Gluten-Free – Page 3 – THE MUSCLE BAKERY

Our top tips to tackle Veganuary 🌿

This year we are planning to dive head first into mission: Veganuary. Our aim is to tackle it from our typical Muscle Bakery perspective; healthified, delicious, macro-friendly and (hopefully) higher in protein. It may be a little harder to achieve, but alas, not impossible! So, we hope to prove this and we would love for you to join us!

Now, what is Veganuary?

For the whole month of January, you consume a Vegan based diet ie. no animal derived products. Much like Movember, this is done to raise awareness. For most, a love of animals is the catalyst. Some people want to feel better about themselves and the impact they make on the world. Others would like to set themselves a challenge, combining Veganuary with their ‘New Year’s Resolutions’ and see trying vegan as the healthiest start to the year. Whatever the reason, that is why Veganuary began.

But, what do i eat?

This is always the first question most people ask themselves, and although initially it may seem a bit daunting there is still so many foods you can enjoy, this coming from THE fussiest eater… if i can do it so can you! *pink promise*

Make a list

What I recommend to everyone who is trying to cut out foods whether it is due to intolerances or simply because they are trying to make changes and turn veggie/ vegan/ gluten-free etc is to make a list! If you start with your goals on a negative mindset and thinking of everything you CAN’T have… you will fail. Instead, make a list of ALL the foods you CAN have. You will be amazed at how much you can actually eat.

Once you have made your initial list, pair off foods that would work together as meals or snacks etc and compile it into another list. This is your potential ‘recipes’ that you can create along the way with the foods you’ve listed you CAN have.

Food Shopping

Our recommended shopping list:

CHOOSE MEAT-FREE
The burgers, sausages and mince by Morrisons Meat-Free range are all Vegan, however not all are free from wheat so be aware and double check ingredients. Quorn for example, is not ideal as most of their products contain some form of wheat and some contain egg too!

TRY SOME TOFU
You can buy fresh or packaged tofu from most supermarkets and for anyone looking to hit daily protein targets… Low in fat, moderate carbs and high in protein, this’ll be your best friend. It doesn’t taste of much, but that is what makes it great as you can flavour it as you most prefer. Pan-fry it with seasonings, use it to make tofu burgers or even whip up a dessert with it.

We’ve bought loads so keep an eye out for recipes (or failed recipes at that).

ALL DA GREENS
Kale, Spinach, broccoli, asparagus, peas, leafy salad, rocket, lambs lettuce… if its green its good for you! Leafy greens and fibrous green vegetables are among the most nutrient dense foods available. High in calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, zinc and vitamins A, C, E and K. Each one is packed with fiber, folic acid, chlorophyll and many other phytochemicals and micronutrients. When eaten raw, you get the added benefit of live enzymes needed for improved digestion and nutrient absorption.

Not only that, they are great to add volume to your meals without affecting your overall calorie intake! More greens, less everything else.

PICK YOUR FAVE VEGGIES
Choose your favourite veggies and add them to your shopping list. Not everyone likes the same veggies so this is entirely up to you!

We always buy tomatoes, onions, carrots, sweet potato, squash and green peppers as they are really versatile, add flavour to a lot of meals, work well on their own, cooked or raw and have a range of benefits between them.

Top tip: if your budget is low or you don’t seem to eat all your veggies before they go off, buy them frozen! Our go-to frozen veggie buys are usually peas, mixed peppers and sweet potato wedges, but there is a huge selection you can choose from!

NATURES SWEETIES
Fruit is natures sweeties, packed with all the goodness and bursting with flavours, they are great to eat as snacks or even to add to your savoury meals for a little something something. Our faves are usually any type of berries, pineapple which helps with digestion and of course banana’s and apples. Always got time for those.

The great thing about most types of fruit is that you can freeze them if you won’t eat them in time. Then, you can use them for smoothies or smoothie bowls.

WELCOME THE BEANS
Beans are an amazingly versatile ingredient to have! They work well in savoury and sweet recipes, are a great source of fibre and they provide an army of nutrients. Make yourself Burrito Bowls with Guacamole & black beans, use Canellini beans to make bean burgers or make yourself some cookie dough using chick peas! Only one thing, they are high in carbs and fibre, so be wary when consuming. Especially if you can’t tolerate too much fibre and want to avoid spending your days on the toilet.

SUPA FOODS
These are not essential (and if you are on a tight budget then keep on scrolling), however we do use these often so decided to list them anyway. Chia seeds, ground Flaxseeds, Nutritional Yeast, Kale powder, Lucuma powder and Amazing Grass Superfood blend. Think of these as add-ons to smoothies, oats, yoghurts etc. Nutritional yeast is great to add to savoury meals to give it ‘cheesy’ flavour and is great to top up the protein content, check this previous blogpost for more info on it.

CHOOSE YOUR GRAINS
Rice, Brown rice, Oats & Quinoa are a must, they are a great carb source but unlike beans are a lot lower in fibre! Pair them up with loads of your favourite veggies, in a stir-fry, as a salad… wherever your imagination takes you. If you like pasta, then by all means have that too! (Opt for wheat-free options if you are intolerant).

As for oats, you can use to make granola, warm oats with plant-based milk or grind some up to use as flour for pancakes and waffles!

Top tip: Buy ready made packs of rice or quinoa if you are don’t have much time to cook, they do make life a little easier sometimes.

DONT HATE THE PROTEIN POWDERS
A lot of people turn their noses up at protein powders, as if by some divine reason they are exempt from needing protein. The fact of the matter is that your body needs a balanced intake of ALL macro nutrients, i.e. Fat, Carbs AND Protein. So, protein powder’s are a great way to get them in, when you are struggling to obtain them in your daily diet. However, it must be said that a lot of Vegan Protein Powders may taste a bit ‘chalky’ on their own.

Our favourites are Bulkpowder’s Choc Peanut Vegan Blend, Now Foods Vanilla Soy Protein and Sunwarrior Vanilla Blend.

SWEET SYRUPS
Honey is out of bounds for Veganuary, so grab some Agave nectar, Coconut Nectar or Coconut Sugar instead. Any health store will have a selection of nectar’s to choose from including Date syrup, brown rice syrup etc but our fave is always Agave.

If you are looking for a lower cal alternative, Bulkpowders have a ‘Zero’ range which taste A-mazing and are zero fats, carbs, sugars etc + Vegan friendly. Their Maple flavour is incredible and unlike Walden Farms products, these taste like real syrup!

DONT NEED NO COWS MILK
Cow’s milk is the easiest to avoid thanks to the amazing selection we have in supermarkets and locals nowadays! Best advice would be to try them all until you decide on which you prefer. I like Vanilla Soy in my coffee but almond or hazelnut for smoothies. The only problem is that they are a little more expensive than normal milk so maybe find a friend/partner who can split cartons with you to avoid extra spending.

BUTTER ME UP
Again, much like Non-Dairy milks, this is easy. Bread and butter needn’t be avoided, just swap your usual spread for some Vitalite Dairy-Free or Pure Olive or Soya Spread and use them just the same. In savoury meals, sweet treats, cakes and more. We made our Gingerbread Men using just that and they were delicious! As well as the above, our pantry always has Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Coconut Oil and Sesame Oil.

We love using coconut oil for pancakes, waffles, sweet treats and cookies. Sesame oil is the perfect accompaniment for stir-fry’s and olive oil is a must for salads or to drizzle on toast… mmmmm.

PROTEIN TREATS
Like mentioned earlier, just because you are choosing the Vegan lifestyle, doesn’t mean you need to avoid all protein! So, if you are not too great at gulping down protein shakes or find that you are not getting enough… this is your next best alternative. Easier to carry around and perfect to combat any sweet cravings.

Aside from MB bars (obviously) there are a few other bars out there which are pretty decent and have a good macro nutrient profile. Our current favourites are Trek bars, especially their Peanut Power flavour!

PASS THE BREAD
The good news? Bread is 100% Vegan. Bad news for people like me? It has wheat (sad times) however, these Quinoa & Chia wraps by BFree Foods are amazing AND also happen to be lower in carbs than your standard wholewheat wraps which is awesome.

Make sure to double check ingredients on certain packaged breads as a a few sliced breads and gluten-free breads use egg in their recipe.

CHEESE
Let me break it to you now, there is no cheese like real cheese and if you love cheese… you will miss this the mostest. Having said that, (THANKFULLY) VioLife brand do an amazing Vegan cheese alternative! A little bit expensive but that makes you use it wisely so not an entirely bad thing.

You can also attempt to make your own, there are various recipes out there which use tofu, cashews amongst other things.

OR, you could always sprinkle Nutritional Yeast on everything!

YOGHURT
I thought I would miss yoghurt the most as i eat this every day, but the alternatives out there are amazing. Alpro have the widest range of products, all of which are Soya based. Coconut Collab have a Coconut based range, however those are naturally higher in fat than Alpro range. My favourite flavour is the Alpro Soya & Coconut, i enjoy it with fruit, nut butters or even with an added scoop of protein when i need it and the best thing? It has friendly gut bacteria which will keep your tummy happy.

NUT BUTTERS
If there is one thing you can rejoice about… it is the fact that you may consume all the nuts and nut butter’s as you please! Well maybe not ALL… coz they are laden with fats and overconsumption may lead to weight gain (we will cover this another day). But for now, nut butters are an awesome way to top up your fats and protein not to mention the added fibre that they pack.

Our recommendation would be to eat it mindfully, measure out your servings rather than just ploughing through it with a spoon and try to opt for natural nut butters rather than ones with extra sugars.

SNACK ATTACK
If you are a snack fiend like me, these are some of our faves: Lenny & Larries Protein cookies, M&S Peasnap Crisps, Enjoy Life Mini Cookies, Vegan Chocs.

Most Dark chocolates are actually Vegan, just make sure to heck the ingredient label… for example some Lindt Dark Chocolates contain lactose or milk 👎🏼

Note: Lenny & Larries cookies contain wheat.

And LASTLY…

GET INSPIRED

Follow Instagram accounts or FB pages that will motivate and inspire you, who share recipes and tips that will spark positivity in you. Search the #Veganuary hashtag and join others who are also taking part, don’t be afraid to comment and ask them questions… they most likely want to join you too!

Some of our fave accounts are @thehungrywelshgirl, @veggiegib, @eatyogreens, @fitasfudge, @spamellab, @samanthahadidi & @burtonsbakes. All of which post Vegan recipes, some more regularly than others but worth checking out 🙂

You can also check out our current list of Vegan Recipes.

We hope this inspired you guys even if just a little!

If you are thinking of joining in on Veganuary, let us know! Try it for even just a week and see how it goes for you… think about it like this… if we ALL tried Veganuary for just a week… how many more animals would remain? Loads more that’s for sure!

We will be posting regular recipes and updates along the way, you can follow us on @themusclebakery or follow @themusclebaker directly (who is the one taking on the challenge). Don’t forget to tag us along the way too, use #VeganuaryWithMB and lets create our little online sharing community.

For anyone located in Gibraltar, head down to LPH Gibraltar for their daily Vegan specials!

Much love,

The Muscle Baker ❤️

Review: Hectares Sweet Potato Crisps

The lovely team at Crisps ‘N’ stuff sent us a bag full of their Hectares Sweet Potato Crisps and ofc we (very) happily dug in to review them! We were big fans to start off with, so we were SUPER excited to get so many bags sent to us! (Thanks guys) 😋

They have a selection of 3 flavours: Lightly Sea Salted, Chorizo & Sundried Tomato and Red Onion & Black Pepper. All of which are free from Gluten, Wheat, Dairy and Vegan friendly (inclusive of the Sundried Tomato & Chorizo flavour.)

Red Onion & Black Pepper:

Perfect for those who love a bit of a peppery tang due to the predominant pepper flavour. The flavour does state ‘Onion & Pepper’ but the onion flavour is definitely more subtle.

I would use it in a combo for a recipe or as an addition to a salad or sandwich whereas the pepper flavour would compliment the meal rather than override it. Plus, crisps in a sandwich is always a winner!

Or, you could always try out Sweet Potato Crusted Chicken Breast Recipe.

Per 35g bag: 179Cals | 11F | 17.8C | 1.2P Ingredients: Sweet Potatoes, High Oleic Sunflower Oil, Red Onion & Black Pepper Flavoured Seasoning (Black Pepper, Dextrose, Sea Salt, Rice Flour, Red Onion Powder, Colour: Beetroot Red, Natural Black Pepper Flavouring).

Lightly Sea Salted:

It is what it is, like Ready Salted except made with sweet taters. Perfect if you’re not too adventurous and like your snacks plain. Unlike a lot of veggie crisps out there, these are way less greasy and super tasty! PLUS (out of all 3) these contain the least ingredients so if you are fussy like that, they are comprised simply of sweet potatoes, high oleic sunflower oil and salt!

Per 35g bag: 184Cals | 11.6F | 17.7C | 1.2P Ingredients: Sweet Potatoes, High Oleic Sunflower Oil, Salt.

Chorizo & Sun-Dried Tomato:

If a sweet potato eloped with a Bag of Lays Campesina flavour crisps you’d end up with these. No doubt my favourite flavour of the lot!

So full of smokey/ tangy/ paprika flavours Which remind me of the Lays mentioned above. Anyone who has shopped in a Spanish supermarket before will know it as the bright green packet. It’s one of my favourite crisps but it’s riddled with wheat and dairy which I cannot have so when I tried these… Ohhhhh the happiness!

Eat them solo, add to your salad for a little crunch (pic below) or try the chicken recipe with these instead!

Per 35g bag: 179Cals | 10.9F | 17.7C | 1.3P Ingredients: Sweet Potatoes, High Oleic Sunflower Oil, Red Onion & Black Pepper Flavoured Seasoning (Rice Flour, Salt, Tomato Powder, Paprika, Cayenne, Yeast Extract Powder, Sugar, Natural Flavourings, Dried Bell Pepper Powder, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Oregano, Colour: Paprika Extract, Chorizo Extract).

You may be wondering what High Oleic Sunflower Oil is (seeing as all 3 flavours contain this ingredient). Well, hi-oleic sunflower oil is a type of sunflower oil bred to have a high concentration of the fatty acid oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid which is found in olive oil and macadamia nuts. It is also considered as a Non-GMO ingredient as it is the result of traditional plant breeding.

To get your hands on these delicious crisps, follow Crisps ‘N’ Stuff on FB and order via their page directly or buy at any of their point of sales. La Parrilla On The Go sell them AND Muscle Bakery treats so we suggest you go there best 😝

For anyone in the UK, you can find them in a variety of outlets such as Holland & Barrett, Ocado, Wholefoods and more! Check Hectares website for more info.

We hope you enjoyed our little review! We plan to try some recipes featuring these crisps (when we manage to get a break from making Muscle Malts) so keep an eye out! You can find us on @themusclebakery on all social outlets, or follow @themusclebaker directly on Instagram!

Tag us if your try them!

Much love <3

Hello Halloween.

Did you know that most experts trace trick-or-treating back to the European practice of “mumming,” or “guysing,” in which costume-wearing participants would go door-to-door performing choreographed dances, songs and plays in exchange for treats! (Yes, that’s right… dancing.)

Although it is unknown precisely where and when the phrase “trick or treat” was coined, the custom had been firmly established in American popular culture by 1951, when trick-or-treating was depicted in the Peanuts comic strip. In 1952, Disney produced a cartoon called “Trick or Treat” featuring Donald Duck and his nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie.

One thing is for certain, each year the popularity for this celebration increases with everyone wanting to join in on the pumpkin carving, fancy dress wearing and treat making.

We decided to jump on the bandwagon (but only for the treat making) and made these delicious Spiced ‘Franky’ Muffins.

SPICED 'FRANKY' MUFFINS

Servings: 12
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Author: The Muscle Bakery. Spiced muffins topped with Pumpkin Spiced flavour PB and decorated with an easy ‘spooky’ face.

Ingredients

3 Cups Carrot or Pumpkin Puree

3/4 Cup Coconut Flour

1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

1 Tbsp Agave Nectar

2 Scoops Apple & Custard Whey (can use any whey you prefer)

5 Egg Whites

1/4 Cup Sweetener (optional)

1 Tsp Cider Vinegar Topping: 2 Tbsp Water

2 Scoop Vitafiber

60g Peanut Butter Co Pumpkin Spice Decoration: Dark Choc Chunks

Sukrin Icing

Directions

Preheat oven to 170 Degrees C.
In a bowl mix together all your dry ingredients until combined. Then, fold in your wet ingredients until you get a thick batter.
Prepare a muffin tray with muffin cases and pour batter into each, should be enough for 12.
Bake for 30-40mins (until soft and springy to touch and golden on edges).
Leave to cool completely.
To make PB frosting mix water and vitafiber and whisk vigorously, microwave for 30 seconds or heat in pan till vitafiebr dissolves. Then spread over your cooled muffins and store in fridge for an hour so it can set.
You can decorate as you please, we used dark choc chunks and Sukrin i ing made as per instructions on packaging.

Nutritional Info (per slice):138 Cals | 4.5F | 17.7C | 7.7P

Free from Gluten & Wheat.

We also dug out our favourite Halloween themed recipes from previous years (including one that never got published), have a scroll:

PROTEIN WORMS

Using beef gelatine, straws and a hella lot of patience… make these disgusting looking high protein worms! Recipe here.

SPIDER MATCHA CAKE

Spooky green cake made with Matcha and using walnuts to simulate worms and a ‘cream’ topping painted with a spider web. All the Halloween things, under one frightful recipe. Click here for it.

BLOODY FINGERS (VEGAN)

This recipe was made for Bulkpowders but never published! So, we thought we’d dig it out just for you guys. Easy, no baking, made Vegan and no that isn’t real blood just a bit of Vegan friendly red dye! Recipe below.

BLOODY FINGERS (VEGAN)

Servings: 6
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Author: The Muscle Bakery. No bake fingers, kinda like Nakd bar’s but scarier.

Ingredients

5 Pre-soaked dates*

25g Walnuts

25g Chopped Hazelnuts

2 Tbsp Agave Nectar

1 Tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder or Cacao

1 Tbsp Coconut Sugar

1 Tbsp Unsweetened Almond Milk

2 Tbsp Brown Rice Protein

2 Tbsp Ground Almonds

6 Blanched Almonds

Concentrated Vegan Red Food Colouring

Directions

Add your pre-soaked dates, walnuts and hazelnuts to a bowl and start mushing them down with a utensil of your preference. The edge of a wooden rolling pin is perfect for this to really grind everything together.
Start adding all the rest of the ingredients in the order they are listed, mixing with a spoon, leaving the ground almonds till last. Your mix should remain kind of sticky up until that point, the ground almonds will add the final touch to make them easier to roll. Roll them into finger shaped bars and place on a baking sheet.
Dip your 6 almonds into the colouring so that the tips are smudged with red, press them onto your rolled up fingers and whack them in the fridge for a couple of hours.
No doubt the trick or treaters will be pleased when they come knocking!

Nutritional Info (per slice):182Cals | 8.1F | 25.2C | 4.6P

Free from Gluten, Wheat, Dairy, Egg & Sugar (agave contains sugars)

HOPE YOU ENJOYED OUR HALLOWEEN THEMED RECIPES

Don’t forget to tag us if you try any of these recipes, you can find us on all social media outlets @themusclebakery

For 15% discount on Bulkpowders use code: MUSCLEBAKERY15

For 10% discount on iHerb (on your first purchase) use code: JCB887

HAPPY (HALLOWEENY) BAKING!

Free-From Eats: Brunch It (Malaga)

Brunch It Cafe

Location: Calle Carreteria, 46 29008 – Malaga📍

Whenever i need to go somewhere the first thing i do is find somewhere new to eat, (it isn’t really worthwhile without some good food) so one quick search and i found this cute place in Malaga. The typography and cool design kinda sold it to me, the food looked pretty good too. Thanks Instagram.

To get to this location, we used the Sat Nav as we are not very familiar with the area. It’s a good job we did as there were roadworks around the area, which meant a sudden route change. Best suggestion is follow directions as best and as close as possible then park and walk there.

The decor is modern, blacks and whites with a fresh tone from plants, fruits and ornaments. Their large window opens up to allow seating on the front, there is a bar seating area at the entrance, then more seating indoors with one ‘lounge’ table with sofa seating towards the back of the establishment.

To start off I ordered a fresh fruit/veg smoothie. There was a few to choose from and each had a description of what they would help with ie. Digestion, alcalizing, energising etc. I chose the ‘Kotao’ which was for ‘digestion’ and comprised of apples, pear, ginger, lemon and spinach.

They were all priced at €3.50.

The other half decided to go for a slice of their freshly made pizzas, parma ham and pumpkin flavour made on a focaccia style base which looked and smelt DIVINE. (These moments are when i realise how much i miss cheese.)

Anyhow, the pizzas/ sandwiches etc are all made with their freshly baked focaccia style bread and each piece is sold by weight not by slice which is pretty cool. Especially if you’re one of those unlucky people who always ends up with the smaller pieces 😛

For my mains, after much deliberation I chose a salad, bacon salad to be exact. In hindsight it was not the best option and I should have gone for the quinoa salad or veggie burger, which had initially caught my eye. I’m used to eating turkey bacon so when the salad came it was a lot greasier and it was the typical Spanish bacon which has loadsa fat pieces and i dunno i just felt bad eating it. I think the wanting of cheese clouded my judgement!

By default, my partner chose a burger. There was a few to choose from including a turkey burger, veggie burger and soya burger by the names of Buey, Crunchit, Pavo Eco, Veggie & Tofu, all priced at €8.90 and came with a side of fresh cut chips.

Same goes for all their meals, they have a bit of a variety to choose from, designed to suit all and any. They even have a veggie and vegan pizza option: veggie had olive oil, cucumber, aubergine, peppers and Pecorino cheese (made from Sheeps milk) and vegan one had sweet onion, aubergine, cucumber and pepper. Each of the pizzas also had a different type of cheese, some with mozarella, others Parmesan and even one with provolone.

We weren’t sure if to stay for dessert but like most occasions, i was there… i may as well. But, much to my disappointment i wasn’t able to have anything as none were wheat-free or vegan friendly (without dairy/egg) so i opted for a green tea to soothe my tummy post-food and watched the other one eat a Nutella stuffed focaccia. Sigh.

Price: ☺️ | Location: 😰 | Service: 😄 | Food: ☺️

The place is super cool, the layout is awesome, the decor is trendy and they even have iPads on the tables so you can surf the net. I wouldn’t consider it to be an ‘organic’ place per say, more like a healthified eatery with Italian vibes. They have meal options to suit all and any which is great, especially if you’re travelling there with a variety of people who have different diets and even though they don’t specifically cater to Gluten-Free they do have salad/ smoothie options to choose from. Perfect place if you’re not Gluten/ Wheat intolerant as you can enjoy any of the burgers or pizzas too, whether you’re Vegan or not.

Caters to Vegan/ Vegetarian diets (and people who love pizza).

Tip: For anyone counting calories/ macros etc my advise would be to log in similar counterparts to what you are eating and be mindful about it. Eg. bean burger isn’t hard to find on MFP, and it is very unlikely that there is a vast difference in macros. Trust me, at some point, someone has logged in something similar in MFP, a quick search and you’re good! If at the very least, for peace of mind.

Another from our series of #EatsFreeFrom as we travel around taste testing all the delicious (free-from) foods for you!

Any requests? Let us know! 🙂

Much love,

The Muscle Baker

Banana Bread: Two Ways (Protein & Vegan)

Banana bread is possibly the easiest and most re-created recipe amongst the foodie realms and no surprise why, it’s flipping delicious! The nan used to make a walnut one when we were little ohhhh did we love it!

Some food historians believe banana bread was a byproduct of the Great Depression as resourceful housewives did not wish to throw away overripe bananas (as they were still a costly item to purchase), others believe the modern banana bread was developed in corporate kitchens to promote flour and baking soda products.

These recipes came about after finding a printed banana bread recipe from what used to be our first blog and one of the first recipes we ever created all those many moons ago. We decided to give it a go again with a few tweaks and making two versions: Protein version and a Vegan version.

PROTEIN BANANA BREAD

Servings: 16
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Author: The Muscle Bakery.
Banana bread recipe that you can whip up in no time! Simple, delightful and tasty!

Ingredients

Banana Whey

Egg Whites

If you don’t have this, substitute with applesauce.

You will also need a metal loaf pan, not the silicone one.

Directions

Preheat oven to 170 Degrees C.
In a bowl mix together all your dry ingredients until combined. Then, fold in your wet ingredients until you get a thick batter.
Prepare a greaseproof baking sheet in your loaf pan then pour mix into it.
Bake for 30-40mins (until knife comes out clean when piercing it).
Leave to cool completely before slicing.
Then slice up and enjoy solo or with your fave nut butter!

Nutritional Info (per slice):109 Cals | 1.6F | 19C | 6.5P

Free from Gluten, Wheat & Sugar

For the Vegan variation, we decided to use a Coke Zero to replace the egg. Yes. You heard that right!

After delivering a Vegan cakey to a customer, he mentioned that he had tried making a cake with his daughter using a Betty Crocker mix and a Diet Coke and it worked! This clearly got us SOOOO curious and the culinary creative juices started flowing! We had read somewhere before that sparkling water could be used but never really thought much about it until he mentioned it so without further ado we jumped right in and used the above recipe to experiment with.

As with all of our recipes, we prefer trying and failing before having to call on our buddy google for help and that is exactly what we did with this one and absolutely winged it. The experiment paid off! It made the most delightful banana cake, id even go as far as to say that it was better than the original creation!

(Thanks for that Mr Williams).

Heres the recipe:

VEGAN BANANA BREAD

Servings: 12
Print

Author: The Muscle Bakery.
Banana bread made with Coke Zero?!! YUP! So damn delicious, like a cross between bread and pudding… exactly like nan used to make (made vegan)!

Ingredients

Pea Protein Isolate

If you don’t have this, substitute with applesauce.
If you want to omit this or don’t have this ingredient, try adding a little bit more flour instead.

You will also need a metal loaf pan, not the silicone one.

Directions

Preheat oven to 170 Degrees C.
In a bowl mix together all your dry ingredients until combined. Then, fold in your wet ingredients until you get a thick batter.
Prepare a greaseproof baking sheet in your loaf pan then pour mix into it.
Bake for 30-40mins (until knife comes out clean when piercing it).
Leave to cool completely before slicing.
Then slice up and enjoy solo or with your fave nut butter!

Nutritional Info (per slice): 112 Cals | 1.8F | 25.1C | 5P

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

As you can see the recipes are extremely similar, in fact they are almost identical except for the eggs part.

You can try the Protein version without eggs and use coke instead, but we have not yet tried that yet as we still have all the above slices of banana bread to get through! 😛

If you do, let us know how it goes!

Don’t forget to tag us if you try any of these recipes, you can find us on all social media outlets @themusclebakery

For 15% discount on Bulkpowders use code: MUSCLEBAKERY15

HAPPY (BANANA BREAD) BAKING!

Free-From Eats: Gioia (Marbella)

Gioia Plant Based Cuisine

Located on: Avda Bulevar Principe Alfonso, Marbella📍

Opening Hours: 13:00- 23:00 (Closed Sunday’s).

I stumbled upon this place after a friend from Marbella posted up some pics after a visit there. At first glance I thought it was going to be a fancy gourmet vegan restaurant, but boy was I wrong and for all the right reasons!

The location is easy to get to and impossible to miss. Take the first right after Guadalpin Suites (opposite Opera Room club) and you’ll see it. Parking may be a little hard but you can park along the front of the hotel anyway.

The setting is simple and quaint, modern with vintage tones. We chose to sit inside as it was a bit chilly, and the sun was no longer shining over it (approx 4pm). Perhaps at breakfast or brunch would be better for outside seating, at least now that winter is coming.

The menu was simple, several choices for starters, mains, desserts, smoothies, teas and wines. However, you could tell the choices had been carefully thought out, using a variety of wonderful ingredients.

Our first choices were of course the smoothies. There were 8 to choose from, 5 of which were fresh juices and the remaining 3 were labelled as smoothies: Classic Green, Summer Breeze, Ruby Tuesday, abc, Banana Cacao, Dreamy Chai and Blueberry Bee all priced at 6eur. I went straight for the Dreamy Chai and my friend chose the Blueberry Bee.

Needless to say they were both delicious, the Dreamy Chai was exactly that… DREAMY. I tend to love cinnamon/ spiced foods/ drinks and this was exactly that! The Blueberry Bee was smoother and fruitier, topped with bee pollen and also really tasty. They are all made with almond milk as the base and sweetened with agave or dates and have added (awesome) hidden ingredients such as maca powder and hemp seed.

We shared a starter dish: Baba Ganoush, which came with homemade raw crackers and Kalamata olives. The crackers were absolutely delicious and were not dry which tends to happen when foods are made in dehydrator. I polished off the olives (standard) and my friend enjoyed the baba ganoush. Thumbs up so far.

Starter prices range from 5eur to the most expensive choices at 8eur which are mushroom carpaccio and mock sushi.

Onto the mains:

The mains (as usual) is always the hardest, a fussy eater with intolerances is not fun at all and after eyeing up the Mexican Salad which came with guacamole & pico de gallo I decided to break away from my default (safe) salad choice and managed to mix and match the bean burger with gluten-free bread which the owner happily changed for me. (Major bonus points). My friend chose the raw Zucchini Lasagna because she is way less fussy than i am 😝

What convinced me the most about the burger was that it came with homemade condiments: cashew mayo and sundried tomato ketchup. I was really curious about tasting them and also majorly excited about not having to choose salad for once. Bean burger came sandwiched between 2 slices of Gluten-Free bread (buckwheat or spelt options) was coated in sesame seeds and pan fried, with a side of mixed greens and red peppers.

Can honestly say it is one of the most delicious Vegan burgers I have tried to date, (best one was at Teresa Carles in Barcelona) but this coming a very close second. The texture was soft, which is standard for Vegan burgers, yet the sesame coating gave it a slight crunch which really complimented it. Even the mixed greens were really tasty, topped with a light dressing and pumpkin seeds. For someone who usually drowns her salads in vinegar, and didn’t this time… This is monumental 😂

My friends Raw Zucchini Lasagna came layered with spicy marinara, cashew ricotta and brazil nut/ pine nut pesto and she absolutely loved it too. Simple, tasty and really filling.

Lastly… dessert.

There is always room for dessert.

By this point we were REALLY full, but I had travelled all the way there… I wasn’t about to leave without dessert! Luckily they sell bitesize treats such as truffles and cookies which were perfect to satisfy the sweet tooth without them sitting too heavy on the stomach.

I chose the raw White Choc and Raspberry Truffle and my friend chose a Chocolate Cookie which we accompanied with some tea and coffee. I tried both and they were delicious, the truffle mostly tasted of coconut butter, with a melt in your mouth texture while the cookie was crunchy yet chewy and had a rich taste of cocoa.

Price: 😄 | Location: 😄 | Service: 😍 | Food: 😍

In all honesty the place is faultless, the price was very reasonable (we paid 30eur each and literally had one of everything), the service was wonderful, the owner who was the one who served us was happy to amend my meals without hesitation, the decor was pleasing and most importantly… the food was incredible. Bearing in mind i occasionally eat chicken and consider myself a Flexitarian rather than a Vegan, so for me to say that the burger was better than any normal burger i have tried… really does say a lot!

The location is perfect too, not too busy with hustle and bustle and you can enjoy a nice walk around the area after your meal. Perhaps during busy periods not so child friendly due to it being next to a road but, at the time we went it was really peaceful and quiet so depends at what time you go (and how naughty your kids may be) 😛

Caters to Gluten-Free/ Wheat-Free/ Vegan/ Vegetarian diets.

Another from our series of #EatsFreeFrom as we travel around taste testing all the delicious (free-from) foods for you!

Any requests? Let us know! 🙂

Much love,

The Muscle Baker

Everyday we wafflin’

I bought a new double waffle machine recently, you know… the one that makes those sexy looking American Diner style waffles. YAS.

So, in true Muscle Baker style, I didn’t let that red light die down till I was several recipes deep. (If you follow me on instagram @themusclebaker you may have noticed the few days of waffle obsession that followed suit.)

Now, making waffles isnt too different to making pancakes which means any pancake mix will work for waffles and vice versa! Just (for me personally) waffles are easier because the machine does all the work for you with a handy light which lets you know when they are done. Regardless, here is our top tips for wafflin’ successfully:

QUALITY WAFFLE MAKER // We ploughed through a gazillion options and reviews to check over quality/ price/ customer satisfaction before we bought ours. Don’t just choose a cheap one or even an expensive one because you think it will be good. Our recommendation is: JM Posner Double waffle maker.

SPRAY OIL // This is not essential but it does help a little, especially for Vegan waffles which don’t have eggs.. We use a coconut oil spray which is low in calories and doesn’t add much extra calories. There is also a butter flavour one which tastes lovely and vegan-friendly!

EASY WITH THE MIX // Before you start going crazy making waffles, experiment with the batter first. Check how many spoonful’s of batter it takes to make a full waffle without over-spill. Start small then go adding more batter for every next waffle until you reach perfect size. If your waffle spills it is quite hard to clean so you want to avoid that.

BE PATIENT // Don’t be tempted to put the heat too high in a bid to get the waffles done quicker. Start on a lower heat and wait for it to get to the right temperature, the first 2 waffles will always be the dummy ones anyway, the perfect temp will start once you’ve done a few. Note: some waffle machines don’t have temp options, it’s not necessary but is a nice extra to have.

DON’T CHEAT THE LIGHT // The heat lights are there for a reason, so pay attention to it! All waffle machines generally are the same whereas there is a red and green light, both of which go on when you turn on machine and then the green light is the one that goes on and off to alert you. In short, when the green light is on don’t do anything.

As mentioned earlier, using any pancake batter will work for waffles, so if you are after a simple protein waffle recipe we recommend this one. However, if you are after a Vegan option or egg-less option, the following recipe is for you and works perfectly with casein or a vegan protein blend.

This is our latest go-to recipe:

VEGAN PROTEIN WAFFLES

Servings: 4
Print

Deliciously dense waffles, perfect for any day of the week.
Credit: The Muscle Bakery

Ingredients

1.5 Cup Coconut milk/ Almond milk 0.5 Cup Gluten-Free rolled oats 0.8 Cup Brown Rice Flour 1/8 Cup Arrowroot Flour 1 Scoop Bulkpowders Vegan Protein Blend* 1 Tsp Xanthan Gum 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract 2 Drops Stevia (or alternative) 1 Tsp Baking Soda 1 Tsp Cider Vinegar Spray oil of choice.

*This recipe will work just the same with casein too, textures will be different but will work perfectly nonetheless. We used Bulkpowders Strawberry flavour casein to test the recipe.

Directions

Mix milk and vinegar together and set aside.
In a bowl mix together all your dry ingredients until combined. Then, fold in your wet ingredients until you get a thick batter.
Heat up waffle machine as per instructions and like mentioned earlier, if you have never done waffles before add less batter rather than more. Add batter when green light goes off, then wait until green light goes off again to open waffle machine to remove waffle.

Note: If you’re waffle has a temperature setting, start at a lower heat then build it up.

Repeat until all batter is used up.
Pile them up on a plate, add your favourite syrup and ENJOY!

Nutritional Info (per serving of 4): 228 Cals | 2.6F | 39.7C | 8.8P

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

Need some waffle inspo? Here are some of our customers creations from our ‘Waffle Party’ event held 15th October at Strength Factory. Proceed with caution, extreme foodporn follows:

Vegan Choc Peanut waffles with Zero syrup, frozen raspberries and almond butter, Nadia’s simple and delicious creation.

Simple protein pancake recipe, smothered in zero chocolate mint syrup, choc mint oreos and a dollop of Nutella. OH MY.

Simple protein pancake sandwich with an apple pie theme! Apple pie filling and Toffee Nakd bites between 2 layers of waffle, topped with whipped cream, banana, caramel waldens syrup and a cheeky oreo.

Rita topped her simple protein pancake with frozen razzies, choc shot syrup and an oreo ice-cream sandwich. Who’s jealous?

Chocoholics look away! Simple protein pancake topped with zero syrup, crumbled twirls, Nutella and an oreo ice-cream sandwich. HOT DAMN.

No matter your dietary needs, everyone should be able to enjoy waffles! So if this recipe doesn’t tickle your fancy, have a browse on our ‘Pancakes and Waffles‘ recipes section and see if any other recipe suits you better!

Hope you enjoyed the tips and recipe, tag us if you put them to good use!

Find us on all social media outlets @themusclebakery <3

Free-From Eats: Pane Cioccolate (Marbella)

Pane Cioccolate

Located on: Calle 19A, Marbella📍

Opening Hours: 09:00- 21:30 (Closed Sunday’s).

This chain has two eateries, one situated in Sotogrande and one in San Pedro and after visiting (and loving) the Sotogrande one, we just had to visit their bigger San Pedro one. It’s location can easily go unnoticed which is actually a good thing as it means less people.

Here are the directions as it could very easily go amiss:

– Travel along the AP-7 Autopista del Mediterraneo (if coming from Gib-Marbella direction) and take exit 157 which merges onto the A-7 towards Estepona/ San Pedro Alcantara.

– Take exit 170 towards Gaudalmina, San Pedro de Alcantara and take the 3rd exit once you get to the roundabout.

– At the next roundabout take the 4th exit and follow on until the last roundabout, take the 2nd exit.

– Continue and turn right onto Calle 18, left onto Calle 19, follow left again and your destination will be on your right.

The setting is lovely, a little bit of shabby chic meets hipster vibes with blue hues and pastel colours all around and delicate decor in the form of cushions, quotes and cute ornaments.

At first glance the menu is extensive with a wide variety of items, all of which are clearly labelled with intolerances (see below). Unfortunately, the wide variety is narrowed down considerably if you need to avoid dairy, egg and wheat but none-the-less there are a few items as well as off the carte Vegan menu items (which you need to ask for).

My first choice was the Apple Pie Smoothie, I had tried it before and it is my absolute favourite! Made with apples, almond milk, agave, lemon and cinnamon, so simple yet so tasty! Definitely recommend if you like apple/cinnamon flavours, but there is something to suit all tastes.

The most impressive part of the menu was their great selection of toasts combinations, they have a different type of bread depending on what ingredient you would need to avoid which is absolutely awesome! There were combinations for all sorts of diets, whether you wanted eggs, tomato, olive oil or avocado, and if it isn’t on menu they are happy to customise it for you.

After reading the menu several times I decided I wanted bread (there is always time for bread) and decided on a Rye/ Spelt Wheat-Free toast. I really wanted a high protein topping that wasn’t eggs though, so I asked if I could have turkey, they happily noted it down and brought me some delicious chargrilled turkey pieces atop of my toast! A pleasant surprise as I was kinda expecting cheap supermarket cold cuts!

The mains had a little bit to suit anyone and everyone, a selection of salads, wraps, burgers, pastas etc. Perfect if there is a group of people with varying diets and taste preferences which was the case for us. (The boys wanted burgers while the girls wanted salads.)

However, I did find the mains a bit hard to choose, mainly because I’m a fussy eater who has to cater to intolerances which is a double whammy of annoyingness for the poor waiters/ waitresses *hides face*

I decided to opt for the ‘Nicky’ salad which is comprised of salad greens, cherry toms, walnuts, chicken breast and a balsamic glaze. (It also contains Parmesan but I had to omit that.)

The other half decided to go for the burger which came in a seedy bun filled with salad greens and a fried quail egg.

Other meals that were ordered were Goats cheese salad and a spaghetti pasta dish, everyone seemed satisfied and happy with their meals (with space left for dessert).

Now, I’m going to be completely honest here… The dessert was the most disappointing part for me because I never got to have any! 😩

All the cakes contained some form of gluten, wheat, dairy or egg and when asked if there was any Vegan desserts available, the waitress offered me a cake but wasn’t too convinced herself about the contents which didn’t inspire much confidence. (And then i asked the guy waiter and he thought i asked for Veal!) lol

Thing is, yes there was some Vegan items, yes there was some gluten-free items (which is great)… But no crossover treats catering to an all in one.

Watching everyone eat delicious Banoffee cake isn’t fun when it looks this incredible 👉🏻

Having said that, i would still go again (maybe prompt them beforehand to make sure there is Vegan cake available) 😛

Price: 😅 | Location: 😄 | Service: 😊 | Food: 😄

Would recommend for mixed groups as they cater to all sorts of diets, perfect for breakfasts, smoothies and non-vegan cakes. This place is also child-friendly and has sweets, cookies etc that children would prefer to eat. Overall prices are decent, smoothies at €5, salads around 10€, just don’t be too frivolous ordering drinks as they do add up!

Caters to Gluten-Free/ Wheat-Free/ Vegan/ Vegetarian diets.

The first in our series of #EatsFreeFrom as we travel around taste testing all the delicious (free-from) foods for you!

Any requests? Let us know! 🙂

Much love,

The Muscle Baker

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

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

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