There’s something about the holiday season that gets many of us (myself included) craving that cinnamon-y, nutmeg-y taste.  Maybe it’s the cozy feeling that is associated with these flavors, reminiscent of childhoods of gingerbread cookies and cold winter nights snuggled up by a fireplace.  Unfortunately, most places we find these delicious flavors are hard on our waistlines: Christmas cookies, candies, caffe lattes and the like.  Here’s an idea for a delicious snack, laden with spice and flavor that packs a whopping 21 grams of protein, for just 175 calories!

OK.  First, I need you to open your mind to this.  It sounds like an unusual combo, but trust me, it tastes amazing!  I got the idea to combine these flavors from a cooking website where the spices are combined with peanut butter to make a spread.  I thought I’d take it a step further and convert the flavors into a super healthy, protein powered recipe!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/3 of a 500g container of no salt added cottage cheese (pictured).  ‘No salt added’ is key – as far as I know, in Canada, only Safeway carries it
  • 1 tsp light peanut butter
  • 2 packets of Splenda
  • cinnamon to taste
  • nutmeg or allspice to taste
  • a few drops of vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Mix.
2.  Eat!

This tasty combination makes a great part of breakfast – remember, it’s so important to have lots of protein in the morning, as this helps to keep you filling fuller through the day.

The other option is to use a small blender or Magic Bullet to whip these ingredients together, and then freeze until semi-solid – tastes like a Christmas Cheesecake!

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

  • calories: 175
  • protein: 21 grams
  • fat: 5 grams
  • carbs: 9 grams

I bet this could be tasty with a little bit of pumpkin thrown in there too… if you try it, let me know how it goes!

Happy Holidays!!

Dr Sue Pedersen www.drsue.ca © 2012 drsuetalks@gmail.com

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