Category Archives: Fruit

6 Easy Strawberry + Protein Snack Recipes

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Easy Protein and Strawberry Snack Ideasjennifer spartan training up and over cg arenaSchool’s out, sun’s out and guns are out and the skies the limit on all the fun and fit stuff that’s coming up in the next few months!

Not much could be sweeter about summer, except maybe a top-crop snack of strawberries. Strawberries balanced with a bit of protein are the perfect healthy snack to fuel the body for one warm-weather activity to the next.

On their own, strawberries are quite the super food, providing a quality source of simple carbohydrates that the body can turn into quick energy for runs, workouts and even power-thinking! The high fiber and water content found in this fruit creates a feeling of welcomed fullness, while keeping the calorie count low – a single medium strawberry only has 4 calories! Plus, a powerful wallop of vitamin C is packed in strawberries, an antioxidant that can help keep muscles, skin and tissues in tip-top shape – just eight strawberries match the vitamin C in a medium orange.

But often, especially for athletes and those with an active lifestyle, merely munching on a handful of berries alone won’t suffice. Pair up strawberries up with a lean protein source for added nutrients and a few extra calories to feel fuller and more fueled for the most vigorous daily routine. Also, eating a snack of carbohydrates with protein (in a 4:1 to 3:1 ratio) 30 minutes after an intense exercise session will help tired and sore muscles recover more quickly.

Check out these Six Strawberry Protein Snacks that can be made in a snap and will fuel you up for running, workouts, climbing and reaching for the sky!

 

Strawberry Banana Mug Muffin with Core PowerClick here for first recipe Strawberry Banana Protein Mug Muffin (20g protein)

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Blue Cheese Stuffed Strawberries & Fit Foodie 5k

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Blue Cheese & Walnut Stuffed Strawberries make a delicious appetizer or sweet-savory dessert!Happy Mother’s Day to all the mamas out there! If you’re looking to surprise your mom with a gourmet treat my Blue Cheese & Walnut Stuffed Strawberries are a bold choice! I always see chocolate-dipped berries at the store, but this sweet-savory fruit option makes the perfect prelude to dinner, especially when paired with a glass of wine or sparkling water.

Blue Cheese & Walnut Stuffed Strawberries make a delicious appetizer or sweet-savory dessert!

This fruit and cheese recipe is also a spectacular appetizer to bring to either a fancy cocktail party or casual backyard get-together. It can just be our little secret that this healthy recipe only takes 15 minutes or less to prepare, and no cooking! And, I’m partial to Artisan Reserve Blue Cheese Crumbles from Litehouse Foods, look for it in the gourmet cheese section of your market.  Recipe at the bottom of the post!

The Fit Foode 5k and Race Weekend in Austin, TXAnd, speaking of healthy, yummy food, I want to announce that the Fit Foodie Race Weekend will be in Austin June 24 – 26, 2016. You DO NOT want to miss the epic event for the health-minded epicurean! I have been an ambassador for the race all three years it’s come to Austin, and it is absolutely my favorite 5k! Hosted by Cooking Light and Health Magazine, this is a food and fitness lover’s weekend dream come true – running, workouts and really good food!  There are pre-race parties and post-race parties and yoga, workouts, cooking demos and an over-the-top expo area – as they say, calories burned, calories earned!  The Fit Foodie Race Weekend really is amazing! Plus, this year, marathon superstars Bill Rodgers and Ryan Hall will be making appearance – I’m bringing my selfie stick! Early registration is only $35 for the 5k and entrance into the John Hancock Vitality Village.  Plus, use my discount code FITFORK for an additional 10% off! Register HERE!

Blue Cheese Stuffed Strawberries + @FitFoodieRun #RunEatDrink – Hull Yeah!

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Do you have a favorite fruit appetizer? Have you ever run the Fit Foodie 5k (in addition to Austin, the race is also in San Diego, Fairfax and Tampa)? Or, tell me one of your top fun 5ks! Please share in the comments below – xoxo, Jennifer 

 

 

Blue Cheese & Walnut Stuffed Strawberries make a delicious appetizer or sweet-savory dessert!
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Blue Cheese & Walnut Stuffed Strawberries
Prep Time
15 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 
Course: Appetizer, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings: 24 appetizers
Ingredients
  • 12 large strawberries (approx. ½ lb)
  • 2 ounces whipped cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
  1. Slice strawberries in half lengthwise, leaving some of the green top on each half.
  2. With the back of a spoon, scoop out a very small amount of the inner flesh if the berry doesn’t naturally have a significant hollowed center.
  3. In small bowl, mix together cream cheese, blue cheese and walnuts with a small spatula until well combined.
  4. Place about a 1 teaspoon dollop of cheese mixture in the center of each berry half, slightly pressing down to “set” in place.
  5. Drizzle strawberries with honey and sprinkle on a bit more blue cheese, if desired.

Blue Cheese Strawberry Salad with Spring Veggies

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Strawberry Blue Cheese Cucumber Salad small bowlNot only is it Monday, but it’s raining! I’m going to brighten up my mid-day meal with this Strawberry Blue Cuke Salad (aka Strawberry Blue Cheese Salad with Cucumber and Snap Peas), it’s bursting with fresh flavors and a palette of eye-popping colors.  It’s definitely the super-delicious, super-healthy silver-lining to being stuck-inside over the lunch hour!Blue Cheese Strawberry Salad with Cucumber and Snap Peas makes a fresh, fit and flavorful addition to your spring and summer table.

I originally developed this recipe for the Living Litehouse Blog as a way to feature their insanely delicious Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing.  Head over there to check out my Four Tips for a Sensational Salad. I know all the salad-eating secrets and how to keep the love for lettuce alive – I should, since I gobble up about 365 big salads a year!!

Shrimp sauteed with Cajun spicesMeanwhile, make a bowlful of this beautiful goodness and share family-style with those you love. I’m showing this salad as a side today, but I’ll often turn it into apan sauteed shrimp, grilled chicken breast, or chickpeas to add some sustaining protein for the day.

Strawberry Blue Cuke Salad

Or, bottle up this easy salad in a mason jar to take for lunch on-the-go at the office, school or gym.  Just remember the number one tip with jar salads, put the dressing on the bottom and layer upward according to the durability of the ingredients – heartiest go low, fragile an prone to wilt go higher. Check out more jar salad tips here. Strawberries, Snap Peas and StrawberriesDue to my Kitchenaid Spiralizer Attachment addiction, I processed the cucumbers up into twisty-twirly ribbons. But, feel free to use slices or julienned strips. Enjoy!

Strawberry Blue Cuke Salad: Eat on a date, on a plate, in a jar, in the car #spring @litehousefoods #spon

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Check out these blogs I’m linking up with today: The Fit Foodie Mama, Hello to Fit, Fairy Burger, Chocolate Runner Girl, Confessions of a Mother Runner, , Running on Happy

Win a $25 Visa Gift Card at TheFitFork.comAlso, don’t forget to check out 4 Ways to Eat a Bean Burger and enter my giveaway for $25 Visa Gift Card. 

 

What is your favorite fruit topping for a salad? Please share in the comments below – XOXO, Jennifer

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Blue Cheese Strawberry Salad with Cucumbers and Snap Peas
Prep Time
10 mins
Total Time
10 mins
 
Blue cheese and strawberries make a bold and delicious combination -- add to crunch cucumber spirals and sugar snap peas for a crunch and colorful addition to your spring and summer table.
Course: Fruit, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 large seedless cucumbers
  • 1 pint strawberries
  • 4 oz. sugar snap peas
  • 1/2 cup blue cheese dressing
  • 2 oz. blue cheese crumbles I used Litehouse Brand
Instructions
  1. Prepare cucumbers with spiralizer or use vegetable peeler to make long ribbons by swiping end to end. Place prepped cucumber in colander and rinse away any seeds (even “seedless” have some) and let drain for 5 minutes.
  2. Hull and quarter strawberries.
  3. Cut sugar snap peas in half crosswise or larger ones in thirds. Slice a few open lengthwise at the seam to show off peas inside.
  4. Layer in jar in this order: dressing, cucumbers, strawberries, snap peas, and blue cheese. Or, toss with dressing and serve in bowl or on platter.

Spiralized Cucumber, Grapefruit and Avocado Salad

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(Edited 1/19/2021)

Spring has really sprung here in Austin, so naaaaaaturally I’m talking spiralized salads . . . . and trail running shoes.  

You'll love this Spiralized Cucumber, Grapefruit and Avocado Salad with Creamy Avocado Ranch Dressing. It's vibrant and very convenient, relying on the delicious, juicy grapefruits and other veggies found in the produce department this time of year.

You’ll love this Spiralized Cucumber, Grapefruit and Avocado Salad with Creamy Avocado Ranch Dressing. It’s vibrant and very convenient, relying on the delicious, juicy grapefruits still hanging around the product department. Read on to get the spiralized cucumber salad recipe and Altra Superior shoe review.

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Wild Blueberry Coconut Pie Smoothie

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Wild Blueberry Coconut Ginger Smoothie Wild Blueberries . . . I’m, well, just wild about them. I stir them in my oatmeal, toss in my salads, and blend up in smoothies – like this recipe for Wild Blueberry Coconut Pie Smoothie I’m sharing today. This smoothie is super yummy, and yes it tastes like a coconut cream pie and blueberry cheesecake collided! In one tall glass, you get natural energy and antioxidants from Wild Blueberries, hydration-balancing electrolytes from coconut water and satiating, muscle-making protein from low-fat cottage cheese.  I love to make this vibrant Wild Blueberry smoothie for a quick breakfast, as post-workout or long run refueling or as a healthier dessert option after dinner or before bed. Wild Blueberry Coconut Ginger Smoothie taste like a coconut cream pie and blueberry cheesecake collided, but it's actually a smart choice for breakfast, a workout snack or healthy dessert.

So, back to the berries. Did you know Wild Blueberries aren’t the same thing as regular cultivated blueberries? I was already stalking the frozen aisle to buy these special berries for their intense sweet-tart taste long before I came to learn of all the healthy attributes. For example, Wild Blueberries have double the antioxidant capacity of regular blueberries and recent research is suggesting that they may play an important role in gut and brain health and also lower the incidence of diabetes and certain cancers. Talk about small but mighty! Handful of Wild Blueberries

Wild Blueberries are primarily grown in Main and Eastern Canada and date back more than 10,000 years!  About 99% of the crops today are individually quick frozen to lock-in nutrition and taste – it also means you can cater to blueberry cravings anytime of the year just by grabbing a bag out of the freezer.  There are many “brands” of Wild Blueberries, and I don’t prefer one over the other — just look for the word “Wild” on the package to ensure you’re getting the most potent and powerful blueberries around!

MAKE THIS! Wild Blueberry Coconut Pie Smoothie #WildYourSmoothie #Sponsored

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So, have you ever eaten WILD blueberries? What is your favorite ingredient to put in a smoothie — surprise me, I’m always looking for creative new things to try. Share in the comments below – XOXO, Jennifer 

By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by the Wild Blueberry Association of North America and I am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

Wild Blueberry Coconut Ginger Smoothie taste like a coconut cream pie and blueberry cheesecake collided, but it's actually a smart choice for breakfast, a workout snack or healthy dessert.
Print
Wild Blueberry Coconut Pie Smoothie
Prep Time
5 mins
Total Time
5 mins
 
Course: Beverage, Breakfast, Dessert, Fruit, Smoothies, Snack, Worout
Cuisine: American
Servings: 1 serving
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup froze Wild Blueberries
  • 8 ounces coconut water
  • 1/3 cup low fat cottage cheese
  • 2 tablespoons shredded, unsweetened coconut
  • 1 to 2 packets stevia, to taste
  • 1/2 cup ice, or more if needed
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients to blender and process until smooth. Pour into tall glass, garnish with additional blueberries and coconut flakes. Enjoy immediately.