High Protein Chocolate Coconut Granola

I love Greek yogurt, but after eating it for a snack five days a week for at least a year, I decided it needed some sprucing up. Nothing brings life to a cup of yogurt like granola! This version can be made crispy or chewy and you can make 12 servings in under an hour. Granola you buy at the store is typically high in sugar and fat, but this granola has a higher protein content thanks to the addition of whey protein isolate and lower in fat and sugar. The combination of chocolate chips, toasted coconut, and roasted almonds make it taste like a candy bar! Irresistible!

High Protein Granola Recipe

(12 servings)

3 cups whole grain rolled oats (not instant)
1/4 cup shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
1/4 cup sliced almonds1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tbs coconut oil
1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice
2/3 cup vanilla whey protein isolate
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips


1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Combine the oats, shredded coconut, and slivered almonds in a mixing bowl.3. Whisk together apple juice, maple syrup, coconut oil, whey protein, and salt in a small saucepan. Heat over medium, whisking occasionally, until thickened and beginning to bubble. Add the vanilla extract.
4. Pour the hot liquid over the oats and stir together with a spatula to coat evenly. Pour the sticky oat mixture onto the parchment lined baking sheet and use the spatula to spread it out evenly.
5. Bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring or flipping the oats once or twice with a spatula partway through.
6. The granola is done when it is dry (or mostly dry if you prefer a chewy granola). Allow to cool completely before adding chocolate chips. Store in an airtight container.
high protein granola recipe

For a different variation, try adding a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and ground cloves to the oats instead of coconut and dark chocolate. Enjoy a handful on its own, as a yogurt topper, or with your favorite cereal!

High Protein Granola recipe

Patriotic Quinoa

Hello! Today I have a patriotic breakfast recipe for you. Enjoy this blueberry quinoa topped with greek yogurt and strawberries as a hearty breakfast or guilt-free dessert. The quinoa is packed with protein and fiber, while the berries provide a healthy dose of antioxidants. The creamy greek yogurt packs enough protein to keep you feeling satisfied until your next meal!
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
3 cups frozen blueberries
2-3 packets stevia, to taste
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 container strawberries, sliced
3 cups vanilla greek yogurt (nonfat plain Fage + 3 tsp vanilla extract and 3 packets stevia stirred together)

1. Toast the quinoa in a hot, dry saucepan for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the water, bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and chill if desired.
2. When ready to serve the quinoa, defrost the frozen blueberries in a saucepan or in the microwave. You can add stevia and vanilla extract to the blueberries to enhance their flavor.
3. Serve 1/2 cup quinoa with 1/2 cup blueberries, 1/2 cup vanilla greek yogurt, and a few sliced strawberries. (Serves 6)

Nutrition per serving: 228 cal/ 37 g carb/ 16 g pro/ 2 g fat



Paleo Lemon Poppyseed Blueberry Muffins

I have another treat recipe for you today! This one is perfect for a leisurely Sunday brunch. Enjoy these coconut flour lemon poppyseed blueberry muffins with a cup of coffee or tea.

If you use stevia and plain greek yogurt in place of honey, these have only 100 calories each!

Ingredients (for 12 muffins):
5 eggs
1/3 cup honey (or 1/3 cup plain greek yogurt and 5 droppers of liquid stevia)
juice and zest of 2 lemons
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup coconut flour
2 tbs poppy seeds
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup fresh blueberries

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a muffin tin or line with baking cups.
2. Whisk together eggs, honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and melted coconut oil in a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the coconut flour, poppy seeds, and baking soda. Get all the lumps out.
4. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. The batter should thicken.
5. Distribute the batter evenly among 12 muffin cups. Press blueberries into the batter in each muffin cup.

Aren’t they pretty? Tasty too! The batch I made wasn’t sweet enough. I only had a tiny bit of stevia left, so I ended up topping each muffin with some maple syrup and whipped cream… and washing it down with Mimosa. Not quite Paleo that way, but very yummy. Enjoy them your way!

Apple Cider Buckwheat Pancakes

I decided to use the apples in my bountiful basket to make apple cider in the slow cooker. It made my house smell heavenly! I then used the apple cider to make delicious, gluten free pancakes. This post took me forever to write because I knew I’d be including the recipe for the apple cider AND the pancakes. That seemed like a lot of work to me, but I’m excited to share the result with you!

To make the cider, simply chop up about 8 apples and place them in a slow cooker. Fill with water and add a cinnamon stick, a whole nutmeg, and tablespoon of whole cloves.

Keep the slow cooker on high for 3 hours, or until the apples are very soft and your kitchen smells amazing. Strain and sweeten the cider with stevia, honey, or maple syrup.

The apple cider pancakes were adapted from a recipe by Iowa Girl Eats. To make the pancakes, start by grinding a box of dry buckwheat in the blender until fine:


Buckwheat is rich in protein and fiber. It’s gluten free, too! Buckwheat flour imparts a hearty, nutty taste to these pancakes.

Ingredients (for the batter):
1 cup flour (buckwheat, or half buckwheat and half all purpose for fluffier pancakes)
1 tbs sugar
1.5 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
2 tbs butter, melted
2 tbs apple butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup apple cider

For the maple cider syrup:
1 apple, peeled and chopped
1 tbs butter
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup apple cider
2 tbs maple syrup

1. Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the wet ingredients for the batter and combine until there are no lumps.
2. Spray a pan or griddle with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Cook 1/4 cup of batter at a time. Flip with a spatula when bubbles start to form and cook until golden brown on both sides.
3. To make the syrup, combine butter, apples, cinnamon, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. After 5 minutes, add the apple cider and maple syrup. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes until thickened.

Serve the pancakes topped with syrup!


Epic Breakfast Sandwich in 5 minutes

I eat this amazing breakfast sandwich at least 5 days a week. It’s unbelievably satisfying for a open faced sammy! Once you get the hang of making it, you’ll be able to enjoy it with only 5 minutes of prep time.

2-3 egg whites (or 1/4-1/3 cup liquid egg whites)
2 oz (1 slice) deli turkey
1 slice pepper jack cheese
1 slice whole wheat bread
Sriracha sauce
Cooking spray

1. Start by placing bread in a toaster oven and heating a nonstick frying pan over medium high heat with a light mist of cooking spray.

2. As the pan gets hot, add the egg whites to it.

3. Immediately place a slice of cheese on the bread in the toaster oven.

4. Fold the egg whites into an omelet shape using a spatula and add turkey to the pan.

5. Flip the eggs and turn off the heat. Cut the egg omelet in half with the spatula to fit it on your sandwich. Remove bread and cheese from the toaster oven.

6. Layer Sriracha, eggs, and turkey on your sandwich and enjoy with a side of fresh fruit!

This sandwich is perfectly spicy, melty, eggy, cheesy, and toasty. I’d eat it breakfast, lunch, and dinner if I could!

Barley Protein Pudding

Do you love rice pudding? If you do, you’ll enjoy this healthy twist on the classic dessert! Barley is chewy and packed with protein and fiber. Coupled with the creaminess of milk and nutmeg, this pudding is a winner!

1 cup dry barley
2.5 cups water
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups lowfat milk (or soy milk)
1 scoop vanilla whey isolate
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cinnamon stick
2 tsp brown sugar
Stevia to taste

1. Bring water and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the barley and reduce to a simmer. Cook covered for about 30 minutes. (You can do this step in a rice cooker)

2. Add milk and all remaining ingredients to the saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Stir frequently for about 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.

3. Remove the cinnamon stick and serve! Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition per serving:

Enjoy this pudding as a hearty breakfast cereal or comforting dessert.



Turkish Eggs Menemen

Ever since Colby and I visited a friend of ours in Istanbul last December, I’ve been dreaming of menemen. Menemen is a special dish consisting of eggs cooked atop of simmering vegetables. We ate it for breakfast almost every day there and felt very spoiled to have such a flavorful meal each morning. I figured the sauce must take hours to cook, so I never thought to recreate the dish at home. Now that I realize it takes less than 15 minutes to make, I’ll be enjoying it a lot more often!


1/2 green pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 small onion, diced
1 large tomato, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbs olive oil
2 eggs (or 1 egg + 3 egg whites)
Salt, pepper, and fresh parsley as seasonings

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add onion and green pepper to the hot oil. Sauté until tender.

2. Add diced tomato and garlic. Continue to stir until the tomatoes break down.

3. Top the bubbling mixture with eggs and allow the eggs to cook a bit.

4. Gently fold the eggs in with the vegetables until cooked through.

5. Season with salt, pepper, and parsley.


Overnight Chia Oatmeal



1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1-2 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs chia seeds
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup milk



Walnut and Brown Sugar Oatmeal



1 cup cooked oatmeal
1-2 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs candied walnuts
1/4 cup greek yogurt
*optional, 1/4 c bran flakes

1. Stir all ingredients into the cooked oatmeal and enjoy!

