes will thank you.

7. Concealer

During travel, the less make-up i wear the more comfortable i am! In and out of check in/ customs/ getting to the flight makes me hot and bothered which then affects my make-up and makes it look clammy and horrible. But, there is one item i do not go without, my trusty Mac Prep & Prime concealer! This is coming from a person who has absolutely no extensive knowledge on make-up, i just apply the basics and always opt for natural looking (not cakey) concealers or foundations and this is exactly that, except it hides my eye bags which is why i love it.

I add it on pre-flight but also top up post-flight if i need to, it helps brighten up my face a little without having to apply a full face of make up. Add a little lip gloss or lipstick if you want to glam it up a bit!

8. Travel moisturiser

Like mentioned earlier, travel in general can leave you feeling quite ‘meh’ so packing some travel size moisturiser’s can help make you feel a little less of that ‘meh.’ Pack some in your handbag (make sure they are under the 100ml allowance) and freshen up once you land. A quick face wash, moisturising cream and Prep & Prime concealer… you’ll feel (and look) like a new person!

When travelling, choices may be limited, you fancy comfort food and you just feel ‘meh’ from the flight rushing and the flight itself. (Atleast this is the case for me everytime.)

So, I thought I’d tackle it head on and try see what were the best options to choose during several occasions on my trip:

Pre-flight breakfast:

This was a simple one: 2x meat-free burgers and a side of broccoli. It doesn’t sound like the most appetising meal but it does fill up the belly just right without sitting too heavy for the flight ahead while delivering key nutrients that I would need.

I find low-carb/ higher protein breakfasts keep my hunger at bay for longer so would rather choose this over a bowl of oats which would fill me up too much and have me hungry again in no time.

I had it with my usual Amazing Grass Powdered greens and a Dandelion Citrus Tea.

Airport snack:

I don’t usually buy anything at the airport, maybe a coffee but I prefer to buy on plane when I’m settled, but… I had a £10 Gibraltar note that needed changing into Sterling so thought I’d make use of it to check out what I could purchase.

Admittedly, the choices were limited, the usual buttery flapjacks disguised as the the healthy snack or a choice of pastries, sandwiches & donuts. Where is that Muscle Bakery when you need it huh?

After a quick scan, I did find a little gem: Sugar-Free Blackcurrant jelly at 8cals per pot… Perfect. I paired it with a bottle of water and an Americano.

Plane food:

The food selection on the plane wasn’t amazing but I was impressed to see decent healthy options, here is a few that I spotted:

It was awesome to see another ‘Zero’ drink option aside from Coke Zero for a change. I do fancy fizzy drinks every once in a while and would opt for a ‘Zero’ type drink as it wouldn’t be high in sugars or calories, but am intolerant to Cola nut which means Cola isn’t an option. More establishments should offer a wider ‘Zero’ variety as kids are also affected by the caffeine in Cola and would be better off having something like above.

They also had Coconut water which is another great healthy alternative, however with the uncertainty of what foods id be consuming I’d much rather stick to water (unless i am dying from a hangover and i need some extra electrolytes to save me).

If i had to choose a meal from all those available i would 100% choose the porridge, not only is it really filling (you can add a scoop of your protein powder if you want to), it also gives you some fuel for the rest of your journey, and it’s easy to log into MFP without having a wifi connection.

I was however not hungry at all and majorly bloated (probably due to disruption to my usual morning toilet visits) so opted for a Deflatine chewable and a mint tea to soothe the discomfort.

Post flight:

I got really hungry towards the end of the flight so whipped out one of the Muscle Bakery bars I had packed (which I kinda wanted to save for later in the day but couldn’t resist).

I had it with the hopes of just grabbing a late on-the-go lunch on the train journey. (Obviously I didn’t anticipate the madness that is rush hour on the London commute).

Train travel:

On my way out of departures I saw M&S food store *REJOICES* so popped in and grabbed a few simples: BBQ chicken slices, pineapple chunks, marinated olives, a bag of pea crisps and a bottle of water.

I needed some protein intake so opted for some chicken slices. I could have had a sandwich as the options provided there were great but there were no wheat-free options available so decided to get my carbs from the fresh pineapple which actually went down a treat in the excessively overpacked train heat.

Tip: Did you know that pineapple contains Bromelain which is a kind of proteolytic enzyme. Its qualities include improving protein digestion, reducing inflammation and treating indigestion.

Pineapple itself has been traditionally used to enhance digestion as well as ease inflammation. Because it is considered a proteolytic enzyme, Bromelain has the capability to fight off inflammation which may affect the tissues and organs in the body, helping the body be cleansed from harmful toxins. It also helps prevent blood clotting and improves food and nutrient digestion.*

On the second leg of the train journey I had the olives and pea crisps. Olives if eaten in moderation are a great snack, especially if you’re into salty foods. But… I don’t know this moderation thing when it comes to olives and ate the whole damn pack which seriously dented my macro allowance for later on in the day. SIGH. (Worth every salty bite though.)

Note: The reason I was trying to save as much macros as possible is because I was most likely going to dine at a restaurant (out of my choosing) so to be safe would much rather eat small meals/ snacks that provide me with nutrients I need during the course of the day which won’t affect my food choices later on for dinner. Eg. If they only sell pizzas, I don’t want to be THAT person who says no sorry because of *insert excuse here*.

(For more info on flexible dieting read this blogpost.)

Dining out:

The choice of restaurant was an Italian, and the menu? Filled with delicious gluten/ wheat/ dairy- laden items. *SIGH*

They did provide gluten-free pizzas bases, however I can’t have cheese either and pizza without cheese just isn’t fun at all is it? After contemplating all the different options and whether eating cheese was worth the painful bloat. I decided not to and went for the default choice: Caesar Salad, no Parmesan, no dressing with olive oil and balsamic vinegar instead. (Extra extra ok the vinegar of course.)

Final meal:

I capped off the day with a pre-bed protein shake and Lean Malt as I was below on my protein intake and really fancied something sweet after dinner. (Protein powder and extra bars came in handy here.)

As you can see there was quite a variety of foods, including fruit, veggies, some sweet treats as well as the ‘essentials’. Ideally I would have much preferred better meals, but i had to work with what i encountered without wanting to mess up my tummy by eating something i am intolerant to just because it was easier.

This blogpost was done based on my own experience and working within my constraints and goals, but i wrote it because i felt that just maybe it could help others who are not so inspired, who suffer from intolerances or who like sticking to their diets, so that they too can get some ideas and keep motivated!

Did you like this blogpost? Do you feel there is something you also do that helps you #TravelFit? Comment below and lets see what ideas other people have!

Any questions? Hit the comment button, i’ll be ready to answer.

On Twitter? Join us: @themusclebakery / #TravelFit

With love,

The Muscle Baker <3

References:
http://www.naturalnews.com/039123_Bromelain_anti-inflammatory_enzyme.html#ixzz4MEg99Vze
http://www.naturalnews.com/039123_Bromelain_anti-inflammatory_enzyme.html#ixzz4MEfpRpun

GUEST POST // Flexible Dieting. Just another diet?

Flexible Dieting. Just another Diet? By The Macro Wizard

You’ve probably read it or heard it somewhere, “Eat oreos. Get lean.”

Whilst this statement can be right I figured it was worth taking some snaps of what flexible dieting really is to avoid falling into one of these sexy-marketing claims too quickly.

When trying to explain flexible dieting we usually encounter all sorts of arguments and claims, these tend to be the most common:

Flexible dieting is just another fad. You can’t really eat whatever you like and you’re always restricted and obsessed about numbers.
It’s just a sexy title to allow people to eat crap all day and share it on Instagram.
People who follow it only care about aesthetics, if we were to look inside their bodies we’ll surely find disease developing and/or a serious lack of nutrients with adverse health effects.

These are all valid arguments of course so before trying to address them one by one and make this article an essay on how to waste your time trying to get people to think before spitting out words, let’s see what flexible dieting REALLY IS so you can judge for yourself. Ready?

Flexible dieting is nothing revolutionary but our human stupidity tells us that if something isn’t new, revolutionary and/or complicated –bonus points if it hits all three, it’s not worth even trying.

So, what is flexible dieting really?

*IT IS a way to apply what science tells us so far about nutrition in an easy, practical way, providing our bodies with the required nutrients and doing so without obsessing about “clean or dirty food”, the poison of sugar or whether saturated fat is going to kill you tomorrow. This means we should eat a ton of foods full of nutrients without forgetting that ice cream, pastries or pizza can be included in our daily diets without any side effect. EVERYTHING has nutrients and energy, and hey, your body is pretty awesome at using them.

*IT IS a way to help us become more conscious of what goes into our mouth. Knowing what you eat on a daily basis can give you the power to control your body and make adjustments where necessary. Wanna lose a bit of flab? Gain some muscle? You know will know what to do exactly without guessing or playing with some snake oil techniques.

*IT IS a sustainable way to eat, meaning that you could eat like this for the rest of your life if you wanted to. You base your nutrition according to personal preference and knowing what the basics are for providing your body with what it needs. No more eating every 3 hours “because a book said so” or avoiding sugar at all costs because it raises insulin.

If done correctly, eating in a flexible manner means eating tons of foods rich in vitamins and minerals with no compromise to our personal preference or circumstances. Grandma was right; you can eat dessert if you have your vegetables first!

This last bit is key guys.

Most people pursuing health and fitness tend to demonise certain foods, claiming that they harm our bodies and that we should avoid them at all costs. This just creates a horrible relationship with food that could lead to ugly bits of human psychology that are not fun nor healthy.

I have been snapping my meals during these past few days to try and give you a visual idea of what this flexible dieting thing really is, let’s jump straight into it!

Day 1: Eating at home.

I made a huge chicken and veggie stir-fry with some noodles. Because I know how hungry I am on my first meal (yeah, I don’t eat breakfast usually), I tend to make a salad to fill up my belly and get in those nutrients.
Protein chocolate cake (The Muscle Bakery has ton of recipes for protein goodies) with casein chocolate “sauce”.
Some store-bought pizza bases topped with low fat cream cheese spread, canned tuna and spices. That big salad for lunch left me with most of my carbohydrates left for the night so I took advantage of it!

Day 2: Let’s see how we do when going out a bit

Another protein mug cake topped with low fat greek yogurt, chocolate pieces, M&M’s and walden farms chocolate syrup.
For lunch I made some chicken with veggies in tomato sauce, topped with two grilled eggs and served on a bed of couscous. A couple of small slices of bread to help push it in.
Dinner? We went out to grab some burgers, shared a small serving of fries with my partner in crime and opted for a double meat, extra egg and no sauce option from the menu. I had a pretty light lunch so this complemented my day perfectly.

Day 3: How about being out all day? No problem

Went to a pub for lunch where I opted for a simple steak and sweet potato fries with a side of grilled veggies.
Dinner was some sort of steak asian stir fry with noodles and veggies.
After dinner and before bed I prepared some simple protein pancakes accompanied by cottage cheese and berries. Meat portions at restaurants aren’t huge so depending on your goals you may have to complement your day with a pre-bed like this to hit protein and other nutrients.

Try for yourself!

Day 4: Let’s do another one with the majority of foods away from our kitchen.

Lunch was a huge plate of couscous with veggies, grilled eggs, serrano ham and double portion of chicken. Ask for the condiments to be served on the side to avoid adding a million grams of fat into your day.
On our way home we grabbed a small cone of delicious gelato. How to track gelato I hear you? Search once for “Gelato” on MyFitnessPal or your app of choice, add the generic serving of 50–65g and then add a waffle cone. It should come up to around 50g of carbs and 20g of fat including the cone.
This was a pretty early lunch so when 6pm rolled out I was a bit hungry. I knew we were planning to eat out later but did not know where so I took the opportunity to top up my protein for the day with 200g of quark, a spoon of peanut butter, some light jam and walden farms chocolate syrup.
Dinner happened to be a burger so again, I opted for double meat, no sauce no add ons. We shared some fried chicken with the rest of the table so no biggie.

Believe it or not this day ended up at around 2600kcal and hit my macros pretty much on the spot.

What can we learn from these images?

There is a clear steer towards the right portion of protein, fibre and veggies at almost every meal.
When eating something out of the ordinary, portions tend to be small and enough to satisfy our sweet tooth. Do you really need a kilo of gelato for dessert?
No day is perfect and that is totally fine! We’ve talked about this many times; perfection does not exist. I try to stay close to my goals as best as I can but I don’t stress it if life happens and I end up short on protein or exceeding my calories. Live your life.
I always eat according to my personal preferences. I absolutely refuse to eat anything I dislike just because someone said somewhere that it’s a superfood or that I will get Arnold’s body by eating pounds of it. There are no magics foods and you do not need to avoid anything in particular to reach your goals.

This particular way of eating tends to be called ‘flexible dieting’ but in reality, it’s just eating.

Eating the foods you love and not stressing about the minutia, use your newly found free time to share moments with your loved ones, read a book or go get tanned at the beach. 😎

The freedom you get from knowing you can eat anything is liberating but it doesn’t mean you have to eat anything! If you enjoy eating chicken and veggies at almost every meal then by all means continue doing so, just know that a chicken sandwich with cheese is not going to instantly make you fat or kill you because of “OH MY GOD THERE’S CHEESE IN IT”.

How can I make this whole ‘flexible dieting’ thing work for me?

Great question!

You’ve probably seen or read about people who seem to live on cookies, ice cream and donuts whilst showing their rock hard abs and steel glutes to the world.

Don’t let it fool you though. I can guarantee that these guys don’t just live on sugar and processed (tasty) crap. They don’t have a ‘faster metabolism’ either. They just don’t show what they do the rest of their time (come on, photos of chicken and broccoli get boring quickly, Instagram the s**t out of a massive gelato please).

These people control their total calories in a way that works for them, working into their daily or weekly nutrition all those yummy treats without sacrificing essential nutrients or compromising their goals. They may also be 5 times more active than you without you knowing!

YOU can also make this work FOR YOU by following some simple steps:

Track what you eat every day for a week or two. Even if you don’t plan on tracking forever (good choice), an initial period of learning will give you the tools required for success in the long term. You will be surprised at the amount of fat that ‘healthy salad’ you get from work every day has or that innocent burrito that contains nearly 1000kcal.
Set up processes to eat enough protein. RDA’s are a joke. They were made with sedentary people in mind and with the MINIMUM amounts to survive as a general guideline. You want to thrive and live a healthier life, eat more protein and you’ll soon find yourself fuller, happier and leaner. Protein will not damage your kidneys and it’s not just for bodybuilders, give it the importance it deserves.
Manipulate carbs and fat as you prefer to stay within your calorie goal for the week. If you start restricting foods you’ll soon find yourself lacking energy and essential nutrients as well as being obsessed about food ALL THE TIME. Take advantage of the data you are going to accumulate with the diary and make room for your favourite foods! Completely eliminating an entire food group (i.e carbs) is just going to make things more complicated without any added benefits.
Give yourself a 20% room in your daily calories to eat all those foods you like but you still frown upon. There’s no evidence of any food that causes harm to the body (allergies, and other issues aside). Being flexible allows you to stop analysing if what you eat is “healthy enough” and helps to remove the guilt or any negative thoughts related to eating a donut for example. A 20% is safe enough because it leaves enough room for treats without forgetting about our protein, fruits and veggies.

My quality of life has improved immensely after more than 2 years of carrying food containers everywhere, eating every 3 hours and restricting everything that was off the list of “healthy foods” I was ready to give up on this “being healthy s**t”.

I can now go out to dinner with friends, attend a BBQ or eat some popcorn cinema with my girlfriend without a problem. You just have to be smart about managing your daily/weekly calorie budget.

Traveling is no longer an issue and I don’t need to carry protein with me wherever I go. Yes, it may be practical, but I also now that I can step into ANY restaurant in the world and get some meat, veggies and a dessert of my liking with the exact same effects on my body.

Enjoy your food guys, life is much more than nutrition and fitness!

Quality of life matters.

After losing about 65kgs (and succumbing to a period of obsession) Mr Macro Wizard decided to go about his diet the scientific way, leaving all the fads and nonsense behind him. Since then, he has earned himself a PHD, appeared on Mens Health, travelled the world, ate many a burger and most importantly, is reaching out to others to help them on their own journey.

Article written by The Macro Wizard, if you have not checked him out… what are you waiting for?! You can find him on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and most importantly via his website. (His Instagram may make you a bit jealous though with his travelling and epic foodscapades).

You can also find his previous blogpost ‘Eat More Protein’ here.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article, get involved… tweet us @themusclebakery & @themacrowizard #NotAnotherDiet and tell us your thoughts!

Need help getting started? Here’s some recipe inspo:

Kale Chips	Easy Tikka	Chicken Satay
‘Nutella’ Spread	Oaty Bars	Choc Chip Bake
Vegan Brownie	Cereal Bar	Basic Pancakes

How to: Pancakes

Pancakes, a simple delight which fills us all with so much happy when we get to eat them.

Pancake is a flat, round cake, comprised mainly from a flour-based batter made with eggs, milk, oil or butter and cooked on a hot surface such as a griddle or frying pan. In UK, pancakes are typically thinner and closely resemble a crêpe. However, American pancakes tend to use baking powder which makes them a lot thicker and fluffy.

The ancient Greeks and Romans ate their pancakes with honey; the Elizabethans ate them flavored with spices, rosewater, sherry, and apples. In the American colonies, pancakes—known as hoe cakes, johnnycakes, or flapjacks—were made with buckwheat or cornmeal.

They are typically served as a breakfast option with berries, jam, butter and spreads *cough Nutella* but can also be enjoyed with savoury items such as bacon and eggs.

Ultimately, the defining characteristic of the entire vast family of pancakes, whether you call them crepe, griddlecake, blini, bannock, is indeed their flatness. “Flat as a pancake,” according to the Oxford English Dictionary, has been a catchphrase since at least 1611.

“Flat as a pancake” – since 1611

Fast forward to present day and pancake’s have somewhat changed; flour, milk and oil alternatives are used to suit, they can be enriched with protein and are sweetened with sugar replacements such as stevia, agave, applesauce etc.

Unfortunately a lot of people find that they often fail at pancake making, in most cases ending up with a scramble instead of a pancake, and ofc then give up trying ever again. We want to help you avoid this at all costs because pancakes are awesome!

So, before we share our recipe this is our top tips on how to perfect the pancake:

NON STICK PAN // This is absolutely crucial to successful pancakes. Without it you may as well give up on life. Srsly. Trust us on this one! We have a ceramic one which is absolutely perfect for pancakes, needs next to no oil and cleans real easy.

SPRAY OIL // This is not essential but it does help a little, especially for Vegan pancakes which tend to be harder to flip due to the lack of eggs. We use a coconut oil spray which is low in calories and doesn’t add much extra calories.

BLENDER // Blitzing all your ingredients in a blender prior to making pancakes will ensure that your mix is well combined. It is only natural that when you mix by hand, it doesn’t combine as well and you may be left with clumpy mix which will affect your pancake making.

SILICONE MOLD // This isn’t really needed but it really does make ALL off the difference if you can get one. Not only does it help make perfectly round pancakes but it also helps you make them all even in size which will make life a lot easier if you are counting macros. Any pound saver shop (or in Gibraltar/ Spain, any of the Chinese shops) should have them!

BE PATIENT // Don’t be tempted to put the heat too high in a bid to get the pancakes done quicker. Start on a lower heat and wait for it to get to the right temperature, the first 2 pancakes will always be the dummy ones anyway, the perfect temp will start once you’ve done a few pancakes.

This is our latest go-to recipe:

Vegan Protein Pancakes

Servings: 2
Print

Deliciously fluffy pancakes, perfect for any occasion.
Credit: The Muscle Bakery

Ingredients

1 Cup Gluten-Free Oats
1 Banana
1 Cup Koko Coconut Milk
1 Scoop (approx 25g) Pea Protein Isolate
1 Tbsp Ground Chia Seeds
1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 Tbsp Agave Nectar
2 Drops Stevia (or alternative)
1 Tbsp Granulated Sweetener (or alternative)
1 Tsp Baking Soda

Directions

Blitz all the ingredients in a blender until it is all well combined. Then leave aside to set for 5-10 minutes while pan heats up.
Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat, spray with low-cal coconut oil to make it easier to get your pancake on.
Add spoonfuls of batter onto the pan, we find that 2 tablespoon’s of batter makes the perfect size pancake. Leave to cook for a couple of minutes until you start noticing bubbles come through. Flip and cook a further couple of minutes.
Repeat until all batter is used up.
Pile them up on a plate, add your favourite syrup and ENJOY!

Perfect leg-day post workout noms! 😛

Nutritional Info (per serving): 314 Cals | 7.1F | 49C | 17.8P

Free from Gluten, Wheat, Sugar, Dairy, & Egg.

Follow @themusclebaker on Instagram, tune into her daily stories to get first dibs on recipes, tips, tricks and general nonsense.

Some more delicious pancake recipes to choose from:

PB Giant Pancake	Lemon Pancakes	Pancake Cake
Spinach Crepe	Low-Carb Pancakes	Banoffee Pancakes
Dairy-Free Pancakes	Vegan Pancakes	Basic Protein Pancakes

Don’t forget to tag us if you get your pancake on with any of our recipes! We love seeing all your creations. Find us on all social media outlets: @themusclebakery <3

EVENT // Free Taster Day @ Strength Factory

Soon after Strength Factory opened, we signed up as members unknowingly setting the path in motion for our collaboration. (They’ll have to thank their sexy leg press machine for that.)

The SF boys were full of positive energy, excited to create a social atmosphere at their gym, a place where everyone feels at home and looks forward to going to the gym rather than dragging themselves there which tends to be a common occurrence amongst avid gym goers.

Their enthusiasm is evident, you can catch them there daily chatting to members, giving advice or even making them some tasty (coco pops) protein smoothies.

Now, where does MB fit into this? Well, in a bid to create a better social environment… Food was the last piece of the puzzle! DUH. *our cue*

We sat down together and the ideas started bouncing all over the place. Influenced not only by our undeniable love for food, but also our passion in helping and educating others to create a healthier/ balanced lifestyle within this ‘social’ environment.

It then culminated in creating this event so that members could sample the treats, not just to help explain about the products that would be sold there but to get everyone socialising and enjoying themselves.

We set out a few trays of samples, and a total of approx 6 products including two new exclusive bars: Skinny Dream & Lean Muscle Malt.

At first everyone was peering over like, omg is this for real? All this food at the gym! But, after a while everyone started coming round and having a taste and relaxing a little. Admittedly some members got way more distracted than others, but it was definitely cool to chat and explain about the products and watch them ‘oooooh’ ‘mmmmm’ ‘ahhhhh’ while enjoying them.

The most popular sample was definitely the Skinny Dream (picture above). It’s double chocolatey-ness kinda won everyone over, some saying it was like a Mars Bar, others like a Milky Way. Only one person didn’t really partake to it, but she did admit that she’s not really fond of sweet stuff so technically her vote doesn’t really count. The fact that there was NONE left of these by the end of the event was a sign at how well they had gone down.

This one is going to be exclusive to Strength Factory only, but not to worry you’ll be able to get down there and buy some regardless if you’re a member or not.

@ashsfitkitchen approves of our Skinny Dream (y)

Second favourite, (even though it’s our current fave) was the Lean Muscle Malt (picture below). It’s like a fusion of a Quest Bar & a Muscle Malt! Everyone really liked this one too, with some even saying that it’s better than the original Muscle Malt!!!! Like, is that even possible?!!

Other items included Vegan Almond Delight, Vegan Protein Cookies, Muscle Malts & Protein Cake Pops, all of which were well received. YAY.

The most asked question was: ‘Does it have sugar?’ As always we answer honestly… The bars coated in dark chocolate contain sugar because chocolate has sugar (obvs), however we don’t use any refined sugars in any of our fillings opting for other healthier/ more macro- friendly or tastier alternatives such as stevia, xylitol, agave nectar or zero syrups.

We are not here to just sell you some bars and bugger off, we are here to prove that eating healthy doesn’t have to be misery incarnate. Together with SF, we hope to do exactly that with the idea of organising more events filled with food, training and most importantly fun!

We hope you enjoyed this event, we are looking forward to stocking Strength Factory with our goodies and keep your eyes peeled for our next event. PS. it includes protein waffles. *crowd surf*

For information on current stockists and future ones, click here.

For info on all of our current bar selection, check out this previous blogpost.

Don’t forget to join us on social media @themusclebakery <3

How to: Burrito Bowl

Wondering what a Burrito bowl is? Well, we are here to explain it to you, show you how we make ours and inspire you to make your very own!

Now, What is a Burrito Bowl?

A simplified version of a Burrito… so, exactly like a Burrito except you skip the wholemeal wrap and devour the contents from a bowl instead. The precise origin of the modern burrito is unknown, but guaranteed that the Burrito bowl was invented by someone who was too lazy to wrap it all up, or too poor to afford wraps. Either way, GENIUS.

The standard burrito/ burrito bowls are usually comprised of black beans, fried rice, salsa, cheese etc however you can make it as you please and that is the absolute beauty of it! With the right choice of ingredient substitutions it can prove to be a delicious, filling and healthy with the added bonus of it being so easy to make.

To make ours we follow these simple rules:

1. Choose a base.

The base that we choose is usually dependant on macro allowance, for example if it is a low-carb day we would choose some leafy greens, Bare Naked rice or Cauli rice. If a higher carb day, the choice would be brown rice, quinoa or potatoes. You may even choose to not have a base ingredient and just enjoy a bowl of solo ingredients.

Tip: Microwave rice packs are great for those who don’t really have time to wait 3 decades for rice to boil.

2. Add some greens.

By default, we make sure we always add greens to all or most of our meals. They are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals and are a great volume food which means you can add loads without affecting the total calorie content too much.

3. Chop up tomatoes.

It aint no burrito without tomatoes. Obvs.

Decide on what beans you prefer.

Black beans is a typical ingredient in burritos, however if those don’t tickle your fancy just add whichever beans you most like. We absolutely LOVE adding Lupin beans to ours. They are naturally high in fiber, high in protein, have a salty taste and add some colour to your beautiful dish.

4. Choose a protein source.

This will of course vary depending on your dietary requirement. For Vegans & Veggies: Tofu, Quorn mince and fillets are a great addition to this meal. Our choice was some pre-packaged spiced chicken which we we found in Mercadona and tastes delicious! However, you can add as you please whether it be chicken, turkey, mince, steak, fish or even none at all. We just prefer to add a protein source to every meal, or else we find ourselves guzzling down shakes of Casein pre-bed which is not ideal.

5. Add any extras as you prefer (and macros will allow you).

No doubt that for us, the extra will always be olives. But, pretty much add anything else you fancy! More veggies, protein sources, beans, rice, potatoes… go as crazy as you want to. You could also add some home-made nachos like we did, recipe here. (Better than store bought ones, trust us! SO good.)

6. Salsa & Guacamole (obligatory).

Well, it aint no burrito without these two either!

7. and ofc… Cheese

Cheese makes any meal great, so it aint no different here! For anyone looking to avoid Dairy, Violife cheese is perfect and now available at both Morrisons & Eroski! Or you could buy some of our Vegan Queso (available for pre-order). Otherwise, choose a cheese of preference and load it up! Don’t overdo it though, cheese packs on a lot of extra calories and fat, so add it on sensibly.

8. Wear Mexican hat

This is ofc optional, but if you really wanna get into the mood… perfect addition 😛

Re-create our one by following this recipe:

Burrito Bowl

Servings: 1
Time: 10-20mins
Difficulty: SUPER easy
Print

All the burrito-ness, none of the naughty-ness Credit: The Muscle Bakery

Ingredients

100g Uncle Bens Brown Rice
100g Hacendado Oven Roasted Chicken pieces
25g Lupin Beans
25g Pimiento Stuffed Olives
20g Lambs Lettuce
2 Salad Tomatoes (chopped)
15g Hacendado Guacamole
20g Doritos Mild Salsa
Pinch of salt and mixed herbs

Vegan Cheese (optional)
‘Cheesy Nachos’ (optional)

Directions

Prepare rice as per packet instructions then pour 100g into a bowl. (Make sure to choose a bowl which will accommodate all your ingredients comfortably).
In no particular order, add all your ingredients except for salsa and guacamole.
Once all your ingredients have been laid onto the base, top with salsa and guac then sprinkle salt and herbs.
DONE.

The nachos was such a great addition, mainly because it become a shovel to scoop all the goodness from bowl to mouth! 😀

Nutritional Info (per bowl – without cheese sauce/nachos):
363Cals | 11F | 42C | 23P

Free from Gluten, Wheat & Dairy.

Don’t forget to tag us if you make it!

You can find us on all social media outlets: @themusclebakery 😛

Get an exclusive 15% discount on Bulkpowders using code:
MUSCLEBAKERY15 (Available for UK AND GIB customers.)

Our bars (explained)

The start of our product base began unknowingly in the creation of our very first bar: Vegan Nuttylicious (which at the time was just called Healthy Snickers).

Once we had created and tweaked this one, the thirst to create more was unleashed! With knowledge + creativity, the Mighty Bar, Coco Bliss & Toffee Crunch were then born.

The idea was to re-create all of our usual favourite bars that we would have as kids (and admittedly as adults of course), by applying healthier methods of baking, using alternative ingredients, no refined sugars and making them free from Gluten & Wheat.

We wanted to cater to the needs of people with dietary constraints as well as those who are slightly more strict with their macronutrient intake…but, also create bars that anyone could enjoy, regardless of diet… Leaving behind the ancient ideals that healthy isn’t tasty!

Thankfully, a local supplement shop offered us the chance to sell small amounts there, a great starting point for us. The true test would lie within our new customer base and their feedback would be instrumental in the growth of more products (and outlets).

Soon after, our beautiful Muscle Malt was born… Our biggest seller from day one! To think that it only happened by chance after a promise to a friend to create it (who still rubs it in our faces btw).

Then, Party Bar came along with a few mishaps along the way, followed by Cookie Cups & Skinny Bites which have since been discontinued.

But, eventually, we landed a second outlet… Created some more bars… And approximately 2 years down the line, we have 13-14 products sold exclusively at 3 outlets, in Gibraltar & Marbella (and hopefully many more in future.)

~

So, to culminate our brief history intro, here is a look into our selection of bars:

1. NUTTYLICIOUS (VEGAN)

Our first creation and still one of our popular ones due to it being Vegan. This re-creation of the Snickers bar uses natural ingredients and sweeteners including dates, agave nectar and home-roasted nuts. Topped with dairy-free dark chocolate. Luxurious and decadent, it is in a whole league of its own… it’s frickin’ Nutty-Licious! 😛

Each bar has 287Cals, 16.2g of Fat, 29.7g Carbs (22g sugars), 8.5g Protein.

2. MIGHTY BAR

A creamy high protein (dairy) chocolate filling, topped with date caramel and coated in luxurious dark chocolate. This is our take on the classic favourite ‘Mars Bar’ except with way better macronutrients, less sugars and carbs yet tastes INSANE! This one is most certainly the mightiest bar in town. Try it and you’ll know what we mean…. Mars move over, we got this! (Exclusive to La Parrilla on the Go.)

Each bar has 225Cals, 14g of Fat, 12g Carbs (of which 1.9g fiber and 8.5g sugars) + 12g Protein.

3. COCO BLISS (VEGAN)

Reduced fat organic shredded coconut combined with coconut oil, sweetened with agave nectar and enriched with a rich Vegan Protein blend… Like bounty bar, but better!

We actually used to make a non-vegan and vegan version of this bar, however the macros were really similar as well as the taste so we decided to go with just making the vegan version and it has been a hugely popular one ever since.

Each bar has 198Cals, 15.5g of Fat, 11.2g Carbs (7.4g sugars), 6g Protein.

4. TOFFEE CRUNCH

The re-creation of this one is obvious just by looking at the name (hehe)… A beautiful mixture of crispy brown rice, whey protein, toffee flavouring and dark chocolate. Whether you love toffee or not, there is no doubt you’ll have nothing but love for this one! Perfect post-workout treat!

Each bar has 221cals, 12.3g of Fat, 16.7g Carbs (7.9g sugars), 9.4g Protein.

5. MUSCLE MALT

Our greatest creation… Tastes exactly like Malteasers but made with good for you ingredients! Brown rice, cashews, hydrolysed whey, agave and luxurious dark chocolate… the only problem? They are highly addictive! (NO SERIOUSLY… THEY REALLY ARE!)

Fun fact: This bar actually started out as balls just like Malteasers, however demand began growing so much we had to cut out the hand-rolling so many balls and make them into bars instead.

This is our favourite bar to have on Leg Days, combine it with a good black coffee and you’ll good to go!!

Each bar has 223Cals, 13g of Fat, 19.5g Carbs (1.5g fiber, 11.3g sugars), 6g Protein.

Muscle Malt is one of our most popular bars! Evident in the #MuscleMalt search on Instagram like shown below.

6. PARTY BAR

This bar encountered some mishaps from the beginning of its creation. Without changing recipe whatsoever, the bars began solidifying… like, inedible hard after only a couple of days of making them. This had not happened before so, unsure of what to do we had to recall them and halted its sale until we could figure out how to solve this problem. The only thing we could think had affected it was the weather; we created it during summer and it began giving us problems in the colder months. Weird huh? Anyways, couple of months and a few experimentations later… we managed to nail it once again and got no more solidifying problems *crowd surf*

Containing sweet sultanas, crispy brown rice, chopped home-roasted nuts, gluten-free biscuits, prebiotic fiber, whey protein and topped with luxurious dark chocolate… it has everything you need! Think Picnic Bar meets Muscle Bakery! + Due to its varied and fuel-packed ingredient listing, this bar is the perfect choice to invigorate some energy… pre or post-workout!

Each bar is 164cals, 6.8g Fat, 19.1g Carbs (16.6g sugars) 7.1g of Protein.

7. NUTTYLICIOUS

Chewy nougat filling, peanut caramel, chopped nuts and luxurious dark chocolate… Snickers has nothing on this one!

When we end up cutting batches of these, the ends always end up in a bowl for us to enjoy. Fave way to eat it? Chopped up in a warm bowl of protein oats, the absolute perfect post-workout!

Each bar is 193Cals, 10.7g of Fat, 15.6g Carbs (13g sugars), 8.6g of Protein.

8. RAZZLE BERRY

This bar has a soft raspberry flavour filling, combined with lashings of smooth peanut butter, enriched with whey protein concentrate, a chia seed crunch and finished in luxurious Dark Chocolate coat… A pleasant delight for those who love Raspberry flavour everything!

We love having this one with greek yoghurt… chop up half a bar, add some stevia, mix it up and enjoy! Tasty, filling and most importantly, won’t hurt them macros.

Each bar is 184Cals, 10.2g Fat, 13.8g Carbs (10.8g sugars), 9.1g of Protein.

9. VANILLA CRUNCH

A vanilla twist to our Toffee Crunch, made Vegan-friendly! Using brown rice, cashews, vanilla and enriched with pea protein isolate. Simple. Tasty.

This one happened just before we started selling at LPH, we knew that the customer base would be completely different to previous stockists (and a high volume of Vegans would go there) so we decided to create another bar! We took our toffee crunch recipe and made it vegan friendly while providing a different flavour for those who are not Vegan too. (Exclusive to LPH.)

Each bar has 241cals, 13.8g Fat, 23.6g Carbs (13.9g sugars), 7.2g Protein.

10. PROTIX

Whats better than a Twix? a Protix of course! a Gluten-Free, casein enriched biscuit base, a naturally made, sugar-free, high protein caramel and a luxurious coat of dark chocolate. Lower in carbs AND higher in protein… winner winner.

This one is a big favourite at home, perfect to curb the late night cravings with a cheeky cuppa and your favourite TV series.

Each bar has 246cals, 14.7g of Fat, 20g Carbs (8g sugars), 13.4g Protein.

11. SKINNY DREAM

Every chocolate lover’s dream… its milky, creamy, silky and it’ll make you go ‘MMMM’ and ‘AHHHH’. A soft dairy-based centre, enriched with whey protein and coated in luxurious dark chocolate, perfect post-workout treat. (Exclusive to Strength Factory.)

Each bar has 188Cals, 10.4g of Fat, 12.7g of Carbs (10.1g sugars), 10.4g Protein.

12. ROCKY ROAD

Packed with crushed (gluten-free) biscuits, fluffy marshmallows and enriched with whey protein. Packing a whopping 14g protein per piece… the perfect little indulgence!

This creation happened by accident while some friends were over and wanted some treats (but had nothing to give). So, in a typical mish mash the first edition of Rocky Road was born! Then, after a few amendments we decided it was good enough for all of you… It is smaller than the rest of the bars, but only because we consider it a more luxurious treat with higher calories. In basic, we keep it smaller to keep you guys safe from the fat monsters. Your welcome!

Each bar has 200cals, 8.8g of Fat, 15.6g Carbs (9.9g sugars), 14g Protein.

And if you don’t fancy some choc coated bars we also have these:

13. ALMOND DELIGHT (VEGAN)

Delicate almond butter fused with roasted & salted pumpkin seeds, enriched with pea protein and extra fiber. Tastes just like Turron except none of the sugar and nasty fats! Yippee!

Each bar has 208cals, 11.3g of Fat, 15g Carbs, 12.4g Protein.

14. PB CHIA BAR (VEGAN)

The combo of natural peanut butter, chia seeds and blackstrap molasses makes this bar oh so beautiful! Enriched with pea protein isolate, prebiotic fiber and crunchy brown rice… an all round bar of perfection.

We used to make these in a smaller size, but due to everyone complaining they were too small… we doubled them in size!

Each bar has 203cals, 13g of Fat, 10.4g Carbs (7.5g sugars), 10.7g Protein.

15. MATCHA BAR (VEGAN)

Simple ingredients, sweetened with agave, enriched with matcha green tea and pea protein isolate. Don’t be fooled by it’s green colouring, the taste is magnificent!

We used to make these in a smaller size, but due to everyone complaining they were too small… we doubled them in size!

Each bar has 195cals, 10.2g of Fat, 11g Carbs (5.8g sugars), 11.5g Protein.

~

FAQ

How long do the bars last?
Depends on each bar, if kept refrigerated they will last up to a minimum of 2 weeks if not longer. However, if left in warmer temperatures the life of each bar will be less; especially the Mighty Bar which contains dairy and Coco Bliss which contains a mix of almond milk and coconut (which tends to mould fairly quick).

Do i need to keep refrigerated?
Absolutely, especially in the warmer months. You can even freeze them if you wish for them to last a lot longer.

Do the Vegan bars contain whey?
No, any bars which are stated as Vegan DO NOT contain any dairy or egg what so ever.

Why are some bars smaller than others?
Each bar is made, cut, coated, wrapped by hand so naturally the bars will often vary in size.

When should i eat them?
It depends on preference, there is no right or wrong time to eat them. Some people prefer to eat them pre-workout, others like it as an afternoon snack to stop them from breaking their diet. As long as you eat them sensibly (not all 4 in one go) you should be fine no matter when you decide to eat them.

What sweeteners do you use?
We use a variety of different sweeteners, we tend to use agave nectar for its low GI properties (making it suitable for diabetics + we love the taste), together with stevia (liquid and granulated) or xylitol. However we do occasionally use other forms of sweetener and happy to amend bars accordingly for those who can’t have the above. You can check our pantry ingredient list to check full list of ingredients we use.

Are the bars suitable for diabetics?
All fillings are free from refined sugar, however they are coated in dark chocolate which DOES contain some sugars. If you are concerned about the amount of sugars each bar contains, they are listed above. However, we can make batches for you, using sugar-free dark chocolate via pre-order.

Are all bars Gluten & Wheat-Free?
Indeed so! All bars are 100% free from Gluten & Wheat (due to suffering those intolerances ourselves), but for any other requirements please check each description accordingly.

When are bars re-stocked?
All bars a re-stocked weekly, mostly on Mondays but depends if there has been a bank holiday or personal circumstances where day may vary.

Do you ship to UK?
Not at the moment, however we are looking at the possibility of stocking one outlet in UK… watch this space.

How accurate are the macros?
The macros are as close as possible, but like mentioned earlier, due to them being handmade there will naturally be some variance in size.

~

We hope we have answered all your questions, if not please ask away! You can message us via FB, email us or even comment below.

Thanks and much love from us <3

Cupcakes, Muscle Baking Workshop & opening our very own store!

We have been a little quiet lately, but not without reason… weekly re-stocking and setting up our own place with the additional order’s here and there really is time consuming and slightly stressful. BUT, we have some exciting events coming up that we wanted to share with you:

HEALTH & WELLBEING DAY – CUPCAKE EDITION – 23rd April 2016

We will be taking part in this year’s Health & Wellbeing Day to be held on 23rd April at Kings Bastion Leisure Centre.

We really wanted to have a bit of fun with the items we want to put on offer, so instead of offering just our bars (which most of you have tried already) we decided to bring you guys a selection of delectable cupcakes to fit all and any dietary requirements!

We will be showcasing a selection of approx 10x flavour cupcakes, 5 of which will be Vegan and most of which have been created specifically for this event, just like the Vegan PB Jelly Cupcakes shown above or the Muscle Malt Cupcakes shown below.

All items are free from Gluten, Wheat & refined Sugars. Some items will not be suitable for diabetics due to natural sugars and/or Dark Chocolate used so please ask one of the girls at the counter on the day for more information.

We will be there from 11am-4pm, hope to see you all there <3

MUSCLE BAKING WORKSHOP – 29th April 2016

We have been helping out a group of young teenage ladies who have been taking part in Youth Enterprise for the past year or so.

Youth Enterprise operates year-round, as an extra curricular activity and provides students with a part-time job designing, creating, and marketing their very own products. This process is used as a channel through which the students are taught and mentored with the sole purpose of teaching them career skills, life skills, business skills, with having to set goals, manage time, team building, finance, product development amongst many other key skills.

The girls decided that they wanted to create a usb bracelet, one that was classy, modern and fashionable unlike those in the market at the moment. However, they had to think of ways to promote/sell it in ways that would relate to its uses, so they kindly asked if we would do a Muscle Baking workshop and everyone who attended workshop would receive a bracelet with all the recipes on it.

I thought it was a genius idea and said YES to their idea without hesitation.

The date has been set for Friday 29th April, 5-7pm at Westside School with ticket releases set for this week or next by the girls themselves via their FB page.

Also joining us will be I AM FITNESS who will be tending to anyones nutritional questions as well as adding an information sheet on ‘How to calculate your Macros’ to every usb bracelet.

We are still liasing with some other sponsors, but BULKPOWDERS will be one of our main sponsors, sending us loads of amazing ingredients to play with. *happy dance*

All proceeds made from this event go wholly and entirely to Team Infinite.

For anyone looking to attend the workshop, once you have booked ticket please let us know in advance of any intolerances you may have.

THE MUSCLE BAKERY STORE OPENING – May 2016

Yes you heard that right… our very own place… FINALLY!

We have been busy setting up our own little place, which will be our own concept store/bakery, original to us and in no other but The Muscle Bakery style. (Cupcake wall, selfie mirror, wifi hotspot… you know… important stuff.)

We plan to sell a variation of sweet treats, bars, savoury daily specials, meal boxes by LPH and La Parrilla On The Go, and a whole range of healthy snacks, drinks, smoothies, fruit, teas and coffees as well as hosting mini workshops, themed days and breakfast mornings on weekends. (Hello Protein Waffles).

It is not a huge space we have, but it’ll be just perfect to start from and will FINALLY be a place where you can come in and meet us and ask all the questions you need to.

All approximate macronutrient values will be provided and we will continue to make all our food free from Gluten & Wheat as well as offering a variation of options for all other dietary requirements.

We have yet to workout which hours will be best to open due to the location of the premises which is in the south district of Gibraltar (not in town sadly due to high rents) so we will be creating a FB poll prior to opening to see which hours would work best for you all.

The sale of our bars will continue at both LPH and La Parrilla On The Go, with re-stocking happening as per usual which is every Monday, unless otherwise stated.

Look forward to sharing the next chapter of the journey with you all <3

For our current bars, recipes or even to purchase our Muscle Baking book, have a browse on our website!

With love,

The Muscle Baker
<3

An insight into the life of The Muscle Bakery

For a while now, I have been wanting to document the daily ongoing’s of The Muscle Bakery and bring the Youtube channel to life. I want to show everyone a little insight as to what gets done behind the scenes and in-house, taking you through everything from daily struggles, observations, meals, supplements and general day to day tips.

However, between making bars, posting books, social media and everything else that takes up my time… i couldn’t think of a way around it… So, the solution? SNAPCHAT!

I have had Snapchat for a while now and absolutely love it, it allows me to communicate with my following without worrying much about the finer details such as filters, hashtags and all the rest that comes with it. Not only that, but my followers prove to be more interactive on Snapchat than any other form of social media. Every other day i get picture snaps on recipe suggestions, pictures of people enjoying my bars or even people trying out new recipes and proudly showing me. *insert hearts here*

Even though snapchat has many constraints, this means that everything will be that little bit more real, (kind of like Instagram in it’s very early days) raw and unedited, bar the blue snap-filter which is life. This is what i love about it, except maybe the 10 second interval video’s which are really REALLYYY testing.

So, this week i decided to start making more of a story and documenting the Muscle Bakery life in a bit more detail via Snapchat, saving the videos/ photos out at the end of each day and compiling them together.

This, is the result.

I hope you enjoy it.

(Excuse the accent.)

The Muscle Baker <3

Add us on Snapchat! Username: themusclebakery

OR you can catch us on all other social media platforms @themusclebakery

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Thank you for your response. ✨

GUEST POST // Eat More Protein!

EAT MORE PROTEIN By The Macro Wizard

We all know by now that protein is good for us. It’s needed for several functions of the body and consuming enough of it coupled with some resistance training can make us look smokin’ hot –yes, this is totally scientifically proven.

A while ago, a good friend of mine told me about how he was “cutting carbs and eating more protein” following his doc’s recommendations, this sounded reasonable if it wasn’t for the bag of walnuts he was munching on while saying it…

My friend swapped bread and pasta for walnuts and quinoa without paying much attention to quantities; the doctor said those things had protein in them so why question it, right? In a couple of weeks my man stopped losing weight and was frustrated with the lack of progress and the complexity of the diet he was following.

The doctor’s recommendations were on point; he needed more protein and probably could do with lowering carbs a bit to help control his total calories –remember that the main driver for weight loss is a calorie deficit– but saying that he needed to eat more nuts and weird ‘superfoods’ was… real nuts. 😉

So, why eating nuts & superfoods isn’t really the way to go and where do we get protein from?

Nuts and seeds are a great FAT source as well as being full of minerals and other goodies, BUT THEY ARE NOT A PROTEIN SOURCE.

They are extremely easy to over eat and if you grab a bag and start munching, you could eat over 500kcal worth of food in less than 5 minutes without feeling satisfied.

Not the greatest choice if your calorie budget for the day is around 1.5-2k and you have a minimum amount of protein to hit in order to maintain those sexy muscles of yours.

Same goes for quinoa, chia seeds or any other so called ‘superfoods’ you may have heard of. They surely have their benefits, but they shouldn’t be labeled as high in protein.

This does not mean that you should limit yourself to chicken & broccoli in your quest for a higher protein-lower calorie diet though.

Now, let’s discover where protein really is and how to make it work for you.

Protein grading system. (Similar to what we had in school, but tastier.)

First things first, I didn’t come up with this idea of a protein grading system myself; Mike Vacanti created it and I just tweaked it for my website The Macro Wizard and this article you are now reading.

Credit where credit’s due. 😉

To make it as easy as possible to understand we will measure 4 metrics: macros, cost, satiety index and convenience.

Macros:

We’ll measure a ratio of protein:calories, meaning that a source of protein with a ton of carbs & fat accompanying it –think honey glazed pork ribs, will have the worst rating. High protein but low in carbs and fat? Highest rating. Simple!

Cost:

The biggest complaint I get with protein sources is how expensive they tend to be. In this metric, we will go after the cost per gram of protein to see who’s the winner.

Satiety Index:

Protein is very filling, but there’s still a notable difference between sources. Something with fat, salt and/or sugar can make it easier to overeat and not fill you as much. We’ll evaluate them to see which one leaves us more satisfied when eaten.

Convenience:

We all have a ton of valid excuses to not prep our food in advance so we can have protein choices available when needed. In this metric we will measure how easy they’re to cook or if they can be eaten on the go.

As a gentle reminder, best rating is an ‘A’, whilst the worst is a ‘D’.

Let’s do this!

Chicken Breast

Macros: A
Cost: B (£0.50/25g of protein)
Satiety Index: A
Convenience: C

“The king of protein” as many people like to think of it, is not the most convenient of protein sources, I admit it. You have to cook it and it tends to be quite bland and dry if you don’t pay much attention to it.

Chicken breast is highly versatile though, I’d recommend you get the Fit Men Cook app or something similar to spark your imagination and to get creative in the kitchen. It is also very cost effective at less than £0.5 per each 25g serving of protein.

Thighs, wings and other parts of the chicken are a great source too, just be aware of the fat content that comes with them.

Image source: http://www.bishersmeatpoway.com/breasts/

Lean Beef

Macros: A/B
Cost: C/D (£1.50/25g of protein)
Satiety Index: B/C
Convenience: C

The term ‘lean beef’ applies to those minute steaks you see at the supermarket and other several cuts of lean animal. Don’t be that guy/girl who eats a ribeye thinking it’s a lean choice and then complains for the lack of results, there’s an entire category for other cuts of cow, we’ll get there.

Similar to chicken in macros and satiety index, the best thing is that you can cook it in seconds and it’s way tastier in my opinion. Macros, cost and satiety will be affected by fat content, the leaner it is the pricier it tends to get.

What’s that?

You prefer burgers and fatty steak huh? Me too, let’s move onto them.

Image source: http://eat2life.com/beef/

Fatty Beef

Macros: C
Cost: C (£1.25/25g of protein)
Satiety Index: D
Convenience: C

This is where that ribeye steak, ribs and all those yummy cuts fall. They tend to contain around 15-20g of fat per 100g, so the macros are not that good. This does not mean that you should avoid it, fatty beef is really tasty, cheaper and full of good nutrients.

Work it into your macros for the day/week and you’ll be golden.

Image source: http://www.eatthis.com/8-fatty-foods-make-you-skinny

Ground Beef – Burgers

Macros: B/C/D (there’s a whole spectrum of fat content here)
Cost: B/C (£1.75/25g of protein if eating out – £0.75/25g if cooking it at home)
Satiety Index: C
Convenience: B

My favourite food of all time without a doubt. I’ve probably eaten over 600 of them over the past 3 years but that’s a different story…

Depending on the type and cut of meat the fat content will vary greatly. A good rule of thumb that I use when eating out is to assign a 20% fat content to it; meaning that if you are eating a 150g patty, just the meat will contain at least 30g of fat and 30g of protein.

Want a tip to turn cheap fatty ground beef into expensive lean ground beef?

Brown the meat in a pan as usual and put some kitchen roll on top of the plate you were planning to transfer it to. Transfer the meat once it’s cooked and let the paper soak most of the juices. Congrats! You know have at least 50% less fat on your meat and have created more space in your macros for cheese, bacon and other toppings… Nice!

Very convenient if eating out. Ask for double meat and the condiments on the side to get a nice kick of protein and control how much fat you eat.

Image source: https://halalmeats.ca

Pork Meat

Macros: A/B
Cost: B (£1/25g of protein)
Satiety Index: B
Convenience: B

Pork loin or any other lean cuts are really good options. Again, very similar macros to those of chicken or lean beef, very cheap and really versatile when it comes to creating meals.

Bacon and pork chops tend to be fattier so check before eating and make room for them in your day. Cook pork chops on a BBQ to maintain the “A” on the macros, most of the fat will be lost in the cooking process! 😉

Image source: http://somust.eu/web/en/portuguese-quality-meat/

Deli Meat

Macros: A/B/C/D (Well, sliced turkey breast is NOT the same as bologna or salami)
Cost: B/C/D (From £1/25g of protein to more than £30, depends on your choice)
Satiety Index: B
Convenience: A

Turkey, ham, chicken, chorizo… All of those are very valid and convenient options. These are a staple of mine when I feel a bit peckish and I’m out and about. They tend to have a ton of sodium but that shouldn’t be an issue, just don’t make deli meats your only source of protein and you will be A-OK.

Nope, they’re not the cause of cancer nor their sodium content is a problem. Do you have hypertension or some similar cardiac problem and your doc has advised you against it? Then don’t eat it. Not your case? Good for you, grab some serrano ham for me please.

You can use them in sandwiches, create stunning antipasto tables or even throw them in salads.

Image source: http://schwabmeat.com/shop/sandwich-sliced-smoked-ham.html

Whole Eggs

Macros: C
Cost: A (£0.4/25g of protein)
Satiety Index: B
Convenience: B

Cholesterol? Check. Nice, tasty and filling fat? Check. There is nothing wrong with eating whole eggs. In fact, they’re one of my favourite ingredients to use on my daily meals. I use eggs everywhere and you should too –assuming you have no related food intolerances.

Just account for the 5-6g of fat that come with it and enjoy the ease of cooking and versatility of it.

If you want to lower the calories and fat content of a meal, substitute a few whole eggs for their little brother, the egg white. Speaking of which…

Image source: https://www.washingtonpost.com

Egg Whites

Macros: A
Cost: C (£1.5/25g of protein)
Satiety Index: B
Convenience: A/B

Avoid throwing yolks out and get your whites in a bottle or a carton, they come pasteurised and are great to be used when baking or creating protein treats.

I’ve also used them in the past to make chicken & chorizo omelettes with tons of cheese on them, you can play with your macros in any way you want!

Even more convenient than whole eggs but 3-4 times as expensive. Your choice.

Image source: http://www.thepescetarianandthepig.com

Lean Fish

Macros: A
Cost: B/C (£1.2 – £2/25g of protein)
Satiety Index: B
Convenience: C

Fish tends to be pretty lean in general but I we’ll be better of if we create two separate categories. In this one in particular you’ll see things like tuna, hake, cod, etc…

Depending on how you choose to cook it, you could add a ton of carbs and fat to them so pay attention. I usually just throw them in the oven with some garlic, herbs and lemon and I’m good to go.

Always keep a pack of frozen fish at hand, it may save your life when you get stuck with no ideas or desire to cook dinners/lunches.

Image source: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-fish-on-the-stovetop-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-204805

Fatty Fish

Macros: B
Cost: B/C (£1.2 – £2/25g of protein)
Satiety Index: B
Convenience: C

In here you’ll find sardines, salmon, mackerel and swordfish amongst others. There is plenty written about the benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids and these guys are full of them.

As easy –or even easier– to cook than their lean counterparts, just heat a pan and create a nice sear for 30 seconds to a minute, add some lemon and soy sauce to the pan and wait for an extra minute or so. Quick, easy and tasty!

Image source: http://mealandaspiel.com/fatty-fish-salmon-tuna-black-cod/

Shellfish

Macros: A
Cost: C/D (From £3/25g of protein)
Satiety Index: B
Convenience: B

Prawns, mussels, crab, lobster, squid… You’ll find plenty of tasty foods in this category.

Shellfish tends to be very, very lean, so it’s a solid option when eating out or grabbing some tapas. Prawns make a great freezer must-have for speedy dinners that are chockfull of protein and veggies.

Their cholesterol content might scare but fear not, shellfish are a very healthy food source and you should not worry about cholesterol at all; more on this topic by Dr. Spencer Nadolsky here.

Some supermarkets also sell cooked prawns and other kinds of shellfish, these are the true protein bars and not those Quest things… 😉

Image source: http://www.cuisineactuelle.fr/recettes/langoustines-a-l-americaine-243582

Milk

Macros: C
Cost: A/B (£0.3/25g of protein)
Satiety Index: C/D
Convenience: B

There’s a ton of carbs and fat that come along with milk depending on which variety you go for so, while the protein:calorie ratio isn’t that great, it is very convenient.

I try to see milk as an ‘add on’ rather than a source of protein itself. Add it to your protein pancake mix in the morning, use it to add texture to oatmeal or make some delicious cappuccinos by frothing it.

Choose whole, semi skimmed, skimmed or any other variety you feel like, just double check the label and you’re good to go!

Image source: http://www.53-weeks.com/2015/01/21/im-the-mommy-to-a-milk-monster.html

Quark or Fromage Frais

Macros: B
Cost: A (£0.3/25g of protein)
Satiety Index: B
Convenience: B

Quark is a type of fresh cheese that’s also found as “fromage frais” or “queso batido desnatado” if you are venturing in the Spanish supermarket scene.

You may need some sweetener, fruit, cookies or any other topping to make it awesome but this bad boy has some incredible macros and it’s one of the cheapest sources of protein out there.

Cottage cheese it’s also worth mentioning here. It’s slightly higher in protein that quark but the texture isn’t appealing to some. Try and see for yourself!

Need inspiration? You can use quark as a high protein frosting, make frozen ‘yogurt’ or even create some awesome protein cheesecakes.

Keep an eye on the flavoured and sweetened varieties, they tend to have added carbs and/or fat.

Image source: http://www.sandiegofoodstuff.com/2014/01/elli-quark-comes-to-san-diego.html

Greek Yogurt

Macros: A/B/C (Fat content varies between products, check the labels)
Cost: B/C (£1/25g of protein)
Satiety Index: A/B
Convenience: B

Superfoods? Forget goji berries and get some greek yogurt going.

The texture is AMAZING and is incredibly versatile. You can create all kinds of sauces, condiments and desserts with it and enjoy the great macro profile that it has –around 11g of protein per 100g.

As with the quark and others, check the labels: 100g of Fage’s Total 0% it’s 10p, 4c, 0f and has 56kcal. 100g of Danone’s Densia it’s 4p, 23c, 4f and it provides us with 144 kcal, big difference.

Image source: http://www.foodandwine.com

FAQ

WHAT’S WITH ALL THOSE SUPERFOODS, SEEDS AND GREENS THAT SEEM TO CURE EVERYTHING NOWADAYS?

Do you like them? Enjoy their taste? Eat them!
They will not hurt you and they’ll possibly add some great vitamins and minerals to your overall diet. Just don’t see them as a ‘healthier’ option or think that you are getting a huge dose of protein by eating them.

There’s no evidence that leads us to believe that there are good or bad foods. Think bigger and longer term. Yes, you can have your cake and eat it too, be smart!

I’M A VEGETARIAN, WHAT CAN I DO TO GET MORE PROTEIN IN MY DIET?

Great question. I would suggest focusing on eating eggs, allowing some seafood or shellfish in your diet and giving soy products a go. Pea protein is being used lately to make vegan protein powder and it actually has a more than decent amino acid profile.

~

Your diet should be enjoyed and include the foods you like on a daily basis, don’t make it hard on yourself thinking you need to eat an exact amount of protein. Try to “get enough” and make use of all of the carbs and tasty fats that make up most of your food choices. There’s nothing wrong with it!

Quality of life matters.

Article written by The Macro Wizard, (first of many we hope) if you have not checked him out… what are you waiting for?! You can find him on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and most importantly via his website. (His Instagram may make you a bit jealous though with his travelling and epic foodscapades).

You can also find the Spanish version of this article here.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article, get involved… tweet us @themusclebakery & @themacrowizard #EatMoreProtein and tell us your thoughts!

Interested in writing for us? Get in touch!

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Thank you for your response. ✨

The day of LOVE (and food)

Food is the ingredient that binds us together

Nowadays, Valentines Day is a far cry from what it used to be and has evolved into a somewhat different celebration. It is a day of proving your love to someone… Whether it be to your partner or someone you admire, lavishing them with gifts such as cards, chocolates, romantic meals and so on.

In the UK alone, it is estimated that £1.3 billion is spent every year on Valentine’s, with an estimated 25 million cards being sent. (WOAH!)

In Spain, Valentines Day is known as *add spanish accent* Dia de San Valentin… (sounds romantic).

DID YOU KNOW

Valentines Day started out as a celebration for Saint Valentine, a priest from Rome who was martyred in AD496. However, the celebrations have no romantic connotations and prior to the 14th century there is no link between the saint and romantic love. It is not until Chaucer wrote ‘Parliament of Foules’ that Valentines Day became associated with love.

To us however, Valentine’s Day is also the day where we get to dust off all our heart shaped baking molds, fine red linen, cute ribbons and play around with our culinary creativity… in the name of love of course.

So, here is a few of our creations that we have made over the years in celebration of this day, the perfect little treats that you can impress your loved ones with:

HEART PROTEIN BARS

These will no doubt impress the favourite human in your life, a little bit naughty and a whole lot of nice… the perfect treat for Valentines.

BANOFFEE CRUMBLE (Dairy-Free)

A combination of almond butter, banana and beef protein make this a decadent treat, perfect to indulge after a romantic dinner.

DOUBLE CHOC COOKIES (Dairy-Free)

Chocolate is pretty much Valentine’s middle name, it comes with the package. So whip these Double chocolate cookies, and proceed to eat all of them with the important one in your life… what are healthy cookies for right?

PROTEIN HEARTS

Cute miniature hearts with raspberry pieces and made with fruit powder, who said eating healthy wasn’t fun?

HEALTHY PROTEIN MAGNUMS

Ice-cream is great any time of the year, but at least you get to share it with someone special today… (or not.)

RASPBERRY PROTEIN HEARTS (OR BUMS)

Who needs pick and mix when you can have these super cute high protein jelly sweeties! Made high in fiber thanks to Vita fiber powder and in a super deliciously raspberry flavour!

VEGAN BLUEBERRY SLICES

Knock up this simple recipe in no time with a few simple ingredients, Vegan or not… you’ll love it anyway!

CHOCOLATE PROTEIN HEARTS

As we mentioned earlier chocolate goes hand in hand with Valentine’s, multiply it by hearts + The Muscle Bakery… and we get Chocolate Protein Hearts. Macro-friendly, delicious and easy to make! *thumbs up* Recipe going live tonite on GYMversus.

PISTACHIO CHEESECAKE

Cheesecake made with a rich pistachio butter base, high protein yoghurt based filling and topped with Raspberry coulis, so good… you’ll be up for seconds… and thirds… and…

Waffles, on a stick, coated with chocolate and topped with chopped oreos…. if that isn’t love, I don’t know what is…

Don’t fancy sweet recipes, why not try these savoury ones:

LOW CARB SPAG BOL

Low-Carb spaghetti bolognese made with a delicious tomato sauce and low-calorie noodles, perfect for anyone who in prep mode but also wants to enjoy some good food with their loved one.

TOAD IN THE HOLE (Dairy-Free & Vegetarian)

Admittedly, Toad-in-the-hole is hardly a romantic meal, but trust us… it tastes REALLYYYY good! (plus you can see the red linen in the image so it counts as a Valentine meal). Made with Sorghum flour, almond milk and egg whites… a simple recipe, which is easily adaptable and perfect all year round.

Hope you enjoyed these recipes and remember unless otherwise stated, all of our recipes are Gluten & Wheat-Free! Check out our recipe index for a selection of all our recipes across our site and our sponsors.

We love seeing your creations, so don’t forget to show us!

We are on all social media platforms @themusclebakery and now you can find us on Snapchat too!

Love & treats

The Muscle Baker <3