Fad diets make me laugh.
After you recover from the shock of how fraudulent, unhealthy and insultingly simplistic these fad diets are, you have to laugh at their creativity. I mean, can you imagine the conference room where they sat around the table and thought up the Cabbage Soup Diet? Or the Popcorn Diet?
Have you heard of the Japanese Morning Banana Diet? Apparently a celebrity in Japan lost a few pounds by eating nothing but bananas. So… what did the marketing geniuses of the weight loss world decided to do? Slap a logo on this concept and call it a weight loss breakthrough!
I think my favorite misguided proposal from the fabulous people who bring us fad diets is the 2009 explosion of “The Cookie Diet.” This thing was bigger than those teeny-bopper vampire movies last year, and twice as annoying in its popularity.
You have to admit the concept is genius –- after all, who doesn’t want a diet of pure cookie yumminess? They throw a credible looking elderly medical professional on the product, and you figure it has to be good for you, right?! The cookies arrive in shiny, pretty packages with tasty flavor combinations, luring you with the possibility of future thinness based wholly on cookies. What could be better?
Of course, just about any diet that restricts your calories over a period of time will “work” by helping you drop pounds at first. But the cookie diet, cabbage diet and banana diet aren’t practical for real life and only set you up for long-term failure. Not only will you fall off the wagon, but you will fall off, crash and burn in a cesspool of pizza, buffalo wings, Oreo cookies or {insert your food poison here.}
But today I bring good news: Cookies don’t always have to be bad … or FAD. What if I told you that you can enjoy a healthy cookie -– and eat it for breakfast? The Breakfast Cookie is part of an entirely different type of fad -– one that is sweeping the Internet in the form of healthy living blogs and articles.
So what is the Breakfast Cookie? As I highlighted in my post on other healthy blogs, the Fitnessista Blog is a great source for valuable information on healthy recipes, practical fitness ideas and healthy living choices. It is written by Gina, a personal trainer and reformed junk food eater who has turned her healthy lifestyle into inspiration for others.
The breakfast cookie requires no actual baking. It is “cooked” as it sits in your fridge overnight, or for several hours, to harden. The cookie is comprised mostly of old fashioned oatmeal, with protein powder, nut butter, milk and other tasty additions to bring it together in all its cookie-like glory.
(Note: If you are expecting a Mrs. Fields-like buttery consistency from this cookie, you will be disappointed. Please keep in mind that this is not voodoo magic, but a great no-cook preparation of a healthy, yummy, sweet oat breakfast that is shaped into a cookie.)
I love this cookie because it’s a smart, healthy way to get in a tasty breakfast yet it feels a little bit like I’m “cheating.” And because it can be made the night before, it is ideal for busy Badasses.
After you play around with the basic Breakfast Cookie Recipe, you will surely find a combination that works best for you. Gina provides her basic recipe on her website, but here’s my basic breakfast cookie mix:
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup of old-fashioned oats
- 1 scoop of vanilla or plain protein powder (about .5 oz)
- ½ tablespoon of peanut or almond butter**
- 1 packet of splenda OR 1teaspoon of agave nectar
- 1/8 cup of milk (I used almond milk, but regular milk works just fine)
** If you don’t want to use nut butter or don’t have it on hand, I’ve also found that half of a mashed banana works great here – but don’t leave it out! You need the nut butter OR banana to bind the protein powder, oats and ingredients together.
Directions
1. Throw oats, protein powder and nut butter (or banana) into a bowl and mash them together.
2. When the mixture is well distributed, add milk to moisten the mixture.
3. Add sweetener to taste.
4. Blend in desired add-ins - try any of the following:
- Unsweetened Cocoa powder (chocolate cookie – yum!)
- Raisins, dried cranberries or other dried fruits
- Ground espresso powder
- Unsweetened applesauce
- Canned pumpkin
- Small dose of chocolate chips for an extra treat
5. Take the oat mixture and press it onto a plate with the back of a spoon. Try to compact it down and shape it into one big cookie.
6. Leave the UNCOVERED cookie in the fridge for several hours, or overnight. The cold air will harden the cookie and soften the oats slightly in the protein mixture.
7. In the morning – enjoy! Its great to top with yogurt, fruit, chocolate syrup or enjoy plain!
(Note: This is not an eat-with-your-hands cookie, unfortunately. You need a spoon. Or a fork. But prepare to love it and want to experiment with your favorite flavors and mixtures!)
Kirsten’s Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Cookie:
- 1/3 cup oats
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- 1/3 banana, mashed
- ¼ cup of unsweetened applesauce
- Splash of milk (didn’t need much, as the applesauce provided moisture)
- Dash of cinnamon and nutmeg
- Splenda to taste
Nutritional info: 220 calories, 3 g of fat, 14 g of protein, 4 g of fiber
Kirsten’s Chocolate Breakfast Cookie
- 1/3 cup oats
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- ½ Tablespoon almond butter
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- Splenda to taste
- 2 tablespoons almond milk
Nutritional info: 240 calories, 8 g of fat, 15 g of protein, 5 g of fiber
Coming tomorrow: Athlete jams to unleash the Badass athlete in you!
