by Chris Shugart
3 Easy, No-Cook Recipes
A higher protein diet solves a lot of issues. So eat cheesecake. Eat ice cream. Heck, eat pumpkin pie for breakfast. Just make 'em like this.
Eat more protein. It’s the easiest way to make a positive change in your body composition. But a protein diet, or a protein-centric approach to eating, doesn’t have to mean chicken breasts at every meal. Here are three simple, high-protein, no-added-sugar recipes. How simple? You don’t even need an oven.
Protein Diet Recipe 1: No-Bake Protein Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (one standard block) cream cheese, 1/3 less fat
- 1 cup Greek yogurt, nonfat
- 2 cups vanilla Metabolic Drive (Buy at Amazon) protein (6 scoops)
- 1/2 cup walnuts or raw nuts of choice
- 1/4 cup Splenda or sweetener of choice
- 1 package (0.25 oz) gelatin, unflavored
- 2/3 cups water
Directions
- Boil two-thirds cups of water, add gelatin, and stir. Add to blender pitcher.
- Finely chop the nuts. A food processor works well. Or a hammer. You do you. Layer evenly into the bottom of a 6-inch springform pan. This is your crust.
- Add all other ingredients to the blender and pulse. Scrape the sides and repeat until you get a smooth mixture.
- Pour the mixture into the springform pan.
- Refrigerate for 3-4 hours to let it set.
Options
- Instead of vanilla Metabolic Drive Protein, use chocolate and add dark chocolate chips to the nuts when you process them.
- No springform pan? Just use any pie dish. Your cheesecake won’t be as thick, but it’ll taste just the same… which is amazing.
Calories & Macros
Cut into 6 pieces, here’s about what you’ll get per slice:
- Calories: 294
- Protein: 30 grams
- Carbs: 8 grams
- Fat: 16 grams
Protein Diet Recipe 2: Pumpkin Spice Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 1 can pure pumpkin, 15 ounces (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 5 scoops (150g) vanilla Metabolic Drive (Buy at Amazon) protein
- Handful of pecans (about one-fourth of a cup)
- Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves or allspice – to taste – or use a pre-made pumpkin spice blend, about 2 teaspoons
- Optional: Splenda or equivalent low-calorie sweetener to taste, or about a tablespoon
Directions
- Dump the pumpkin into a bowl and mix in all the ingredients except the pecans. You’re going to think the protein powder and oats aren’t going to incorporate into the thick pumpkin, but they will. Add a touch of water or almond milk if needed.
- I suggest a lot of cinnamon and a dash of everything else, but it’s up to you. It’s pretty tasty with cinnamon alone. Or pick up a pre-made pumpkin spice blend.
- Transfer the mixture to a flat baking dish or a Tupperware-type container. Spread evenly. Top with pecans
Calories & Macros
Divide the dish into four big servings, and each one contains:
- Calories: 376
- Protein: 33 grams
- Carbs: 42 grams
- Fat: 9 grams
Protein Diet Recipe 3: Protein Powder Ice Cream Bars
Ingredients
- 4 scoops Metabolic Drive (Buy at Amazon) protein, any flavor
- 1 cup 1% low-fat kefir
Directions
- In a bowl, whisk protein powder into kefir until smooth.
- Pour into popsicle molds.
- Freeze for a few hours.
- No really, that’s it. You can eat one now.
Yield: 4-5 bars
Options: This is where you can have some fun. Add some no-sugar-added chocolate chips or a tablespoon of powdered peanut butter. Use vanilla or strawberry protein powder and add berries, sliced banana, mandarin orange, black cherries, or thinly sliced strawberries. The combos are endless.
Calories & Macros
- Serving: 1 bar (without options)
- Calories: 135
- Protein: 25 grams
- Carbs: 6 grams
- Fat: 1 gram
