optimized-img_0173

Today on the blog I’m talking about incorporating the Vega Protein & Greens and the Vega Performance Protein into your day. The Protein & Greens are a great way to start your day and I love that they can easily be incorporated into a delicious and healthy breakfast that will give you the energy to get through the long hours you put in. The Performance Protein is the ideal protein powder for after your workout and while you can make yourself a shake to refuel your body, why not incorporate the powder into a tasty treat instead?

 

Vega Protein & Greens

Starting your day with Vega Protein & Greens is a great idea for many reasons. One of the best reasons to get a good dose of protein in the mornings is that you’ll have a full and satisfied tummy for a longer period of time. This will help curb any mid morning snacking that you might be tempted with, especially in the break room at the office where there tends to be snacks and treats for sharing. Vega uses a protein blend from pea protein, SaviSeeds, hemp seeds and sprouted whole grain brown rice. This makes for a great protein powder for all diets including vegetarians and vegans.

What makes Vega Protein & Greens special is the 2 servings of greens that you get from each serving or scoop. Getting enough greens in your diet can be a daunting task and sometimes not so delicious either, but they are important in that they make sure you get your daily dose of vitamins and minerals your body requires. Vega gets their greens from organic alfalfa grass powder, spinach powder, broccoli powder and organic kale powder, and since it’s sweetened with stevia leaf extract you can feel good knowing that it helps keep the calorie count low.

If you’re like me and you love browsing popular food sites or apps for new and exciting recipes to try then you know how popular overnight oats have become. I love them because as the name states you make them the night before so there’s no rushing in the morning trying to get a decent breakfast. You  can also get pretty creative and add lots of extras to make them healthy and to your preferred taste. They are easy to make and if you do single servings then everyone in your household can have their own individualized breakfast. They’re really a one bowl wonder and one of my favourite flavours is a raspberry banana with added Protein & Greens.

optimized-img_0175Raspberry Banana Overnight Oats

Ingredients

1 C whole grain oats

1 scoop Vega Proteins & Greens (or up to 1 scoop if you desire)

1 ¼ C unsweetened coconut milk

1 tbsp chia seeds

2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut

1 tbsp agave

2 tbsp organic raw cashews chopped

1 sliced banana

1/3 C raspberries (fresh or frozen)

Directions

Place oats, Vega Protein & Greens, chia seeds, shredded coconut in a bowl and mix in unsweetened coconut milk.

Top with raspberries, sliced banana and pumpkin seeds.

Drizzle agave syrup over the top.

Let stand covered overnight or at least 6-8 hours.

Starting out your day with this delicious breakfast will keep you full for a long period of time and give you the energy and focus to get through your morning.

Vega Performance Protein

optimized-img_0174After your delicious and satisfying breakfast you’ll be more inclined to want to eat a healthy lunch and afternoon snack. I find if I start my day off with a nutritious and healthy meal my sweets craving is a lot less.

Like many people who have a busy work week, going to the gym or getting in my physical exercise happens at the end of my workday or even in the early evening after I’ve gotten home and made dinner for my boys. If I go for a run or get in a workout I always make sure to properly refuel my body and muscles after. There are times after when I’m just so tired or I forget to refuel and I always wake up in the morning starving or feeling a little sore and that’s not the best way to care for my body.

Vega’s Performance Protein is the perfect after workout protein blend to refuel your body. Here you’re getting a protein blend of pea protein, pumpkin seed protein, organic sunflower seed protein, and alfalfa protein, and to help repair your muscles there’s 6 grams each of BCAA’s and glutamine. One of the reasons I love the Performance Protein is the added bromelain and probiotics. As a sufferer of a sensitive stomach I like that they took into consideration gut health as well.

After a long day and a good workout there’s room to treat yourself, and you can satisfy your sweet craving, refuel your body and have a healthy treat all at the same time. You don’t need a lot of ingredients and you don’t have to sacrifice flavour either. One of my go-to ingredients when I create shakes or healthy treats is bananas. They are naturally sweet and are perfect for baked goods.

Try my protein blondies for an after workout treat.

optimized-img_0176Chocolate Banana Performance Protein Blondie

Ingredients

3 medium ripe bananas

½ C organic peanut butter

3 Tbsp organic cocoa powder

2 Tbsp unsweetened coconut milk

1 heaped scoop Vega Performance Protein (I used vanilla but try chocolate for a brownie version)

2-3 Tbsp chopped dark chocolate

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

Place organic peanut butter is a small pot and melt on low heat.

Using a fork mash together the bananas, cocoa powder and Vega Performance Protein.

Mix in melted organic peanut butter and chopped dark chocolate.

Pour mixture into greased 8X8 pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Let cool completely, cut and store in the fridge or freezer.

I love having these protein blondies stored in the freezer because they’re perfect for an after workout treat or on those days when my self control is lacking and I need something sweet to satisfy my craving. I usually have to hide a couple because with my husband I’ll be lucky to even get one if he knows they’re in there.

Vega has a huge variety of great plant based products that really take into consideration the nutritious and delicious factors of food. Adding them to your diet daily will help ensure you’re getting a good dose of healthy proteins as well as vitamins and minerals.

You can find many of Vega’s products at bestbuy.ca.

 

 

Lindsey Reed
I am a mom of two boys who loves reading and trail runs. I am passionate about health, fitness and food and write about these topics and more on my personal blog www.organicfitnesstips.net.