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.

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!):

Most people know Optimum Nutrition (ON) for their flagship product, Gold Standard 100% Whey, and for good reason – it’s been around forever, has tons of cred in the fitness community, meets super-strict quality standards, great macros and micros, is “instantized” for super-easy, non-clumping mixing (even if just shaking into water), and always lots of new flavors rolling out to complement the consumer favorite flavors. ON also makes lots of other protein powder options (like Whey Isolate, Casein, Egg, Plant-Based, etc.) as well as lots of other sports nutrition products.

Touring the manufacturing facility was really neat – when had to “gown up,” from head to toe – they take cleanliness, quality and safety for the consumer VERY seriously.  So, I found out they made 63 MILLION pounds of protein powder (in 7 thousand-pound batches) per year at the manufacturing facility I visited. Apparently, they don’t run all the different types (whey, egg, soy, etc.) at once – instead, they cycle through the various recipes over the course of the year to ensure strict control over possible allergen contamination.

Bags of ingredients are efficiently dusted clean by workers, magnets in the massive blender are used to pull out heavy metals, containers are extensively cleaned between each batch (even if making the same recipe), packing containers are rotated upside down and air-blasted for cleanliness before filling through a vacuum system. ON also uses a bar code system that allows them to track back on any batch at any time. These are just some of the safety and quality measures I learned about.

Of course, I was wowed by the cool manufacturing equipment, such as the belts that whirls containers around, the vacuums that fill them, and the robot arms that back the finish product for shipping. But, really, what I was really most impressed with was how CLEAN everything was – in the manufacturing area AND on the label. It makes me feel extra confident sharing recipes I make with Optimum Nutrition products – like the Margarita Protein Mug Cake I’m sharing today which uses the Gold Standard 100% Whey Isolate in Rich Vanilla flavor.

A funny (now) backstory on the protein mug cake is that it is inspired by the family Mexico trip I almost didn’t make due to airport fiascos right after visiting ON. But, thankfully, despite “extreme weather,” my flight from Chicago FINALLY took off and I got home in time to sleep for 1 ½ hours before leaving for Playa del Carmen. Whew, I made it – no harm, no foul – and we had an excellent, relaxing vacay!

Of course, when you think of Mexico, there are so many delicious foods and drinks. I indulged, but didn’t OVERINDULGE and worked out every day. . . and surprisingly came home weighting a couple pounds less . . . which wasn’t my intent/ To get back on my normal eating routine, where I’m getting enough protein before and after workouts, I whipped up this delicious protein mug treat that is inspired by a margarita but has 155 calories, 20g of protein and less than 4g net carbs.

You can whip up one of these single-serve Margarita Protein Mug Cakes quickly (it only takes 75 seconds to microwave) and in minutes you’ll feel transported to an exotic locale! Low carb protein mug cakes make a great healthy dessert or post-workout treat, but honestly the nutritious ingredients make it just fine for breakfast too! Cake for breakfast, yay!

Hope you love the margarita protein cake, but if you don’t have even a few minutes to cook, don’t fret. I must tell you about a few of the other amazing “grab-and-go” type products from ON that I really like – Protein Cake Bites (made with Whey), the new Nature Bites (made with plant-based protein), Protein Wafers, Protein Ridges (like chips), and ready-to-drink Amino Energy Electrolyte Drink.

So, have you tried any Optimum Nutrition products? Are you a low carb mug cake fan? Been to Mexico lately? Please share you thoughts in the comments – XOXO, Jennifer

Print

Margarita Protein Mug Cake

Prep Time

3 mins

Cook Time

2 mins

Total Time

5 mins

 

Cheers to this single-serve Margarita Protein Mug Cake - it only takes a few minutes to make, is super tasty, works for most low carb, paleo and keto style diets, and boost your dessert, breakfast or post-workout snack with 20g protein and only 155 calories.

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack, workout

Cuisine: Mexican, Southwestern, workout

Keyword: margarita, mug cake, protein powder

Calories: 155 kcal

Ingredients

• 15 grams tablespoons protein powder approx. ½ scoop
• 1 tablespoon coconut flour
• 1 tablespoon granulated stevia
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 egg white
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 1 to 2 teaspoons water

Topping

• 1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon granulated
• 2 ounce plain 0% fat Greek yogurt
• Optional: additional lime zest, wedge and coarse salt sprinkle

Instructions

1. Spray mug or ramekin coconut oil cooking spray.
2. In small bowl, combine protein powder, coconut flour, stevia, salt and baking soda. Stir together until combine well.
3. Mix in egg white, lime juice, coconut oil and 1 teaspoon of water until combined. If batter seems too thick (due to a smaller egg white), stir in an additional 1 teaspoon of water.
4. Pour batter into prepared coffee mug or ramekin and microwave 1 minute 15 seconds, or until cooked through. Microwave times may vary depending on your appliance. Mug cake will puff up and then settle down. However, if it seems like it’s going to over flow, hit the pause button on the microwave to let it settle down before resuming remainder of cooking.
5. For topping, make lime drizzle by stirring together 1 ½ teaspoons lime juice with 1 teaspoon granulated stevia. Pour over cake while still hot.
6. Let cake cook a few minutes and then top with 1 ounce of Greek yogurt. If desired, add more lime zest, a lime wedge and/ or salt sprinkles.

Recipe Notes