Protein keeps us fuller longer...we've heard that line a thousand times.
...& that's because it's true.
So whether weight/fat loss is your goal, or you just wanna eat more for fewer calories *who doesn't?!* these hacks/replacements can be big for you in the kitchen!
SWAPS FOR HIGHER PROTEIN & FEWER CALORIES *SWEETS-STYLE*:
#1. Pumped up peanut butter
Replace half the amount of your peanut butter that you would typically have with plain, nonfat Greek yogurt. It will be thick and creamy, super tasty, and will give you MORE protein with LESS calories.
Use it as a dip for fresh fruit, freeze it for a yummy frozen treat (I promise), or just take a spoon to it & dive right in!
#2. Flour for powder
For your go-to baked-goods recipes, replace white flour with protein powder. That's a HUGE one for adding way more protein! Plus, if you use a flavored protein powder, like vanilla, chocolate, salted caramel, etc., you'll also have a boost of flavor!
#3. Whole grains upgrade
If you're not a fan of protein powder, or don't have it on hand, another white flour replacement is oats. I use oats in place of white flour for EVERYTHING I make that would need flour. You can get oat flour at the store, but my little 'hack' I do—that saves me money—is I just throw my oats into a blender and blend it until it becomes a flour-like consistency. It takes not even a minute to have your own oat flour.
& to save even more time, I'll make a big batch of it and save the leftover flour in an airtight container for when I need it again!
#4. Enrich your muffins
Swap out the oils and butters in your favorite muffin recipe for nonfat Greek yogurt. When you do that, you say bye-bye to lots of fats and loads of calories & bring in more protein!
#5. Bake with beans
You can swap out the brown sugar and eggs in your cookie dough for chickpeas or white beans. When blended, processed, or mashed, chickpeas *or other white beans* make a creamy, thick texture, just like cookie dough. That can be the base of any cookie dough recipe, then add a sugar substitute, your favorite mix-ins, maybe some syrup or nut butter, and you have a much healthier, higher protein, edible cookie dough.
I hope you take these hacks & apply them where they fit for you.
It's little hacks like this that make healthy eating and/or weight/fat loss goals way more attainable!
xo Mackenzie.