by Carmen Ohling | Sep 13, 2018 | Recipes
Are you looking for a quick, easy and healthy back to school treat for your kid’s lunchbox? Well look no further! This treat is super simple to make and you can store the cut bars in the freezer for up to two months. This recipe is also gluten, dairy and soy free- plus you can make it nut free by swapping out the peanut butter for sunflower seed butter. Here’s the details:
CHOCOLATE-PB CRUNCH BARS
3 cups QUINOA FLAKES (I use Ancient Harvest brand)
1 1/2 cup CHOCOLATE CHIPS, DAIRY FREE (I use Enjoy Life brand)
1 cup PEANUT BUTTER (I use Wild Friends brand)
1/2 cup MAPLE SYRUP
1/4 cup COCONUT OIL
- Melt the chocolate, peanut butter, syrup and oil, stirring until creamy and combined.
- In a large bowl, dump in the quinoa flakes and pour over the chocolate mixture. Mix well to fully combine.
- Spread evenly and push down flat into a 9×13 baking dish lined with parchment paper.
- Put in the freezer for 1 hour prior to cutting into 24 equal squares.
Servings: 24 | Nutrition for each bar: 5g protein, 25g carbs, 13g fat, 3g fiber
Enjoy! | Eat Real Food. Be Healthy. Feel Amazing.
Looking for more healthy recipes to keep you and your family healthy this school year? Check out my blog!
by Carmen Ohling | Jul 16, 2018 | Uncategorized
Do you think “I don’t have time to meal prep?” All you need is 30 minutes. Let me show you how! Click on the link below to check out the video.
Lazy Girl Meal Prep
Eat Real Food. Be Healthy. Feel Amazing!
by Carmen Ohling | Jun 12, 2018 | Uncategorized
5 Ingredient No Bake Gluten Free PB-Coconut Oatmeal Cookies
A quick and easy recipe for thick, no bake peanut butter cookie meet oatmeal cookie with a coconut twist. They are vegan, gluten free, have no refined sugar added and have 4g of protein per cookie!
- ready in just minutes
- delicious and chewy
- satisfyingly thick
- made with just 5 ingredients
- satisfyingly nutty and sweet, like honey-roasted peanuts
- made with deliciously healthy ingredients
- perfect for on-the-go snacking
And did I mention they’re made with just 5 ingredients? Check out the recipe below, plus I’ve given you a bonus too- my PB-Hemp Brownie recipe that is packed with protein and high in fiber. And no, these are not “that kind” of brownies. Hemp is one of the most bio-available protein sources on the market today!
PB-Coconut Oatmeal No Bake Cookies (Servings: 21)
1 cup PEANUT BUTTER
1/3 cup MAPLE SYRUP
1 cup OATMEAL
1 cup UNSWEETENED COCONUT
1 tsp CINNAMON
½ tsp SEA SALT (IF YOUR PB IS NOT SALTED)
- ON THE STOVE OR IN THE MICROWAVE (DO IT IN 20-30 SEC SESSIONS IN MICROWAVE, STIR) MELT THE PB AND SYRUP TOGETHER.
- ADD THE OATS AND COCONUT. MIX TO COMBINE.
- LINE A BAKING SHEET WITH PARCHMENT PAPER. DROP THE DOUGH IN 21 EQUAL SIZED BALLS (ABOUT 1 TB PER COOKIE).
- USING A FORK, SMOOSH DOWN EACH BALL INTO A COOKIE SHAPE.
- POP THE SHEET INTO THE FREEZER FOR 20 MINS. REMOVE FROM FREEZER AND STORE IN AN AIR-TIGHT CONTAINER FOR UP TO TWO WEEKS IN THE FRIDGE.
Nutrition per cookie: 4g protein, 11G carbs, 9G fat, 2g fiber
PB-Hemp Brownies (Servings: 12)
1 15-oz BLACK BEANS (DRAINED AND RINSED IF USING CANNED)
2/3 cup PEANUT BUTTER
1/4 cup MAPLE SYRUP
2 Tbsp FLAXSEED
5 Tbsp WATER
1/4 cup CACAO POWDER
3 Tbsp HEMP SEEDS
1/2 tsp SEA SALT
1 tsp VANILLA EXTRACT
1/2 tsp CINNAMON
1 tsp BAKING POWDER
1/4 cup PUMPKIN PUREE
- ADD THE GROUND FLAXSEED AND WATER IN A SMALL BOWL, MIX. SET ASIDE FOR 5 MINUTES.
- PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 350 DEGREES AND LINE AN 8X8 PAN WITH PARCHMENT PAPER.
- PUREE THE BEANS IN A FOOD PROCESSOR AND THEN ADD THE REMAINING INGREDIENTS AND BLEND UNTIL SMOOTH.
- POUR EVENLY INTO PAN AND BAKE FOR 23-28 MINUTES, OR UNTIL THEY PUFF UP A BIT AND THE CENTER IS JUST SLIGHTLY SET.
- CUT INTO 12 BROWNIES AND STORE IN THE FRIDGE IN AN AIR-TIGHT CONTAINER FOR UP TO 2 WEEKS.
Nutrition per brownie: 8g protein, 18G carbs, 9g fat, 6g fiber
I use these products:
Bob’s Redmill Gluten Free Oats
Bob’s Redmill Unsweetened Coconut
Wild Friends Peanut Butter
Love this recipe and want new recipes every week? Check out my Real Food Meal Prep Program!
Eat Real Food. Be Healthy. Feel Amazing!
by Carmen Ohling | May 13, 2018 | Uncategorized
BEST SALAD EVER
(Delicous, healthy, GF, DF, Vegan)
Are you ready for the BEST salad recipe ever? Don’t let the mint or cilantro scare you away, it really makes the dish! If you’re not a cilantro fan, substitute flat leaf parsley instead. I love this for my weekly meal prep, potlucks, BBQs, and even family dinner night. It will soon be your favorite too! Oh, and did I mention it is gluten free, dairy free, soy free and vegan? It so delicious and everyone can enjoy it….
SUMMER QUINOA EVERYTHING SALAD
2 cup RICE QUINOA MIX (or 1 cup rice, 1 cup quinoa)
4 cups CHICKEN STOCK
2 RAISINS, CHOPPED- 2 SMALL BOXES (28G EACH)
1/2 cup ALMONDS OR CASHEWS, CHOPPED
1/2 RED ONION, DICED
1 RED BELL PEPPER, DICED
1/4 cup SHREDDED COCONUT
2 Tbsp MINT LEAVES, CHOPPED
1/4 cup CILANTRO, CHOPPED
JUICE OF ONE LIME
2 cups KALE, CHOPPED AND STEMS REMOVED
6 Tbsp BOLTHOUSE CLASSIC BALSAMIC DRESSING
1. COOK THE 2 CUPS QUINOA/RICE OR GRAIN OF YOUR CHOICE USING THE CHICKEN STOCK AND ALLOW TO COOL.
2. CHOP UP THE VEGGIES, RAISINS, MINT, CILANTRO, AND NUTS AND MIX INTO QUINOA.
3. ADD THE DRESSING AND LIME JUICE. MIX WELL. STORE IN FRIDGE UNTIL READY TO EAT. A SERVING IS 1/10 OF THE RECIPE OR ABOUT 1 CUP. RECIPE MAKES 10 SERVINGS.
Servings: 10
Nutrition: 10g protein, 36g carbs, 10g fat, 5g fiber
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by Carmen Ohling | Feb 25, 2018 | Uncategorized
We all struggle.
We are all more alike than we are different.
What once worked for us may not work in the present.
Control is a funny thing, the more you try to control the more you seem lose control.
Often what people present in person or online is not a true reflection of their current state.
I was hesitant to make this post today. It is raw and real but I know that I am not the only one that struggles and so I am sharing my story with you in hopes that it will help. In hopes that it will help you stop controlling, that it will help you to find more joy in our everyday, and under it all, help you to love yourself no matter what. For me that means no matter what weight or body composition I am. This is my current struggle..
My husband’s 40th birthday is March 15th. I always do something fun to surprise him for his birthday and this year is not different. My body and hormones have been all over the place this year since regaining my menstrual cycle in January after it being gone for about a year, since my body fat percentage was so low from competing in bodybuilding shows. There’s these favorite pants that I have that my husband loves my booty in, and while I can put them on right now they don’t actually “fit” – if you know what I mean. So, I set out to lose a couple lbs before his birthday and get my ass looking right in his favorite pants. Nothing drastic, just starting to track my macros again and be very consistent with my nutrition and workouts to tighten up a bit. We are now on week 4. My results? I’ve gain weight. To be clear, I have gained 12 lbs- in the last 2 days alone I’ve gained 5lbs. This morning I saw a number on the scale that I have not seen in over 4 years. When I saw that number today, I could have done one of two things- tighten the control, scrutinize my diet and exercise more, do more everyday to control this weight loss OR sit and do a little inquiry. Don’t get me wrong, yesterday I picked tighten control and doing more, and that shit did not work. Today, I chose inquiry. What does inquiry mean? Inquiry is simple, it’s asking yourself those tough questions- you know those ones that you try to avoid- then answering them. Answering them honestly and completely. You may not have all the answers at first, but they will come don’t stress.
Here is a snapshot of what I asked myself this morning:
What are you avoiding when you try to control?
What are you learning from this current struggle?
Why does the scale matter so much to you right now?
Is your “ideal” body image slightly disillusioned by your super lean body when competing?
What or who’s expectation are your trying to live up to?
What matters most in your life right now?
How can I help others with what I am going through?
Here are some of my thoughts from my journal:
Controlling food is easy for me. Controlling food allows me to focus on something simple and not worry about what is coming up for me. I am more than my weight and body image and YES I do hold myself to a higher, possibly impossible standard because of being lean so often over the last 5 years. I care what I look like too much. I am comparing myself to others in the fitness industry too much. I need to focus on what I love about my body and what it can do for me. I have MS and I have had if for over 10 years. I can still walk, talk, see and pretty much have zero symptoms because of my healthy lifestyle- I need to be SO SUPER grateful for this HUGE fact. The scale only matters in my head, no one else cares what I weigh. My value is not tied to the number on the scale. Joal (hubs) still loves me and thinks I am drop-dead gorgeous if I don’t wear his favorite pants. In fact, he loves my curvy body WAY more than my super lean body. What matters most now is that I find time to smile and laugh daily, that I fulfill my purpose in life to help others on their health journey, that I find time to connect and build relationships and that I love myself- NOW, TODAY, not when I reach a certain number on the scale, fit into a certain pair of pants or live up to the body composition expectation that I have built in my own head that no one else gives a shit about. This self-love is what will bring me true inner joy, freedom and confidence. If I think about it, even when I am super lean. I still have doubts in my head about myself. Love myself today and tomorrow and when I am curvy and when I am lean and all the days in between…
This shit is hard. It’s not fun but once you can get to the other side, it’s worth it. It’s so worth the feeling of freedom, the feeling of confidence, the feeling of true self-love.
So that’s my story for today. I hope that by reading this you find comfort in the fact that we all struggle. We are all one. And that together, we can all lift each other up instead of secretly tearing ourselves down.
Please feel free to reach out if you want to connect on this topic.
Email me at: carmen@carmenohling.com
By the way, I am still going to be eating nutritious food and working out consistently- I am not stopping that… just simply stopping all the controlling, numbing and stupid unachievable expectations that I could never meet.
Sending each of you lots of love and light today.
Carmen
