Apple & Cinnamon Brekkie Bars

 I'm a big fan of Protein Bread, and have a packet of their pancake mix in my cupboard. I'm so excited that this pancake mix is so versatile! I just ate a delicious slice of their Apple & Cinnamon Brekkie Bar for breakfast, such a nice change from porridge or low carb toast! Find the recipe here.

I like my measurements in cups, so here is a converted recipe:

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 cups Protein Pancake Mix
• 3 x Apples, cubed (I use Granny Smith)
• 1 cup Sultanas
• 3/4 cup Almonds, chopped
• 3/4 cup Pepitas
• 1 cup Almond Meal
• 4 Eggs
• 1Tbsp Coconut Oil/Butter
• 1 1/4 cups Coconut Milk
• 1 1/4 cups Desicated Coconut
• 1tsp Cinnamon

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees celsius.
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Using your (clean) hands, combined everything together.
3. Place the mixture into a slice tin and press down firmly.
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top.
5. Remove from oven and allow to cool before slicing.
6. Enjoy!

I'm really looking forward to playing around with recipe too, substituting different types of fruit, cocoa, and even my favourite peanut butter! 

The Best Spread?

I love Protein Bread for breakfast, and I have a number of favourite spreads to choose from each morning, depending on what I feel like. So which one is best for me? Well in the end, it depends on what else I plan on eating for the rest of that day. The other main point below is I have also not taken saturated vs. non-saturated fats into account.
These are all good choices, so I decided to compare their nutritional values on a table:

	Vegemite	Cocopure	Mayvers	RDPB
SERVING SIZE	5g	10g	20g	15g
PROTEIN	1.3g	0.9g	3.7g	3.6g
CARBOHYDRATE	Less than 1g	2.9g	6.3g	1.4g
FAT	Less than 1g	4.4g	10g	8g

And here they are, if serving sizes were identical:

	Vegemite	Cocopure	Mayvers	RDPB
SERVING SIZE	5g	5g	5g	5g
PROTEIN	1.3g	0.45g	0.93g	1.2g
CARBOHYDRATE	Less than 1g	1.45g	1.58g	0.47g
FAT	Less than 1g	2.2g	5g	2.7g

You can learn more about each spread at their websites:

• Vegemite
• Cocopure Chocolate Coconut Butter
• Mayvers Dark Chocolate Super Spread
• Ridiculously Delicious Peanut Butter

Stewed apple

It's that time of year, well for me anyway, where I feel all my food should be warm. So the cereal has taken a back seat for now, and I am enjoying weight watchers porridge some mornings.

The perfect accompaniment to this is some stewed fruit, which I really enjoy making weekly and keeping in the fridge - it's there to dive into at any time.

There are lots of unhealthy recipes out there for stewing apples (lots of sugar!), but I think I have found a good one:

INGREDIENTS
4 large apples, peeled, cored, chopped
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger (or minced ginger if you have it)
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp good vanilla extract or seeds from 1/2 a vanilla pod

METHOD
Place all of the ingredients in a medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir to combine, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or till apples are as soft as you like them.

I really like these serving ideas I found at a website called 'Venus Envy Training' as well:

- sprinkle 2 tbsp low fat granola on top
- drizzle 1/2 container low fat, fruit-juice sweetened vanilla yogurt over top
- serve warm on top of low fat vanilla frozen yogurt or soy ice cream
- add some chopped onion and curry powder and nix the honey for a delicious chutney-like chicken topping

I'll be making this recipe with variations weekly, this recipe really is so easy, it's something you can adapt to your own taste and ingredients. Enjoy!

My Breakfast Cereal

Finding a cereal that suits my eating plan has been difficult, my biggest challenge has been reducing carbohydrates and increasing my protein intake.

I found Protein First at Woolworths Supermarket Potts Point, and it probably fits my plan best. There are some days where I just don't have time to cook eggs!

Protein First is made of Barley Flakes, and until I get the time to mix my own cereal flakes, it is the best thing I can find. I usually add a tablespoon of milled flaxseed and serve using shape milk.

There is actually a shortage of this cereal in Supermarkets at the moment due to high temperatures during the growing season, until November 2010 apparently only Coles will stock Protein First! Looks like I will be walking further up the street to Coles then...

You can learn more at:
http://www.goodnesssuperfoods.com.au/products/protein