Margarita Protein Mug Cake and My Visit to Optimum Nutrition HQ

This post is #sponsored by Optimum Nutrition however all opinions, comments and enthusiasm remain my own.

So, a few weeks ago, I was invited to head out to Chicago to visit the Optimum Nutrition headquarters. I was pretty excited about this because 1) I’m a fan of their products for all phases of my workout and running nutrition (including my own recipe creation) and 2) my inner food nerd can’t resist an invitation to get a behind the scenes look at how the research, development, manufacturing and marketing stages are executed for various brands.Jennifer thefitfork.com Optimum Nutrition HQ

Read on to see what I thought about the whole trip, learn about some of their new products, and also get an easy-peasy Margarita Protein Mug Cake recipe that I created in honor of the trip (and the following Mexico trip I barely got home in time to make!): Continue reading

Sharp Cheddar Cheese Crisps with Collagen – Keto & Low Carb

Carpe Caseus . . . that means “seize the cheese” in Latin. And let me tell you, I’ve been grabbing up all those crunchy, low-carb cheese crisps like nobody’s business — seriously, I CRAVE those crispy, keto-friendly cheese snacks (we used to call them Frico back in the day) and have been making so many variations (actually, I’m writing a little e-book for the blog, stay tuned). Chedd Cheese Crisp with collagen

But, let me rock your world right now — Sharp Cheddar Cheese Crisps with Collagen. Yup, collagen mixed up right into the cheese crisp and you don’t even know it’s there! Read on for all the details and the low carb, keto snack recipe:

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How to Make Carne Asada Even a Gringo Can’t Mess Up

The first official weekend of summer definitely calls for some outdoor grilling and, inspired by my recent trip to Mexico, I’m all fired up for carne asada! Carne Asada beef platter

Perhaps you’ve never tasted carne asada or (gasp) even heard of it! This south-of-the-border, crowd-pleasing staple is simply grilled meat. That’s right – “carne asada” literally translates to “grilled meat” and this beef-loving girl likes to use the traditional flank steak. Read on to learn how to make carne asada even a gringo can’t mess up.  Continue reading

Bacon & Egg Breakfast Salad with Maple Apple Cider Vinaigrette

It may seem strange to wake up to a green salad and glass of water when we live in a coffee and donut world. But, trust me, starting your morning with large, fully-loaded salad for breakfast is a great way to get a jump start on your daily nutritional goals and fuel up for an active day. It’s probably been around 10 hours or more since you last ate and, if you’re anything like me, your body is starving for a hearty, healthy, balanced meal. 

A breakfast salad like my Bacon & Egg Breakfast Salad with Maple Apple Cider Vinaigrette will power up your morning with good taste, good protein and 3+ servings of fruits/vegetables. Read on the get all the details and recipe. Continue reading

Everything but the Potato! ‘Tater Topping Cheese Crisps | Keto & Low Carb

Toppings like cheese, bacon, and chives are what MAKE a baked potato, am I right?! Without them, a simple spud is just a tasteless pile of carbohydrates on a plate. Not that potatoes are inherently BAD, in fact, they are a good complex carb packed with fiber, minerals and energy that many rely on to fuel life. Everthing but the Potato Tater Topping Cheese Crisp jennifer of thefitfork.com

However, when trying to follow a keto diet or low carb lifestyle, potatoes are explicitly off the menu. BUT, my Everything but the Potato! ‘Tater Topping Cheese Crisps are fully-loaded with all that extra baked potato good stuff that you love, and none of the carbs. And, really almost NO carbs in this keto cheese snack – just 0.6-gram carbohydrate per serving. Read on to get the recipe for this potato topping cheese crisps recipe and general cheese crisp making tips:  Continue reading