Banana Split Protein Shake
This is the reason why I never make oats in the microwave:
OATSPLOSION!
No matter what I do, how long I cook it for, how much water I add… it always ends up being time to clean the microwave.
I was willing to make the sacrifice and try out these new-to-me oats:
the half that was left after the mess was delicious 😉
How about a smoothie to go with the oat fail?
I was so excited to see frozen cherries at Sunflower Market- they can be hard to find- but strawberries would work just as well.
A little dessert-inspired bfast:
Banana Split Protein Shake
-1/2 frozen banana
-1/4 C frozen pineapple
-1/2 C frozen cherries
-1 1/2 C almond milk
-1 scoop vanilla protein powder
-1 T cocoa powder (can skip and use chocolate protein powder instead)
-Stevia (optional)
-Hemp seeds or chopped cashews for garnish (optional)
Blend it up and feast.
So good 🙂
This morning, we’re going to hang out and take it as a Sunday to plan for the week. The Pilot is home today for the holiday and off on Friday- his parents, sis and nephew are coming to visit this weekend. We’re so excited to see them, and little Liv can’t wait to meet the rest of her family <3
Hope you have a Happy Monday!
xoxo
Gina
Something to talk about: We went with the fam to Good Egg for breakfast yesterday, and I was surprised to see that they redid the menus to include nutritional stats, a rarity in Tucson. It was kind of fun to go through the menu and check out the calorie counts for some of my favorite items. Many of the menu options surprised me –like my favorite omelet, which was low in cals, and the turkey sausage, which was on the high end of the spectrum. Quite a few cities have been required to post this info for quite some time but it’s very new to Tucson. In your city, are nutritional stats clearly posted? Is it something that you’re mindful of, or not so much?
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Nutrition facts aren’t posted here in Virginia (though I often look them up online if I’m eating at a chain restaurant). I wish! I’m always shocked how high the stats are are compared to how I make things at home. Even my fiance pointed out that they seem to add a lot of unnecessary ingredients.
Nutritional stats are pretty standard here in VA Beach, those Southwesterners need to know what’s up! Maybe soon? But it is always handy to whip out your phone and head to the restaurant’s website while you are perusing their website.
Lucky! Yes SW VA is slow on most things, I guess 🙁 Most of our restaurants hardly even have a website. But the ones that do I definitely appreciate.
I’m beginning to see nutritional stats pop up in my area. I was excited to see them posted at Panera recently! Sometimes if I know I’m going out to eat somewhere specific, I’ll check out the menu beforehand and the nutritional stats if they have them available. Usually I can judge a healthy option from the ingredients and cooking method, but it is always interesting to see the actual calorie counts. I really think it should be a requirement; I know a lot of people disagree, but I personally believe that it would be very beneficial for most people to see how many calories are in certain dishes – it can be shocking!
Calories aren’t the only thing people need to be mindful of, though. Something could be high in calories, low in fat and high in refined carbs or low in calories but high in sodium. People should be mindful of the ENTIRE nutrition information sheet, not just the calories.
If you put your microwave on a lower power setting- like 5 as opposed to 10 (it defaults to 10), it won’t boil over.
Yum love the looks of that smoothie – it’s sooo very hard to find frozen cherries here, ANYWHERE! Canada needs to get on the frozen cherry bandwagon!
I ALWAYS put frozen cherries, frozen pineapple, a little frozen banana and Sun Warrior in my smoothies. Best. combo. ever.
I had to learn the hard way about microwave oats. Make it in one of your huge salad bowls. It wont bubble over and you can enjoy all your oats!
I live in the middle of the woods where nutrition stats aren’t required at restaurants and I really wish they were! I’m always shocked to learn what goes into food at restaurants when they disclose it. Half the time it makes me want to just make food at home!
What a beautiful color your smoothie turned out to be…love it and paired with the white napkin with the purple print, just beautiful.
Enjoy your day, Gina! 🙂
I have the same oatmeal problem. No matter what size bowl I use. And sometimes I do turn down the power and it still overflows.
I am lucky enough to live in NYC where the nutritional info is almost always posted. I love it so I can make better informed decisions. And sometimes I am still surprised by some of the numbers.
While they don’t list nutrition info in my hometown, I spent the summer in NYC and nutrition info is posted everywhere there. Sometimes it’s annoying because I just want to order what I want without knowing how “bad” it is for me, ya know? But overall I do appreciate it because it helps to keep me in check.
Make your oats once a week and just do a quick reheat in the microwave in the morning!! I have seen some places in FL start adding some nutritional info, I think it is required, but they still have a while to comply! I remember hearing about it last year!
That smoothie looks delicious! I don’t have that issue as much with oats in the microwave but protein muffin-in-a-mug that are microwaveable always explode on me :(!
I am so glad that menus are starting to post nutritional information! I see myself and people around me making healthier choices simply because they didn’t know about the calories before. 🙂
I always make my oats in the microwave and just put a plate underneath the bowl. That way if it spills over you can still scrape it up, eat it, and put both dishes in the dishwasher! No microwave scrubbing needed. Also, when I remember I peek through the microwave window and if it starts looking too bubbly I just open the door for a few seconds and it “calms down”.
you can avoid the oatsplosion by using a bigger dish (i use a 6 or 8 cup pyrex and then pour it into the bowl i’m eating out of), and stirring it about half way through to “pop” the bubble that forms.
Back when I was still working and before the baby came along, I ate out alllll the time, so I had to be mindful of the nutritional stats at my go-to restaurants (usually easily found online). Now that eating out is more of a rarity, I’m a little less concerned. If I’m only going out to dinner (and getting a break from cooking) one night that week, then I’m going to order what I like and just stop when I’m full!
I had the same thing happen to my oats yesterday! Such a mess!! I put into to much water and they ended up EVERY WHERE!
Down here in South Texas, I am part of a committee of local dietitians that have started to help businesses do nutrient analysis for their menus. It’s interesting because many restaurants tell us they want our help, only to backtrack later and refuse to post the analysis due to the high fat and salt content of their meals. The effort was launched with the help from our mayor since Corpus Christi, TX was named “Fattest City in America” a year or two ago and if the nutrient analysis project has taught me anything, it’s that unless some restaurants start changing their menu, that title is gonna stick around…so sad.
I believe there was a new law passed that required restaurants with more than 7(or something like that) locations to post and provide nutritional information for patrons. They have until 2013/2014 to comply. That’s why people are starting to see it pop up.
I’m all for it. Knowledge is power.
I don’t usually cook my oats in the microwave for that reason but when I do, i watch them like a hawk. I have to stop it real quick when I see it rising. I’ve started using a bigger bowl and it seems to do the trick. Maybe it lets the heat distribute better. Not sure. I cook them for one minute, stir, cook for another seconds.
I haven’t seen any nutrtional stats at any restaurant I’ve been to. I have looked things up online beforehand .I eat pretty healthy on a regular basis and I don’t eat out too often. So when I do, I like to get what I want and not worry too much about the numbers. Some of my favorite things, I think I’d rather play the old “ignorance is bliss” card and not know the numbers 🙂
I love it when nutritional data is posted! Sometimes, when I know the data is online, I will go on the website and look up the info before I go into the restaurant. (Or sometimes I go in after to see how unhealthy the lunch was that I just ate… oops!)
I always used to have that issue with oatmeal in the microwave. So now I put 1/2 cups of oats in a bowl with 1/2 cup of milk in the microwave for a minute. Then I add the other 1/2 cup of milk and heat for another 1 1/2 minutes. Hope this helps!
All the chains in SoCal are required to post nutrition stats and I LOVE it. Especially bc a lot of the time when you’re eating at some of those places, they aren’t necessarily your first choice from a food/nutrition perspective (but you go for social or work reasons). Some places like CPK keep the info apart from the actual menu so you can only look if you want to. But why wouldn’t you want to look?!?
I’ve been stalking the freezer section of every grocery store looking for frozen cherries, but not having any luck. They make great smoothies!
I can NEVER find just frozen cherries. They are my favorite frozen fruit but I can only get them in mixes. And that means there may be like 5 cherries in the whole bag!
Whole Foods has frozen cherries, but they’re wicked expensive.
Mmm cocoa powder in smoothies! I’ve been trying to change up my normal everyday smoothie. Thanks!
The only places that I know post nutritional facts here in Charleston are chain restaurants and frozen yogurt shops. All of the restaurants that we frequent do not post the nutritional stats. Honestly, I am happy that most places don’t post stats b/c when I go out to eat it it usually a TREAT (both financially and for a nice dinner) that I don’t want to pick my meal based on calories/ fat/ etc.
On one hand it is nice to know, but on the other, it really doesn’t matter to me. Plus, how do you know that the counts are truly factual? The chef would have to either have food prepackaged in a heat and serve fashion OR scale every meal for ever guest. That may be challenging.
Nutritional stats aren’t required here, but they post them on some of the meals, the ones they’re pushing as their “healthier” options. I know I may sound like a bad Exercise Physiologist, but when we do go out to eat I don’t care about the stats. If we went out more often I would pay attention, but we eat well enough on a regular basis that our splurges are just that.
I was always anti-microwave until I had a baby. Now I’ve been using iti n the Am to make my oats and I know what you mean about the “oatsplosion!!!!!” Aghhh. What I do it I cook them for a minute in water. Then I stop it, stir them…if I am adding almond butter or coconut oil I add it, stir it again, cook another minute, stop and usually it doesn’t do it. Stirring between helps the bubbly water from totally exploding! I was getting so sick of cleaning my microwave!
Great smoothie. I love raw cacao and hemp seeds in my smoothies!
I would love for restaurants to begin posting nutritional information on their menus – It would make going out to eat (and choice of salad dressings) so much easier!
NYC posts nut stats and I hate it! As someone who enjoys to cook at home, I like to splurge when I go out to eat and don’t like seeing the numbers! But that’s just me!
Enjoy the day off!
I’m split on how I feel about nutritional stats at restaurants. On the one hand, I think it’s great for people who are losing weight or need to be more mindful of things like sodium, cholesterol, saturated fat, etc. So, I think there should at least be nutritional stats available for viewing either by request at the restaurant or on their website. However, when I go out to eat, I don’t want to think about the calories, etc in the food I’m getting, I just want to order whatever I want and enjoy it. If stats were posted, I would be less inclined to get what I really wanted and more inclined to order something that is healthier or lower in calories.
i never buy anything canned or bottle that doesn’t have an ingredient label on it. nutrition facts don’t worry me so much, because its more about the quality of the ingredients than their measurements.
I always use a really tall plastic bowl (one of those multi-quart measuring ones) and set the microwave power to 50%. Keep an eye on it though because the only way to avoid oatsplosion is staying glued to the microwave, sadly. Microwave oats are an art haha 🙂
Oatsplosions happen to me literally every time I try to make oats! Regarding the nutritional stats, I was really surprised when I visited San Francisco last year and the Subway menu had about 3x the amount of numbers on it than I was used to seeing. I was used to being able to read calorie counts on the little menu cards in front of the clear glass where they make the sandwiches, but these numbers were actually up on the boards overhead. I think for the average person it might be a little overwhelming to see all those numbers up there, but overall I don’t think posting calorie counts is a bad thing. If anything, it helps people to make better nutrition choices. Now, whether or not restaurants are actually posting accurate counts is another issue… 😉
Sounds like it is going to be a fun day with your family! Enjoy!
I reeeeeally don’t like calorie counts being on the menus. I’m okay with the restaurants having the information on their websites or in pamphlets that you can read if you so choose, but I don’t think everyone needs to confront those numbers with every meal.
Do you have an electric tea kettle? I have a Hamilton Beach one I got from Costco (seems like it was about $20) that I use to make oatmeal, tea, hot chocolate, etc. Very convenient. It shuts off automatically once the water boils.
Haha, yes… oatexplostion happens to me basically ever other day. 🙂
Frozen cherries= bliss!
Have a great day!
🙂
When I make oats in the microwave, I watch it and when it looks like it’s going to boil over I stir it and continue. I’ve never had oats spill over.
California requires these stats of any chain restaurant. I currently track calories using an online app, so I was already in the habit of tabulating before ordering, even before the stats appeared on menus. The main impact is that I am in shock about my beloved Cheesecake Factory…
I always make oats in the micro! The key is just to watch it. When it starts poufing up, just open the microwave, stir it, and then start it again. Repeat until you get the desired oatmeal consistency 🙂
How do they make oats gluten-free? I am not sure but I think it’s more of a contamination issue. I know that some gluten intolerant people can handle oats (me being one of them). I also read somewhere that stirring oats is what brings out their gluten. I am not positive though…. just food for thought (literally! 🙂 )
that’s interesting about the stirring!
yah, it’s more of a contamination issue. regular oats don’t seem to bother me, though
Nutritional stats are usually pretty clearly posted here in the SF bay area, especially at chains – I was SO thankful of this while losing weight, but now that I eat pretty intuitively, I find that I don’t “rely” on them as much.
Re: oats – if I must do them in the microwave, I usually use 50% power and check them VERY frequently after the first 90ish seconds. Blowups happen so fast!! I much prefer the texture of stovetop oats, though, so I usually let mine simmer the night before and then reheat them in the microwave in the morning. I like mixing in a beaten egg or egg whites, too, and that’s much easier to do on the stove (obviously).
I see frozen cherries in the freezer at the supermarket, but I was concerned they would still have the pips in them (not good for the blender, for sure..). The supermarket didn’t know, and it did not say on the packet that they were pip-less.
There are no nutritional stats on menu items here, but the restaurant is legally obliged to provide them if you ask. They also must declare a certain list of allergens. Most have gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian and vegan options, marked with little codes. As my problem is nightshades, this gets a bit tricky…
I haven’t seen nutrition stats popping up around here, but i wish they would. However, even though i think it should be required that restaurants provide nutrition stats on the menu, a lot of people don’t know the basics of nutrition and how to interpret the stats so I’m not so sure how helpful they would be for those people. I can just see uninformed people choosing options that are either low fat, low cal, low carb, etc. rather than a meal that is well balanced.
When I make my oats in the microwave, I just use a huge bowl! Otherwise the same thing happens to me! 🙂
Hey can you share your thoughts on the Visalus shakes?
i’ve heard that a lot of people love them- i’ve never tried them or checked out the stats
Yes, stats are everywhere here in CA. I think there is a law about it or something. Most of the smaller places don’t do it, but the chains do. I kind of like it, it makes me rethink my Cheesecake Factory craving, lol.
I wish all restaurants listed all their calories, along with their ingredients. The only place I’ve been to that had calorie info on their menu was Panera. Their ingredients can be found online, and even though some of their foods are roughly low in calories, it’s loaded with chemicals.
Nutrition stats aren’t posted here in Pittsburgh, but I really wish they were. It really makes things so much easier when they are posted. Some things have some serious hidden calories.
I like when menus post them! it’s helpful