No-Bake Valentine’s Day Protein Truffles + Pick A Powder, Any Powder

Chocolate overload week is upon us!! Don’t run. Don’t hide. Instead, make some protein truffles. (Be sure you top them with festive sprinkles.)

In honor of Valentine’s Day, one of my favorite coaches at Synergy (lookin’ at you, Mizpah!) asked me to make some protein balls for  her campers. UM, OF COURSE I WILL BAKE DOZENS OF CHOCOLATE-COVERED GOODIES FOR FELLOW SFBC CAMPERS, especially because it means I get to lick the bowl and taste test during the process. Sign me up! (All of you early morning campers in Miz’s classes, let me know how you like these.)

In my not-so-fit days, I’d catch the baking bug about twice a month and bring cupcakes, muffins, or fudge to work. I haven’t done that in a while, so I was really excited to bust out the melted chocolate and get my hands dirty with this little project.

I’ve made a few variations of snack “balls” as desserts in the past, but none of them really satisfied a serious sweet craving. They’re usually too heavy on the oats or not chocolatey enough. I love me some chocolate, and since it’s Valentine’s Day, I decided to make a few different variations of a basic protein truffle recipe that I found on bodybuilding.com last week. (Original recipe credit goes to Anna Sward of proteinpow.com — another amazing protein baker — but I made several modifications in the batches that I made last night.)

I made 3 small batches: chocolate rum, chocolate peanut butter, and white chocolate strawberry. The strawberry batter was a COMPLETE MESS and I most likely won’t be making them again no matter how good they taste, so I’m only posting the first two. :o) The directions are the same for both types, but the ingredients are slightly varied. Ryan was more partial to the chocolate peanut butter; I prefer chocolate rum (probably because it reminded me of my complicated relationship with Captain Morgan in college).

Protein Truffles

Nutritional Overview (per 1 truffle)

Calories: 73
Carbs: 4.3
Fat: 4.1
Protein: 5

Serves: 8 small truffles
Cook time: 15min active, freeze >2hrs

 Chocolate Rum Protein Truffle Ingredients

• 1/3c chocolate protein powder
• 1/4 pkg sugar-free, fat-free Jello pudding mix: chocolate or fudge flavored
• 2 tbsp flour (I used coconut, but whole wheat/almond/etc. would also work)
• 1.5 tbsp cookie butter (or almond butter)
• 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4c unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp Rum extract/flavoring
• 4-5 squares of dark chocolate, melted (or buy the wafers and melt about 1c)
• Sprinkles. LOTS of sprinkles.

 Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Truffle Ingredients

• 1/3c chocolate protein powder
• 1/4 pkg sugar-free, fat-free Jello pudding mix: butterscotch flavor
• 2 tbsp flour  (I used coconut, but whole wheat/almond/etc. would work)
• 1.5 tbsp natural peanut butter
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4c unsweetened almond milk
• 3 drops butterscotch Stevia (use regular if you can’t find this flavor)
• 4-5 squares of dark chocolate, melted (or buy the wafers and melt about 1c)
• Sprinkles. LOTS of sprinkles.

 Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients except for dark chocolate and sprinkles into a medium bowl. Mix well. Your “batter” should be slightly sticky to the touch, but not gooey enough to where it doesn’t hold its shape when rolled into a ball and sticks to your hands. (If it’s too gooey, add 1tbsp cocoa powder.) Taste-test a smidge of batter and, if necessary, add more rum/cookie butter to taste
2. Roll batter into 8-10 gumball-sized balls and place on a sheet of parchment paper
3. Place in freezer and let them chill for a minute or two while you prepare your chocolate coating. Follow the instructions on the package and melt your dark chocolate in a small bowl
4. Remove balls from freezer. Drop each ball into the liquified chocolate one at a time, and roll it around to coat completely. I picked mine up using a fork and let the excess drip off. Transfer to parchment and cover with sprinkles
5. Repeat steps 3-4 with your remaining protein balls
6. Carefully place your decorated truffles in the freezer and let them chill for at least 2 hours.

NOTE: I tried one right after the chocolate hardened last night and thought they were just “okay.” I decided to try another one this morning just to see if the taste had changed, and they were SO MUCH BETTER. Be patient and let them fully chill! It’s worth it.

Life shouldn’t be like a box of plain old chocolates. Life should be like a couple of protein truffles coated in chocolate and covered in fun sprinkles. No unnecessary crap (like added sugars), satisfying, and colorful. BOOM. Make these this week and indulge in that sweet tooth!

Pick a Powder, Any Powder

I promised a post on protein powders, and what better time to deliver than in a recipe post that actually uses protein powder?! I get asked about protein powder recommendations on a regular basis, and considering how many options there are to choose from, this topic definitely warranted a full post.

Protein is CRITICAL. It packs a ton of benefits, including keeping your hunger satisfied and helping build lean muscle mass. The problem with the traditional American diet is that we don’t get enough of it. Most packaged/processed food is proportionally WAY, WAY higher in carbs and fat than protein. This imbalance combined with a lack of physical activity and super-sized portions is what makes us overweight.

Powders and protein shakes are a good option for a quick fix to get your protein in. I usually drink 2 different types each day for different purposes — one as a mid-morning snack during work (casein), and one immediately after my workout to assist with muscle repair and recovery (whey ). I don’t want you guys to get stuck on which brand I use, primarily because I like to experiment and I’ll probably be drinking something different in two weeks. I recommend trying a few different types and seeing what you like best, but here’s what I’m currently stocking in my pantry and at my desk at work:

For my mid-morning snack, I use a Casein protein blend, like BioTrust. Casein is slower to absorb, meaning it curbs your hunger for a longer period of time. For post-workout, I use pure Whey protein because it absorbs more quickly and efficiently aids in repairing your muscle tissue after exercise. My current pick is GNC Amplified Wheybolic Extreme — the Chocolate and Vanilla flavors are DELISH, and it mixes really, really well. I also tend to buy Cellucor a lot because I think they have the best variety in flavors. The only downside: it tends to clump in my shakes, which is kind of gross. For baking purposes, like with my blondies, whey protein tends to work best. Casein or blended proteins (like BioTrust) turn out mushier and less fluffy which is why I use my Cellucor for waffles, baking, and these truffles instead of drinking it.

I know there are several controversial articles about whey/soy/casein/whatever, but the bottom line is we all need protein. Get a canister of whichever flavor sounds best and drink some, but make sure you know what’s in it first. Just like you would  with your grocery shopping, READ THE INGREDIENTS AND NUTRITION FACTS. If it has more than a few grams of sugar per serving or more carbs than protein, don’t buy it. (Keep in mind: It’s a protein powder. Not a carb powder.) If it has high-fructose corn syrup or any other weird ingredients, don’t buy it. If it has no weird ingredients/added sugars, contains 20+g. of protein per serving, has proportionally lower carbs/fat, and sounds like it might taste good, try it out. Simple as that.

What protein powders do you use? I’m always looking to try new ones, so enlighten me and leave a comment with your favorite type!

Last but not least: I’ll leave  you with my best progress picture to date. This is from yesterday morning. Pardon the bedhead. If you guys are starting or in the middle of a weight loss or fitness journey and are trying to get serious results, I HIGHLY recommend taking pictures along the way. Seeing how far you’ve come is the best motivation to keep going. I was too embarrassed to take pictures from the very beginning (November 2012), so the left is actually from August — almost 9 months into it. I really, really wish I wasn’t so camera-shy when I was overweight because the progress pictures would be even better. Regardless, this is 6 months of hard work. Looking at it just makes me want to kick it up a notch because I KNOW I can work hard enough to get results. :o) And with that, I’m off to eat my pre-workout snack. Happy Wednesday!