It’s cold and wet outside and if all you want to do is snack – at least graze on something healthy!! Part of my daily goal is healthy snacking, so here is my recipe for heart-healthy ‘Protein Cookies’. These cookies are the ultimate snack for the working day – full of protein (c. 15g per 50g cookie), low in carbohydrates, and the mild sweetness comes from natural fruits and a couple of spoons of immune-boosting Manuka honey. I’d suggest taking two generous protein cookies to work with you, eating one between breakfast and lunch and the other towards the end of the day when you are ready to give in to the vending machine! The four different flavours I make are apple, carrot, banana and peanut. I usually add pecan nuts, raisins and flaxseed to all four different cookies to give them a bit of crunchiness, and to release sustained energy. Experiment and use your own favourite nuts and seeds! I personally LOVE flaxseed (aka linseed), and try to use it in/on almost everything – in my uber-muesli, sprinkled on salads, soups, and broths. It’s one of the richest sources of the fatty acid Omega 3 (c.7.2g per 30g) – it boosts heart health, it reduces inflammation throughout the body, the joints and in the blood vessels. There’s also a school of thinking that suggests omega-3 may help lift depression and ease rheumatoid arthritis. Since the body does not naturally produce omega 3 fatty acid this is such an easy way to make sure you get enough of it on a daily basis.
To get my ingredients, which are all fairly specialist, I usually buy online; the Pea Protein powder is from a relatively new company called Pulsin’, the Flaxseed I use is made by Linwoods, and the Manuka Factor-25 Honey is by Pure Gold. Have a browse, see what other healthy ingredients you think might work in your cookie; you can shop by goal at GNC, here. Make your mid-work snack fun! Here are the instructions:
Instructions
How to ??
1. Boil the quinoa for 15-20 min and let it cool off whilst you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
3. Finely chop the banana or grate the carrot or apple.
4. Mix honey, vanilla, 2 egg whites in a bowl until creamy. Combine flour, quinoa, baking soda and salt in another bowl. Add to mixture and beat until well blended. Add nuts and fruit of your choice .
5. Place the mixture onto a tray with a sheet of grease-proof paper. Make sure the cookies are not too thick. Leave the in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Let them cool off and serve with a glass of milk or perhaps mint tea.