The same protein shake day after day can get old - and diet boredom can lead to moments of weakness and cheating. I found a few easy  additions to dress up my usual vanilla protein shake to create a filling treat that gets me through the occasional monotony of maintaining a clean diet.

 Two bananas  - sliced into chunks that will mix easy
Two scoops Vanilla Flavored Whey ( or favorite protein) Powder
One teaspoon Vanilla
Almond Extract - to taste - don't over do it - it's pretty strong and a couple drops will do
One cup unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

1 - Take All Ingredients

2 - Put Them In The Bullet

3 - You Know What Comes Next...

 Gluten Free, Guilt Free and Filling. What could be better than that?

Makes 24 Mini Muffins
Ingredients:
1 scoop Quest All Purpose Protein mix
1 pouch of METRX chocolate protein blend
¼ cup Unsweetened Applesauce
Unsweetened Almond milk
⅛ tsp baking powder
3 tsp stevia bakeable blend - Pyure
1 egg

Flashback to my high school days, wearing my yellow polyester uniform, standing behind the counter at Ken's Donuts, serving up the hottest, freshest, and quite possibly least healthy things you could ever eat.  I don't miss those early morning shifts, but I still love a good donut.  So I made my own...

I got the idea to try to make these little gems while walking through Marshall's (because I love a good deal), and I saw the donut pan.  I went home to the "test kitchen", and after a couple of flat attempts, I found a combination that is tasty and good for you too.

Three Eggs
One packet of Vanilla Met-Rx Protein Powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
Optional - Dark Chocolate Chips (8 per donut) - but seriously - we all know this is totally a must add

Preheat your oven to 375, and coat your pan with non stick canola oil spray

Put two egg whites and one whole egg in your Magic Bullet
​
Add in the Met-Rx Vanilla Protein Powder, along with the vanilla and baking powder
(I put a splash of almond milk in the empty Met-Rx envelope to get all the powder that sticks to the sides - You know - the old Kool-Aid trick)

I use the Magic Bullet, (which I got at my beloved Costco), because it mixes with no lumps and clean up is a breeze - it's a perfect  time saver in an early morning rush. If you don't have a Magic Bullet, just be sure to get the mixture smooth and lump-free.  You may need to add a little water to get the right cake batter consistency...

Bake for 20 minutes...

Per Donut:
Without Chips                                            With Chips
Calories = 60                                                Calories = 77
Fat          = 1.2                                                 Fat         = 2.4
Protein   = 8.7                                               Protein  = 9
Carbs      = 6.6                                               Carbs     = 8.5

I love these because they are delicious, healthy, and very portable.   When I'm on the run, I take them with me to eat  throughout the morning.  It keeps my diet in check - and hey - Who doesn't love a donut?

My sister introduced me to this watermelon "cake". She and her friends make it whenever someone  in their workout group has a birthday.  I was a bit skeptical at first, but curious. So, when I was in Austin last week we made it and the kids and I loved it! So now it's a regular at our house. No need to wait for birthdays. It's great on a hot day, perfect for the 4th of July !! It's also gluten free. After you've made it once you can get creative and play with what it looks like. If you try it, post pictures here so I can see how clever you are :)

Protein Watermelon Cake
(GF) Prep Time: 20 min | Refrigerator: 30 min | Servings: 8 slices per cake | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients 
1 watermelon ( if you use a large you will only need half or you can you use one whole small seedless one.
​1.5 cups Greek yogurt ( higher protein than carb ratio) 
Approx. 1/4 cup Protein Powder or Caesin.  I use casein because it gets a bit thicker which helps achieve a frosting like consistency. Using either product just add a little bit at a time until you get a spreadable thickness.
1 cup blueberries or raspberries
1 cup strawberry halves
1/2 cup slivered almonds
​1 packet Stevia or to taste ( you may also choose your favorite sweeter just add in the calories)

Instructions
 Make sure watermelon is well chilled when you start. If using the whole watermelon, stand the fruit up like an egg and cut parallel to the ground. Cut the topped bottom of each piece to create a flat surface. If using a large watermelon you can make two cakes just double up the rest of the ingredients. Shave the remaining  rind off to create a watermelon loaf. In a large bowl combine the yogurt, casein (or protein powder)  and sweeter . Thoroughly mix. Frost the cake and press slivered almonds in to the sides. Top with berries of choice. Store in a tupperware in the refrigerator.  You will want to keep it cool, it tastes and holds together better.

Nutritional Info for one slice of watermelon cake ( assuming you used a small watermelon or 1/2 of a large one: 112 Calories, 2g Fat, 10.5g Protein, 12g Carb,  Fiber 2g
(Nutritional information may vary based on recipe modifications.)

Here are some other great non-meat sources for protein.