6 Clean, Natural Protein Recipes That Are Also Delicious

Performance Inspired Nutrition’s protein powders are awesome. They’re portable, simple and provide you with the all-natural protein supplementation you need to meet your fitness and physique goals. But let’s face it – tossing some protein powder into a blender bottle with some water can become boring after a while.

Fear not. There are many more things you can do with a high-quality protein powder. Work it into your breakfast, dessert and on-the-go snacks. Here are a few simple recipes to get you started.

Protein Pancakes

Starting your day with a dose of protein can have all sorts of benefits that will keep you healthy and help you reach your goals. With this healthy choice can you enjoy longer-lasting satiety and reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The old breakfast protein smoothie can become tiresome, so try these vanilla chocolate chip protein pancakes to get your protein fix without busting out the blender.

Ingredients:

• 2 scoops Performance Whey Vanilla Bean Protein powder
• 2 scoops almond meal (if you have a nut allergy, substitute with all-purpose flour)
• 4 egg whites (or ½ cup of egg substitute)
• ½ cup of water
• 3 tsp. of Stevia (or 9 oz. of honey, if Stevia’s not your thing)
• ¼ cup of cacao chips (try for dark chocolate or raw cacao for the most antioxidants)

Directions:

1. Mix all of the ingredients together until they form a batter. It may be thicker than your typical pancake batter.
2. Pour the batter onto a heated, nonstick pan to form the pancakes.
3. Flip the pancakes after the bottom begins to bubble. Make sure to remove your finished pancakes from heat as soon as each side is cooked.

Protein Pudding

Protein pudding is a quick, simple, delicious way to make sure you’re getting the protein supplementation you need without feeling like you’re constantly chugging a shake. Seriously, it’s so easy you’ll be asking yourself why you haven’t always been eating protein pudding for dessert. Here’s how to make it.

Ingredients:

• I scoop of your favorite protein powder (for delicious chocolate protein pudding, go for Performance Whey Natural Chocolate Protein powder)
• 6 oz. of plain Greek yogurt
• 1 to 2 tsp. of water

Directions:

1. Mix together the protein powder and the Greek yogurt, adding a little bit of water as needed to thin out the pudding mixture.
2. If you have time, chill it in the fridge to make it even more delicious.

Protein Bites

Sometimes you’ve got to take your protein to go. Enter simple, portable, tasty protein bites. Whip up a quick batch of these babies and you’re ready to hit the road and pursue your goals, protein in tow.

Ingredients:

• I cup of rolled oats
• ½ cup of natural peanut butter (if you have a nut allergy, substitute with a sunflower seed butter)
• ⅓ cup of honey
• ¼ cup of dark chocolate, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. of flax seeds
• 2 Tbsp. of chia seeds
• 1 Tbsp. of Performance Whey Natural Chocolate Protein powder (or try Ripped Whey Mocha Protein powder for a jolt of all-natural caffeine and coffee flavor)

Directions:

1. Stir oats, peanut butter, honey, chocolate, flax seeds, chia seeds and protein powder together in a bowl until all of the ingredients are evenly mixed. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Scoop out the chilled mixture and roll it into balls. Keep the protein bites chilled until you’re ready to eat.

Protein-Packed Hot Chocolate

Just because you’re keeping an eye on what you’re eating doesn’t mean you have to skip out on mouth-watering hot chocolate. There’s a way to have your hot chocolate and keep on track with your protein intake. Instead of resorting to Swiss Miss, make some hot chocolate with protein powder. Indulge.

Ingredients:

• 1 scoop of Performance Whey Natural Chocolate Protein powder
• 8 oz. of hot water or, for a creamier hot chocolate, almond milk
• 1 tsp. of vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Add the chocolate protein powder to the hot water or almond milk.
2. Stir in the vanilla extract and, if it’s not sweet enough for you, a little bit of your favorite sweetener.

Protein Cake Batter Balls

These protein cake batter balls are like the protein bites but kicked up a notch. They’ll satisfy your sweet tooth without derailing your entire diet. They’re simple, sweet and so delicious. Just remember to pace yourself.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup of Performance Whey Vanilla Bean Protein powder
• 2 Tbsp. of coconut flour
• 1 Tbsp. of melted coconut oil
• 6 to 8 tsp. of water
• Liquid Stevia (or a sweetener of your choice) to taste

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the vanilla protein powder, coconut flour and coconut oil. Add 6 tablespoons of water to start and stir well until all of the ingredients are integrated. The mixture is going to be pretty thick, but if it gets too thick to handle, add a little more water as needed, not exceeding 8 total teaspoons.
2. Add Stevia or your favorite sweetener to sweeten the deal if you’d like.
3. Roll the mixture into balls (about four) and put them in the fridge until they’re nice and firm.

Peanut Butter Protein Bars

If a bite or ball of protein isn’t enough for you, try a heftier homemade peanut butter protein bar. These bars are full of natural, tasty ingredients that are going to keep you feeling full and carry you through to meet your goals.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup of skim milk (or unsweetened almond milk, if you prefer to limit your dairy)
• 1 cup of natural peanut butter or low-fat peanut butter (again, reach for a sunflower seed butter if you have a nut allergy)
• 1 Tbsp. of honey
• 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups of Performance Whey Vanilla or Natural Chocolate Protein powder
• 2 cups of dry, uncooked oatmeal

Directions:

1. Combine the peanut butter, milk (or almond milk) and honey in a pot. Warm them over low heat.
2. Add the protein powder of your choice and mix well to combine.
3. Add the oats. Make sure not to cook the mixture. Warm it just enough to make it easier to stir. If it’s too thick, add a bit more milk.
4. Remove the mixture from heat and press it into a 9” x 13” pan.
5. Allow the bars to sit until cool. Then cut into 16 bars of equal size.
6. Wrap each bar in foil or plastic wrap and store them in plastic baggies. Don’t worry about refrigeration; these bars are good to take with you anywhere.