This past week in the BodyFit Athletic Club, we hosted a cooking competition between Vivian (BodyFit dietitian) and Kurt (“Mr. Amy”).  I channeled different cooking show hosts, announcing a new challenge every day, and the two of them went head to head making delicious and nutritious dishes!

I’ll share a little more on my social media this week, and you can check out all the fun in the BodyFit Athletic Club! But I did want to share what a good lesson it was in remembering that sometimes we just need to spice it up (literally and figuratively) in the kitchen. I talk a lot about why we need variety in workouts, which is why I give you different workouts every day, but I’m a creature of habit when it comes to food. I often stick to what’s easy and convenient. This week I was reminded that there are simple ways to mix it up on our palate and add more nutrients to our plates.

I’m not saying you need to become a world class chef (I’m definitely not!), but when we focus on what we can add in, instead of take away, our bodies are grateful. Adding veggies to our favorite dishes, protein to our traditional carbs, and remembering our hydration needs, can make a huge difference in how we feel, as well as helping us meet our specific goals.

Check out Vivian’s High Protein Vegan Blueberry Waffles below, and Week 3 of Shred!

Show up. Keep moving.

• 1 1/2 cups 100% whole wheat flour (oat flour would work well for a GF option. I used 100% whole white wheat (pastry) flour)
• 1/2 cup vanilla protein powder
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 1/4 cups non-dairy milk (I used almond milk – to up the protein even more you can use soy or pea milk)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 3 ounces (85 grams) of blueberries
• Cooking spray
  

• Add the flour, protein powder, sugar, baking powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk them together.
• Add the melted coconut oil, milk, and blueberries to the bowl. Gently fold the ingredients together until everything is fully combined. Your batter should be thick, but pourable. Waffle batter shouldn’t be runny like water or oil, but not as thick as dough, either. Add more plant milk if it’s too thick or more flour if it’s too runny.
• Preheat the waffle iron.
• Spray the heated waffle iron with a cooking spray (I used Pam’s Coconut Oil Spray).
• Add a few spoonfuls of the batter until it’s about 1 centimeter away from the edge.
• Cook for about 4-6 minutes, until golden brown. Carefully remove the waffle with a fork or tongs. Repeat this process until you’ve used up all of the batter.

• 1 tablespoon of 100% maple syrup
• 1 cup of blueberries