Healthy – Page 3 – THE MUSCLE BAKERY

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
Print

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!

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.

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

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

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

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.

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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