Triumph Wellness

Personal Training & Nutrition in Kfar Saba, Israel

Picky Eaters

Peanut Butter Cup Protein Parfait (vegan)

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Today I am sharing one of my favorite summer recipes! You might think that this one is high in calories or not appropriate for those of you working on your weight, but you’d be wrong!  

This delicious and satisfying breakfast, or post-workout treat, contains only 345 calories. Macros are equally divine at 39gC/11gF/29gP. (That’s a whole 29 grams of vegan protein for those of you not versed in macro-lingo).

I have shared here before, that a frozen banana, whirred in the food processor with just a splash of water, makes something eerily similar to actual ice cream.  But because it contains no dairy products and therefore, no animal cruelty, we call it “Nice Cream”.  Cute, or self-righteous, who cares, it’s wonderful.

In this version, I mixed my nice cream with a scoop of vegan protein powder and a spoonful of peanut butter.  Layered with a super quick chocolate sauce made out of maple syrup and unsweetened cocoa powder, the most time-consuming part of this recipe is washing up afterward.

Quick. Easy. Cravings Busting. Vegan. Fits My Macros. Delicious.  Ticks all the boxes for me!

My kids love this as well and I feel really good about making them such a healthy snack.  The last time I made it, one of them took a picture and whatsapp’ed it to all his friends.  I loved the stream of “Yuuuummm” and “I want!” that followed.  

I should open a Nice Cream Shop.  (But I won’t, so feel-free to steal that idea, oh entrepreneurial ones!)

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Peanut Butter Cup Protein Parfait (vegan)

Serving Size: 1

Ingredients

    Peanut Butter Cream:
  • 1 frozen medium- large frozen banana
  • 1 Tbsp peanut butter
  • 1 scoop vegan protein powder (I used vanilla flavor)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • water, see below
    • Fudge Ripple
  • 1 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • enough water to get syrup texture, 1-3 Tbsp
  • Chopped nuts and coconut for garnish if desired

Instructions

  1. Put banana in food processor with peanut butter, protein powder, and vanilla.
  2. Pulse a few times to mash.
  3. With machine running, slowly add water 1 Tbsp at a time until a thick ice cream texture is achieved. Do not over-mix or add too much water or you'll have a smoothie!
  4. Layer peanut butter nice cream in your jar with fudge ripple.
  5. Top with chopped nuts and coconut flakes if desired.

Notes

Protein powder is not essential if you do not use it. I personally find that eating foods with a balance with carbs, protein, and healthy fats keep me (and my clients) feeling full and not binge-y. If you choose to leave it out, add a few dates for sweetness and thickness.

http://triumphwellness.com/peanut-butter-cup-protein-parfait-vegan/

Bread Machine Vegan Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

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The weekend is over and as you turn your thoughts to the upcoming week and the lunches you need to pack come Sunday morning (in Israel) or Monday morning (everywhere else), if you’re like me, you always grumble, “Crap, we’re out of bread.”

It seemed like we were constantly running to stores in search of a good loaf of sandwich bread at all hours!  And we are picky about our bread, as any former New Yorkers are wont to be.  We like those artisanal breads you have to go to a special bakery to buy.  We are not big fans of the taste or additive levels of supermarket bread. And don’t even get me started on pita!  Basically unless pita is “baked-it-fresh-this-very-moment” fresh, I will absolutely make a disastrous mess of trying to stuff sandwich fillings inside of it. I think you have to be Middle Eastern born and bred to make proper pita sandwiches.

So one day at the airport, with time to spare before our flight, we wandered into the Duty Free electronics store, as one tends to do. As my roaming eyes came to rest on a bread machine, I saw a solution to my constant “we’re out of bread” conundrum.

I purchased the Morphy Richards 900g Breadmaker several years ago now and it has been in use literally 5 days a week since. My recipe and technique have changed over the years, but today I want to share with you the sandwich bread I make daily for my family, and exactly how I do it.

A few things first:

  • You will notice that I use a combination of 1 cup semolina (solet), 2 cups whole wheat flour, and 1 cup high-gluten bread flour (kemach lechem). For me, in this machine, this gives the consistency of loaf we prefer. The semolina gives the loaf a nice crust and airy texture and the high-gluten bread flour gives it beautiful lift and light, soft crumb. I’m sure you can play around with any mix of flours – I have used part spelt, part ground oats, part chickpea flour, etc – as long as your total is 4 cups.
  • You will also notice that I use 2 tablespoons of sugar in my bread and many of you will write me nasty letters about the evils of sugar. I agree that sugar is very bad for you. But we are talking here about 2 Tbsp in a loaf that makes 12-14 slices of bread. Do the math – it ends up being a VERY small amount of sugar in each slice. Don’t lose the forest for the orthorexic trees!  And besides, as I understand the science of baking, the yeast actually eats a good part of that sugar which is what gives your bread the rise. That said, I’m sure you could cut it to 1 Tbsp if that makes you feel better. You could also use a less processed form of sugar such as molasses or maple syrup but scientifically, it’s pretty much the same to your body.
  • I don’t bake in the machine.  You CAN put the ingredients in your bread machine, set it and forget it, and it will mix, rise, and bake the entire thing. I did that, but found that, firstly, the machine’s canister makes an awkward shape and size of bread for school kid lunch sandwiches. Secondly, I didn’t like losing what amounted to several slices on each end of the loaf – one side for the baked-in mixing paddle you have to dig out, which leaves a big hole, and the top side that bakes into a domed shape. So, I put the ingredients in the machine, set it to a 1 1/2 hour mixing and rising cycle called “Dough”, then remove the dough, plop it into a normal-sized loaf pan and bake it in the oven. Why use the machine at all you ask? Because the machine kneads the dough for about 30 minutes and if you have ever tried to knead dough for 30 minutes, you know why I would prefer to avoid it. Honestly, I used to make bread that was the consistency of a door-stop. It was awful. This machine kneads and rises the dough so beautifully, my bread could now win prizes for lightness and perfection!
  • I LOVE LOVE LOVE having fresh baked bread in the house every day. It smells amazing and makes my family feel very happy. I also make our weekly challah dough in the machine and take it out to braid it. It’s amazing. My bread machine is my most used and most loved kitchen appliance!  When this one kicks the bucket, I will definitely but another one. Recommended!

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Bread Machine Vegan Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp sugar or any sweetener of your choice
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cups wrist-warm water
  • 1 cup semolina (solet)
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup high-gluten bread flour (kemach lechem)
  • 2 1/2 - 3 tsp dry yeast

Instructions

  1. Place the ingredients in the canister of your bread machine in the exact order listed above.
  2. Turn the machine to the dough cycle only. (You can set it to whole wheat bread if you would like it to bake right in the machine (see my objections above)).
  3. When the 1 1/2 hour cycle is over and the timer rings, spray a loaf pan of the size you prefer with cooking spray.
  4. Spill a dollop of olive oil on the counter.
  5. Spread the oil around a little, coating your hands and your work space.
  6. Turn the dough out of the canister on to the oiled work space.
  7. Roll it tightly into a log, the length of your loaf pan.
  8. Place the loaf in the pan, seam-side down.
  9. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot for 30 minutes.
  10. At the end of the 30 minutes, uncover the loaf and place it in a COLD oven.
  11. Turn the oven on to 180C (350F) and bake for 30 minutes.
  12. Turn loaf out on to a cooling rack to cool.
http://triumphwellness.com/bread-machine-vegan-whole-wheat-sandwich-bread/

 

Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup

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We had a cooking challenge last week in my nutrition group class. Some worried that it was a lot of kitchen work so I suggested utilizing a slow cooker or crock pot for making a bean dish or stew. Someone then asked for recipes and I realized that I don’t have any! When it comes to the slow cooker, I just throw things in there and let it cook long enough that no matter what, it comes out tasty. But I always get requests from those people who rely on recipes, to please spell the process out more carefully. To that end, I made a pot of Black Bean Soup in my slow cooker, measured everything, and jotted it all down so I could tell you exactly what to do.

The wonderful thing about using your slow cooker is that you do just a few minutes of prep and then your food cooks all day by itself while you do other things. Come dinnertime, you just ladle it out and a hot, delicious, nutritious meal is yours.

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Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 spicy green pepper, such as jalapeno, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp chili powder or smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • 900g (28oz) can chopped tomatoes or 4 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped
  • 500g (1 lb) dry black beans
  • dash hot sauce to taste
  • 1-2 drops liquid smoke if desired
  • 8 cups vegetable broth or water
  • salt and black pepper to taste (added AFTER cooking. Salting the beans while they are still cooking will keep them hard)

Instructions

  1. The night before you want to make the soup, put the beans in a large bowl.
  2. Check them over for shriveled beans, dirt clods, rocks etc.
  3. Cover the beans with cold tap water and let sit uncovered on counter overnight.
  4. In the morning, drain the water off and rinse the beans in fresh water.
  5. Add all ingredients except the salt to your slow cooker in the order listed above.
  6. Set slow cooker to high, cover and leave for 4-6 hours.
  7. Check the beans are soft and adjust seasonings to your taste, adding salt here.
  8. Using an immersion blender, puree about half of the soup. This is optional, you can leave it all unpureed if you prefer.
  9. Serve as is or topped with chopped fresh tomato, avocado slices, chopped fresh cilantro (cusbara) or parsley, salsa, vegan sour cream or shredded vegan cheddar.
http://triumphwellness.com/slow-cooker-black-bean-soup/

How to Afford a Health Coach

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It happens now and then, during an Intro Session, that a potential client will say “You seem great, and your program seems wonderful, but I can’t afford it.”

What I hear when someone tells me they can’t pay for coaching is that a.) they aren’t really thinking about what solving this problem is worth to them (hint: priceless) and/or b.) they doubt either their own ability, or mine, to actually achieve the solution. Often they have already paid other coaches or spent loads on countless books, programs, special foods, etc etc, and still haven’t healed their food relationship. I know, because that was my story too. How can I convince them that this time would be any different? See this post for that answer. As for what it’s worth….

What is it worth?

  • Imagine a world where you are immune to the daily barrage of food temptations and saboteurs
  • Imagine making healthy choices 2nd nature without struggling or stressing
  • Imagine your children following suit
  • Imagine feeling healthy, strong and confident in your skin. What would you accomplish if you didn’t have body shame holding you back?
  • Imagine your children living in healthy bodies and having a positive relationship with food and their self-esteem, because you can only teach them this if you are doing it yourself. You getting healthy creates ripples on the pond. Healthy you → healthy families → healthy communities
  • Imagine managing your time and your priorities so well that eating healthy and exercising regularly just flow naturally
  • Imagine the feeling of following through on what you said you would do and on what you know is important to you.
  • Imagine wearing the kinds of clothes you have always wanted to wear.
  • Imagine the feeling of success and joy at FINALLY putting this body/food beast in it’s place, kneeling at your feet.

So, what is it worth? I don’t know about you, but to me, that is all absolutely priceless.  When I hired my health coach, I got my life back. There is no monetary value I could ever assign to that.

Now, the hidden costs of staying where you are, struggling with food and weight:

  • Having a million sizes of clothes in your closet and not really fitting into any of them. How much have you spent on clothes that sit in your closet unwearable and accusatory?  Learning to lose weight and maintain it for life will allow you to finally build a wardrobe of beautiful clothes all the in the same size, saving you money, time, and stress each morning.
  • Spending money on take-out food, restaurant meals, and mad binge-runs. Learning healthy meal planning and time management skills will substantially cut down on your food budget.  Bringing your own healthy lunch to work can be a huge money saver, as can ditching a daily candy or bakery habit.
  • Despite what you might think, healthy food is cheaper than junk. Beans and grains are crazy cheap, for one!  You don’t have to buy all special, organic, gold-dusted whatever food in my program. I don’t believe in “super foods”. You will learn to buy what you need from your regular supermarket, prepare it, and not have it rot in the fridge.  And yes, your picky kids will eat it too!  I promise you it’s not all kale burgers and tofu!  You want mac and cheese, you’ll make mac and cheese and it will still work.
  • Medications, medical bills, the time spent going to doctor’s appointments – all lessen when you get healthier!

 

The Frank Money Talk

One-on-one coaching is currently $100-120 for a one-hour session and the two-week follow-up period when we are in touch via email, whatsapp, text message, etc. Most clients are in touch with me somehow every single day.  That is a heck of a lot of support and contact!  (The price difference depends on whether you pay in monthly payments or all up front).  So roughly $200/month, which I don’t think is very much for all of the benefits above and this level of support.  But hey, I don’t know your financial situation, and I know sometimes things are tight (especially for families here in Israel paying in shekels).

So here I am to explode your last excuse: I have a scholarship program!  This means that if you want my help and are in such dire financial straights that you cannot afford it, all you have to do is email me Emily@TriumphWellness.com and ask.  I won’t shame you for your money situation or anything. I have learned over the years that people who pay for something value it way more than those who get it for free though, so together we will work out an amount you can comfortably pay that also empowers you to make the changes in life you wish to make.  Don’t be shy, email me.

In the meantime, if you finally do see the value and worth of working with a coach like moi and want to explore the possibility of one-on-one coaching, you can go right to my calendar HERE, put the time in your local time zone, and just book a trial session to see what it’s like. Three little words, baby: Totally Worth it.

Blueberry-Banana Nice Cream Parfait

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Last year I made free ebook and gave it away to thank the 1,000 people who had liked my facebook business page. Now that we are closing in on 2,000 fans, I have decided to take the ebook down and will be publishing the recipes here on the blog. That way you can pin them and share them more easily.

Up first is this amazing Nice Cream Parfait with Rawnola. What, the what?  “Nice cream” is ice cream made out of frozen bananas. No milk, no cream, no sugar. Just frozen bananas in the food processor with a splash of plant milk and whatever flavorings you like. It’s delicious and super easy!  

“Rawnola” is basically raw granola. Again, in the food processor, you pulse together oats, dates, coconut. Voila, no-bake, instantly ready, no sugar, no oil granola!

This pretty parfait combines the two.

blueberry banana nice cream parfait

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Blueberry-Banana Nice Cream Parfait with Rawnola

Serving Size: 1-2

Ingredients

    Nice Cream:
  • 2 frozen bananas, broken into chunks
  • ½ cup frozen blueberries
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2-4 Tbsp plant milk or water
  • 1 scoop vegan protein powder (optional)
  • Few sprinkles of Rawnola (recipe follows)
    • Rawnola:
  • ½ cup uncooked oats
  • 7 Medjool dates, pitted
  • ½ cup dried coconut flakes

Instructions

    Rawnola First:
  1. Pulse oats, dates and coconut in food processor until it looks like granola.
  2. Remove from food processor and wipe food processor clean.
  3. (Extra rawnola should be stored in the refrigerator).
    4. Nice Cream:
  4. Place bananas in food processor.
  5. Add vanilla, 2 Tbsp plant milk of your choice, and protein powder if using.
  6. Run the food processor for 15 seconds to break up the bananas.
  7. Check the consistency. If it's ice cream-like and creamy, stop there. If it is dry and lumpy, drizzle in a tiny bit more plant milk with the motor running until desired texture is reached. Remember, once you've gone too far, you can't go back, so don't add too much liquid! But if you do, don't worry, you've got a smoothie.
    8. Assembly:
  8. Remove half of the mixture and place in your serving jar.
  9. Top with a layer of rawnola or fruit.
  10. Add the blueberries to the remaining mixture in the food processor and again process just until smooth and creamy.
  11. Place blueberry mixture on top of banana mixture in jar.
  12. Top with more rawnola and fruits of choice and enjoy!
http://triumphwellness.com/blueberry-banana-nice-cream-parfait/

 

Macro-Friendly Gluten-Free Vegan Protein Waffle

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OK, OK, so I put up a waffle recipe last month that was relatively higher in carbs and fat and lower in protein, and although I defended it bitterly, the truth is, that sometimes you DO need a waffle with better macros. (Macros being macro-nutrients, namely carbohydrates, protein and fat).

Some of you have no idea what I’m talking about and knowing the macro-nutrient content of your food is totally bizarre and you couldn’t give a hoot. That’s fine, eat the waffle I posted here.  It’s absolutely delicious and always comes out great.

For those of you who track your food and count your macros, today’s waffle will fit your numbers much better. And for those of you who live in the US, you can BUY a version of these waffles and not have to make them at all. Vegan chef and power lifter, Holly Works, has created the Fit-Quick Waffle and sells them through Vegan Proteins. They’ve got vanilla, java chip, double chocolate brownie, pizza style and a soon to be released new flavor, lemon poppyseed.  I have never had Fit Quick because although Vegan Proteins is willing to ship to Israel, their shipping rates were not feasible for me the last time I checked. So I looked at the ingredient label and did my best to create my own. I have no doubt that Holly’s are a hundred times better and I haven’t graduated to all those fancy flavors and probably won’t, so order if you can, make if you can’t.

I tinkered a ton to get these to come out right. I scraped what seemed like thousands of stuck waffles out of my waffle maker (the recipe has no added fat). Different protein powders yield entirely different results, so depending on what you use, you may have to give this a few tries before getting it right yourself.

The protein powder I usually use is Pro Pea, made here in Israel and available at Eden Teva market. But during Eden Teva’s downfall and buy-out, I have not been able to get it. Let’s hope new owners, Tuv Ta’am, get all our products back in stock! In the meantime, you can order many vegan protein powders from Vitacost, but be aware that my last TWO orders never arrived.  Vitacost did give me a full refund, which is amazing considering I’m pretty sure the fault lies with the Israeli post.  As one of my friends says “your packages will show up right before Pesach.” Of course they will.

The protein powder used in this picture is Earth Blends, (pea, hemp, rice) from Vitacost. The combination of the chickpea flour and the dark-hued protein powder, gives the waffle a dark appearance, but it’s really tasty.

macro-friendly vegan protein waffle

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Macro-Friendly Gluten-Free Vegan Waffle

Serving Size: 1 waffle

Calories per serving: 232 cals, 21gC/5gF/24gP

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup chickpea flour
  • 3/4 scoop (about 25g) vegan protein powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 Tbsp ground flaxseeds
  • 1/2 cup water
  • stevia to sweeten as desired
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla, if your protein powder isn't already flavored
  • dash cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.
  2. Let sit while you spray your waffle iron with cooking spray and preheat it.
  3. When the indicator light says the machine is ready, place all the batter onto it.
  4. Cook for 8-10 minutes.
  5. Remove carefully and enjoy.
http://triumphwellness.com/macro-friendly-gluten-free-vegan-protein-waffle/

 

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