Dietitians Corner

Protein is one of the essential ‘macronutrients’, that we eat daily. Macronutrients are large nutrients which all foods are made from. These are protein, fat and carbohydrate, which naturally occur in all foods in different portions.

Carbohydrates, fat and protein all have roles to play within the body and a healthy diet, but protein is the main focus.

It’s essential to prioritise your protein intake for:

• Exercise recovery
• Muscle growth and maintenance
• Cell repair and replacement
• Your immune system
• Strong hair and nails

It becomes even more important to prioritise protein when you’re on a diet in order to retain as much muscle mass as possible while you’re losing fat. Muscle is more metabolically active than fat, which means it burns more calories at rest. This helps to keep your metabolism high while you lose weight.

An easy way to boost your protein intake for the day is by adding or incorporating a nutrient-rich protein powder into your usual recipes. You can even substitute it in baking to make treats healthier.

Here are five ways for you to try:

Recipe 1: Choc Banana Cookies (1 Serve)

Ingredients:

• 1 Tony Ferguson High Protein Shake – Chocolate
• 1 tablespoon almond meal
• 2 teaspoons psyllium husks
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ medium banana, mashed
• 1½ teaspoons stevia or preferred sweetener
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 30ml water

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

1. Add all ingredients in a bowl and mix well, and allow to sit for 15 minutes. It will thicken and dry up a bit.
2. Line a baking tray with baking paper and then spray the paper with oil spray.
3. Using 2 small dessert spoons, scoop up the mixture to make and place on the baking tray; flatten the top only slightly. Do this with all the mix.
4. Place in oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, removing and allowing to cool before eating.

Recipe 2: Banana Peanut Butter Muffins (1 Serve)

Ingredients:

• 1 Tony Ferguson High Protein Shake – Vanilla
• 1 tablespoon 100% peanut butter, melted for 20 seconds in a microwave
• ½ medium banana, mashed
• 1 teaspoon stevia or preferred sweetener
• 2 teaspoons psyllium husks
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ cup water
• 2 medium cupcake papers

Method: 

Pre-heat over to 160°C

1. Add mashed banana and melted peanut butter in a bowl and combine.
2. Add the shake powder, baking powder, psyllium husks, stevia and water and combine well.
3. Spray 2 medium cupcake papers with oil spray. Pour the mixture into each evenly.
4. Place in cupcake baking tray and bake for 20-25 minutes or until cooked. It will still feel a bit soft but hardens once cooled.

Recipe 3: Chocolate High Protein Smoothie (1 Serve)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 medium avocado
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1/2 serve of Tony Ferguson High Protein Shake - Chocolate
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 tsp cocoa powder

Method:

Simply blend, with additional ice if you prefer an icier texture, and drink.

Recipe 4: Apple Cinnamon Muffin (3 Serves)

Ingredients:

• 2 Tony Ferguson High Protein Shake – Vanilla
• 2 Medium apples, peeled, cored and chopped into 5-8mm cubes
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon + ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 teaspoons stevia + 2 teaspoons stevia or preferred sweetener
• 6 teaspoons psyllium husks
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 ½-2 cups + 100ml water

Method:

1. In a small saucepan, add the apples, 1 ½ - 2 cups water, 3 teaspoons stevia and 1 teaspoon cinnamon and put on medium-high heat.
2. Cook stirring occasionally, until soft (about 20 mins). Remove and cool slightly.
3. In a bowl add the shake powders, 2 teaspoons stevia, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, psyllium husks and baking powder and 100ml water. Combine well then add ½ - ¾ the apple and combine.
4. Spray 3 medium cupcake papers with oil spray. Pour the mixture into each evenly.
5. Place in cupcake baking tray and bake for 25-30 minutes. It will still feel a bit soft but hardens once cooled.
6. Remove from oven and top each with the remaining apple.

Recipe 5: Banana Almond Cupcakes (2 Serves)

Ingredients:

• 1 scoop of Tony Ferguson High Protein Shake – Vanilla
• 1 tablespoon 100% almond butter, melted for 20 seconds in microwave
• ½ medium banana, mashed
• 1 drop vanilla essence
• 1 teaspoon stevia or preferred sweetener
• 2 teaspoons psyllium husks or chia seeds
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ cup water

Method:

Pre-heat over to 160°C

1. In a bowl, add the mashed banana, melted nut butter and combine well. Then add the shake powder, baking powder, psyllium husks, stevia and water and combine well.
2. Spray 2 medium cupcake papers with oil spray. Pour the mixture into each evenly. Place in cupcake baking tray and bake for 20-25 minutes or until cooked. It will still feel a bit soft but hardens once cooled. Enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee.

There you have it! A few delicious and healthy protein-rich recipes to try this week. You can increase or decrease the portions to adjust the serves if you want to prep more or less.