The Most Delicious High Protein Zucchini Muffins

Protein packed, no added sugar, and vegan optional zucchini muffins are a treat to have with a cup of coffee or to freeze for a raining day. Or if you're like me, you make a large batch to freeze so when the thick of summer hits, the oven doesn't have to be turned on.

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What does carrot cake, beet brownies, and zucchini muffins all have in common? Hidden veggies! And they are delicious to say the least. But just because these baked goods have a little hidden nutritious element doesn't make them a guilt free treat. There's still plenty of sugar and they usually lack protein.

Now, you can have your cake and eat it too. I mean, now you can enjoy one, two, or three of these no-sugar added high protein zucchini muffins without hesitation.

While the dark chocolate chips are completely optional, and allows you to purchase both dairy-free or vegan brands, they are 100% necessary in my household. Dark chocolate is good for you anyways, right?! I truly believe it has it's own portion of the food pyramid.

Zucchini is such a summer staple and you can find it all over ever farmers market. Or if you're lucky, you'll be growing some big boys in your backyard. With all the fruits of you labor, you can make several batches of these muffins and freeze them for a raining day. Or just when it's too hot to turn on the oven.

Eat these no-sugar added high protein zucchini muffins for breakfast to keep you fueled for hours, eat them after a workout to help your muscles recover, or just eat them for dessert. There's no wrong time of day to eat these muffins since they are naturally sweetened with extra ripe bananas.

Click to tweet: You MUST make these no added sugar high protein zucchini muffins.

No Added Sugar High Protein Zucchini Muffins

Recipe by a traveling Wife

Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 1 very ripe Banana (I use a frozen banana that I thawed)
• 1 cup Zucchini, shredded
• 1/2 cup Applesauce, unsweetened
• 1 Egg
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup Kodiak Power Cake Mix
• *optional: 1 scoop Protein Powder
• 1 cup Oatmeal, blended
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
• *optional: 1/4 cup Nuts, chopped
• *optional: 1/4 cup Dark Chocolate Chips

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray muffin tins
2. Mix all wet ingredients together, including the zucchini, with a spoon, electric mixer or stand mixer
3. Mix all dry ingredients together in a separate bowl
4. Combine dry ingredients slowly into the wet ingredients
5. Stir in optional items such as nuts and chocolate
6. Equally portion out batter into a 12 count muffin tray
7. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown
8. Cool on cooling tray until you can't wait any longer

Do you prefer zucchini muffins or zucchini bread?

PIN for later.

Good Eats - What I Ate Wednesday

I feel like it's been a while since I did a traditional #WIAW (what I ate Wednesday). Not too much has changed - I still like to eat a ton of food and am trying to figure out how to fit it all into my daily macros. If you are not sure what I am talking about, you can go back and read about my macros.

My macros have since slightly changed, as they should, to reach which ever goals you are trying to reach. Mine changed as a result of a weekend full of bad decisions. Apparently it is not advised to drink a case of beer by yourself in the course of two days if you are looking to achieve a 6-pack. Abs! I'm talking about abs, not another 6-pack of beer.

Here is what I ate yesterday and it kept me right on track with where I need to be.

For breakfast I made a Kodiak power cake waffle and topped it with a little smear of butter and 1.5 tablespoons maple syrup. I honestly cannot get enough waffles and pancakes - so good!

8.1 F / 56 C / 18.1 P

Not too long after breakfast I was ready for my first snack. I went out running for day 21 of my running streak in the morning and this usually results in hunger knocking in my belly all day long. I opted for a key lime crumble Chobani flip. The key lime crumble and haze craze are my two favorite flavors of theres. I also tried to chug a big glass of water - I am beyond terrible at drinking water. 

6 F / 26 C / 12 P

On Sunday I made a big batch of Spanish 'rice' quinoa (there is no rice in it) and threw a couple pounds of chicken in the crock pot. The Spanish quinoa and rice will get A and I through a couple of lunches. It's beyond tasty and has so much flavor. I find that quinoa can be very bland if you don't add enough seasonings or depths of flavors.

5.1 F / 18.6 C / 28.2 P

I won a wonderful sample package of Steve's Paleogoods thanks to Brittany at Brittany Suell. I've never been one to like jerky, but Steve's does a pretty tasty version. I really needed something substantial to get me through an evening of house remodel / repairs and one last workout before dinner. I ate half the beef jerky pack and a handful of dried strawberries. 

2 F / 12 C / 14 P

We didn't eat dinner until almost 9pm, which is really late for us. I threw some chicken on the stove with milk and condensed cream of chicken soup and let that cook from about 6pm on. A and I were busy hanging a new (read spray painted) ceiling fan in the hallway, hung a new light fixture in the bathroom we are remodeling, and installed the new vanity top. All in an evenings work just to head to the basement for a HIIT workout. This simple dinner totally hit the spot and then I was ready for bed.

6.8 F / 18 C / 32.7 P

My macros yesterday totaled out to 28 grams Fat / 130.6 grams Carbs / 105 grams Protein.

My macro daily goals are 41 grams Fat / 170 grams Carbs / 110 grams Protein.

Click to Tweet: Meals that will surely fit in your daily macros via @atravelingwife. http://bit.ly/1Iu24HR #iifym #fitfluential 

Overall, I'd say yesterday was a good day. What time do you usually eat dinner at?

All. The. Zucchinis.

Last week was a struggle to say the least. Each day dragged on longer than the one prior. I wrote about why it was so hard here.

Now I am back to regular eating and really don't care much to count macros this week. I tried to be spot on last week with eating protein, protein, and more protein - this week I just want to eat what feels right.

A and I made a trip to a local Farmer's Market on Sunday and bought so much produce. It was a little ridiculous because we couldn't even find a place to store all the food once we got home. I mean, who really needs a huge bowl full of zucchini anyway?! Apparently, this girl.

I was brainstorming up some different ways to cook the zucchini. We made zucchini stew and zucchini fries and used a mere four zucchinis. Now I had to come up with some other ways to use those things... Zucchini muffins!!

I browsed around Pinterest for a bit and found a recipe that looked worth trying - no added sugar besides dark chocolate chips. I substituted some of the flour with Kodiak Protein Power Cakes mix and added a banana.

They were pretty darn tasty and made an exact 12 muffins. Of course, I still have a ton of zucchinis left and want to try and tweak the recipe a little more. Any interest in me sharing the recipe next week?

Have you used Kodiak mixes as a flour substitute? What else can be done with all of these zucchinis?

Sharing is caring. Click to Tweet: What to do with a bowl of zucchinis via @atravelingwife >> http://bit.ly/1dMfORq #fitfluential #summer

Webinars - Yay or Nay?

Now that I have some free time, I have been trying to hop on as many webinars as possible. These webinars have been on various topics including user testing, design, tips for blogging, influencer marketing, etc. I feel like some of these have been just a complete waste of time. Don't get me wrong, I came from the corporate world and sat through countless pointless meetings. But I feel that if I am going to take time away from my schedule to sit down with a pen and paper, you better make it worth my while.

Do you have any recommendations for webinars that I should attend? I am open to trying a few more - so long as they don't yawn the entire meeting.

Now onto today's post - What I Ate Wednesday, less formally known as What I am Eating This Week. My meals are planned out for the entire week to include 1-2 different breakfasts, 2-3 different lunches, 2-3 different dinners, and loads of snacks. And, in case you are new around here, welcome - I keep track of my macros each week to find numbers that work for my goals. Be sure to check last week's #WIAW if you are interested in what my numbers looked like then.

Remember, the nice thing about counting macros is that it is flexible eating. This means that each day you have a goal set for your macros but it is okay to be slightly over or under. If you were to focus so much on hitting your numbers each and everyday, you will become obsessive over food which is never a good thing. So this week my goals for each day are 41 g Fat // 167 g Carbs // 111 g Protein. Let's see how I did yesterday.

For breakfast I fried up one whole egg and two egg whites with a few mushrooms. This was paired with some dark cherries because I can't get enough and a Chobani flip. The key lime crumble Chobani flip is my absolute favorite. You will see it over and over again.

Just prior to breakfast I chugged a latte with skim milk, in hopes of getting rid of a migraine. It appears that last Tuesday I had a migraine as well. I am going to blame this on Monday.

Macros = 17.3 Fat // 44.4 Carbs // 36.6 Protein

The grocery store didn't have my favorite dark chocolate granola on the shelf so I purchase this hazelnut dark chocolate granola instead. It wasn't all that bad but not as good as Cascadian Farms. I paired this with some fresh strawberries because summertime is all about the fruit.

4.7 Fat // 26.5 Carbs // 3.5 Protein

On Sunday I prepped a healthy portion of quinoa risotto and plopped some chicken in the crockpot. This will get A and I through three lunches this week. If you have never made chicken in the crockpot it is a must. Just season the chicken however you like - I used salt, pepper, and thyme. Then you just place the chicken in the crockpot on high for 4+ hours and it will fall apart perfectly with a fork.

3.8 Fat // 19.7 Carbs // 16.6 Protein

I am a sucker for some good, spicy food - the kind that makes your nose drip. We found some supremely spicy hummus (probably Sabra brand) and it does the trick. Also, check out those cute little Triscuits. The are so teeny-tiny and I just can't get enough of them.

8.5 Fat // 26 Carbs // 5 Protein

Please contain your excitement over the quality of this photo. I took it after a sweaty 20 minute workout and we had some terrible weather so the burger had to be cooked inside. And if you can spot with your little eye a fancy dog toy on the right. Yes, the cheapest toys are the best - an old sock with holes in it.

For dinner we had bunless turkey burgers on a bed of mixed greens and a side of red skin potatoes. Please tell me you have made this sauce and want to put it on everything! I think it's just amazing and essential for burgers.

7 Fat // 19.2 Carbs // 40.5 Protein

Finally dessert because I can't do without it. Since it's been so dang hot out, I have been loving me some sugar free jello with fresh fruit. Top it with some whipped cream and it feels like a complete indulgence.

1.5 Fat // 0 Carbs (I forgot to add the fresh raspberries into my tracker) // 2 Protein

Overall, yesterday was a pretty good day and I definitely felt like I fueled well for my workout. 

Here are my totals from the food above; 42.8 g Fat // 135.8 g Carbs // 104.2 Protein

Again, here is my daily goal for this week; 41 g Fat // 167 g Carbs // 111 g Protein

I think I did pretty dang good and stayed on top of what I was eating. I'm eager to see if these macros are any better than my previous goals, because I wasn't feeling it the last few weeks. 

What are some of your favorite meals this week?

Living The 80:20 Lifestyle

Hello and happy Wednesday! Is anyone else struggling this week? Perhaps I am because of the migraine I had yesterday or because I really haven't created a schedule for myself since walking away from my real life job. But I do have a schedule to share my fantastic eats with you all on Wednesdays when I can - WIAW.

What I Ate Wednesday for me is typically What I am Eating This Week. Remember, I meal plan for the entire week with a few simple meals for breakfast, 2 lunches, and 2-3 dinners. And of course, several snacks to hold A and I over throughout the day. Today's focus will be on yesterday's food and a naughty little large dinner. 

For breakfast I had fruity cheerios with 1/2 cup skim milk and a strawberry protein smoothie with 1/2 scoop of my favorite Target protein powder. Can we discuss the difference between a smoothie and a shake? I never know which is which when it comes to using protein powder. Does anyone know the difference? Also, if you care to know the macros for breakfast, they are as follows;

2.9 Fat // 35.9 Carbs // 18.4 Protein

Look at how cute these little turkey, cheddar, apple roll-ups are. I'm just going to fill you in on a little secret here - they are DELISH! I made these the night before by just topping the apples with a little bit of lemon juice and see, there is no browning. 

Macros - 5.3 Fat // 13.7 Carbs // 9.1 Protein

Even though it has been beyond hot outside, no one can keep me away from a good stew. This one here is an Indian Stew with sweet potatoes, beans galore (kidney, garbanzo, and black beans) and a mixture of curry. This was a new recipe for me but I will definitely be making it again. 

Macros - 6.6 Fat // 31.4 Carbs // 10.7 Protein

At this point during the day, I was still struggling with my migraine. I opted for a nice hot glass of lemon water with California cherries and the best dang dark chocolate granola. 

Macros - 2.7 Fat // 31.9 Carbs // 3.3 Protein

I was still super hungry and at this point I had already calculated my dinner so I knew I had plenty of macros left. I made myself another glass of hot water with lemon and quickly devoured some spinach and artichoke hummus with pita crackers. #nom

Macros - 9.7 Fat // 31.8 Carbs // 3.7 Protein

This was totally not supposed to happen. A called me on his way home from work and asked if I wanted to go get Chinese. The Chinese restaurant near our house also serves Sushi. It seemed super sketch at first but was amazing! I said that I already had dinner planned out and it was already cooked. He then said, "Are you sure? I really wanted Chinese." And I proceeded with, "Okay!" I am a true sucker. 

So that entire plate of sushi was gobbled up by me all by myself. Along with 2 beers and a miso soup. That definitely did not fit in with my macros. 

Macros (roughly) - 27 Fat // 118.3 Carbs // 34.4 Protein

Today I woke up feeling guilt-free because I live an 80:20 life. While I cheated with yesterday's dinner, I am able to make up the remainder of the week with healthier choices. 

My total macros should be roughly 47 Fat // 210 Carbs // 111 Protein

Yesterday's were 54.2 Fat // 263 Carbs // 79.6 Protein

I am still learning about macros - how they effect my body and how they effect my fitness goals. The above numbers all represent grams per category and this is what I actually ate yesterday. Everything I stuck in my mouth was recorded for your viewing pleasure! :)

What are you eating this week? What's your favorite type of sushi?

Get in my Belly

It's finally Wednesday but this week is dragging. Perhaps it's because I am still bitter with some work stuff from last week or because I am ready for this long weekend - but is it Friday yet?

Now is the time where I say, "Who is ready for #WIAW?", because I have nothing else to say. For those of you that are newer here, What I ate Wednesday for me is actually What I am eating this Week. At the beginning of the week when I grocery shop I plan for 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 3 dinners. We rotate all of the meals throughout the week so we are not eating the same thing every day. Of course, this does happen sometimes when a delicious meal is made!

Also, I should note that I don't stage these meals. These are all foods I actually eat day in and out. I try to remain conscious about my food choices, but sometimes I fail - like this day I ate an entire box of mac 'n cheese. It happens! So join in the fun and linkup here.

Breakfast - I am a creature of habit and have been eating cereal most mornings for the past few weeks. How do I break myself? Do you have any breakfast items that are a go to for you?

Snack 1 - Again, creature of habit! Chobani flips are just the best thing ever. Whenever I am craving Nutella, I just eat these. AND I crave Nutella all. the. time.

Lunch - Hey oh, something new. This broccoli soup is so easy you could make it with your eyes closed. Top it with some oyster crackers and it is amazing. Then I tried to make this new peanut ginger salad dressing because I am missing my favorite salad from Indy. I need to find some place around here that might have a similar dressing. Anyway, it was pretty tasty but I need to make a few tweaks. For some reason I wanted to type twerks - not cool!

Snack 2 -  Who doesn't love chips and salsa? I could eat this for all meals throughout the day. I mean, it would satisfy my intake of veggies, grains, and I could stretch it to include my fruits too. Besides that, I am trying out several salsas to find one I like. Why do most of them include sugar? So not needed. Chicos Pico is my favorite all time salsa, but you can't buy it around my neck of the woods.

Dinner - I recently purchased all. the. curry from Penzeys and I don't know what to do with it. I looked up a Butter Chicken recipe and it's AMAZING. Look at all the spices I purchased. I posted this on Instagram and now I need your help with some more recipes. Help a girl out!

Dessert - Because dessert is the most important meal of the day... I know you thought it was breakfast, but you are wrong! Strawberry cobbler, or any cobbler, have been a basic week after week. We top our berries with almond flour, cinnamon, and a little butter to brown it up. Get in my belly!

What are you eating this week? Any go to recipes you could recommend?

Memory-Capturing Camera #MobileMemories

 This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Walmart Family Mobile. All opinions are mine alone. #MobileMemories #CollectiveBias.

I want to let you all in on a little secret. Actually two, so you'll have to keep reading. Ready?

I don't always carry around a fancy camera to capture photos for my blog posts. SAY WHAT? Yep, that's right. I use my handy dandy sidekick - my cell phone. Those that are bloggers know the side-eye all to well from strangers that see us carrying around large cameras and taking pictures of nearly everything - the sidewalk, that bug, our fur-children (or real children) laying in the grass, us standing in front of an old barn door for an #OOTD post. This list goes on and on. 

Don't be afraid to pull out your cell phone and act like you are just browsing the internet. Just see below for #WIAW and spot the difference from my 'fancy' camera to my 'memory-capturing' camera.

Breakfast: Surprise, surprise. It's cereal. Notice that it's chocolate again, like every single week. Someone needs to break me of my routine.

I guess I kind of did that myself by spicing up my breakfast with an egg burrito. The burrito has jalapeños, red onions, 1 whole egg, 1 egg white, cheese, salsa, and black olives.

Snack 1: Snack time is the best time. Am I right? This week is popcorn rice cakes, carrots, and dried cherries. Clearly this day my eyes were bigger than my appetite. I have actually only been eating one rice cake, not two. 

Lunch: This is one of our favorites, but probably not the healthiest with all. the. Italian. meats. The wrap has herb lettuce, colby cheese, proscuitto, salami, and a delicious onion poppyseed dressing. And let me just tell you how excited I am for berries to be in season. They are my absolute favorite and I am actually looking for a strawberry patch near Baltimore to pick my own strawberries. Do you know of any locations?

Snack 2: Greek yogurt topped with some grape nuts. I have been loving the crunch that grape nuts give to the creamy, smooth yogurt. 

Also, see what I did here? #MobileMemories at it's finest. I'll let you in on another secret. You don't have to pay your entire salary to have a cell phone and unlimited data. Walmart Family Mobile service is $29.88/month (for the first line) Unlimited Talk, Text & Data service plan which includes up to 1G of 4G LTE data. That's what I use and love the price tag. More money for more food!

Dinner: Steak frites and a large salad. Hello garlic fries and goodbye friends. Talk about some garlic breath. 

Dessert: Because you deserve dessert everyday. I was pretty dang excited about eating this rice krispies treat that I nearly forgot to take the photo. Plus a little drool may or may not have gotten in my way.

Let me just talk about this phone for a moment. This is the Samsung Galaxy Avant ($149) that I just picked up from my local Walmart. I'm not going to lie, the camera is pretty slick on this thing. When shopping for new phones, I always look at the quality of the camera because, I am trying to make #MobileMemories here!

Here's a little behind the scenes for you. Yes, this is actually how I work. 

- comfy pants (i.e. yoga pants)

- tank top

- Mac on to edit photos

- work laptop for my real life job

- cell phone in my hand browsing social media

The struggle is real to actually get any work done. Also, any suggestions on wall color? This blue is miserable!

What are you eating this week? How do you make #MobileMemories?

Disclaimer: All prices for phones and plans included in this post are accurate as of the date of posting; however, these prices are subject to change. Please refer to http://cbi.as/8e03 or your local Walmart for current pricing.

Show Me Your Food #WIAW

Who is ready for another episode of What I ate Wednesday, err What I am Eating This Week?

This week is a little odd for me because A is out of town so I am all on my own. I may or may not have had a box of Kraft mac 'n cheese for dinner on Monday along with some wine. Don't judge.

In all seriousness, I am not perfect and I definitely don't eat perfectly. It's a work in progress but sometimes a girl needs a little comfort food in her life. Okay?

As for the remainder of the week, I have some delicious meals planned out. And of course I celebrated Cinco de Mayo with my own twist of Mexican food.

My day gets started with a latte made with skim milk. I MUST have some type of coffee, but during the week we use the Nespresso and on the weekend we make drip coffee.

Breakfast - Special K chocolatey delight because it is beyond tasty. Last week I showcased another chocolate cereal - I feel like a child.

Snack 1 - Caramel rice cake topped with blackberry jam and a handful of blueberries on the side. I absolutely love cinnamon so I just sprinkled some all over the top. Who would have thought rice cakes could be so tasty?!

Lunch - It has been absolutely wonderful outside but soup is a favorite of mine. Even though it was nearly 85 degrees, I still ate some broccoli soup outside. I topped the soup with a little plain greek yogurt and infused some water with lemon, cucumber, and mint.

Also, this soup is beyond easy. Spanish onion, head of broccoli, and vegetable stock. Cook everything together in a pot for about 30 minutes then blend it up. Season with garlic, salt, and pepper.

Snack 2 - I just signed up for a Graze subscription box and was so delighted to see a chai snack. My love of chai isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Want 2 free Graze boxes? Use code CGVRL749B to get your 1st and 5th box free (this code was provided to me with my box and I wanted to share it with you) - enjoy!

Dinner - And now time to celebrate the holiday. Shredded chicken tacos with a large side of chips and salsa. Oh yeah, while everyone was enjoying their margaritas, I was drinking sparkling water with a splash of lemonade. It is soo good. Give it a try!

Dessert - Whoops, dropped the ball on this one. I almost always eat something for dessert but have not been that hungry lately. I have fallen into a rut of not getting all of my food in for the day. If I do become hungry I will lean towards dark chocolate morsels or pineapple whip smoothie.

As a reminder, I plan all of my meals for the week with 1-2 breakfasts, 1-2 lunches, and 2-3 dinners. One day is left for leftovers and the other is for dining out. However, all of the food pictured above is how I typically eat!

What are you eating this week?