2 Easy Weekend Recipe Suggestions from O2 Fitness

Trying to stay on track on the weekends is hard, so give these awesome recipes a try instead of going through the drive-thru! You can also try Custom Fit Meals protein bars for a quick meal on-the-go!

Homemade Protein Bars

(Submitted byChristin Ruud, O2 Fitness Fuquay)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups peanut butter or cashew butter (Use low-cal PB for fewer carbs & fat)
• 1 3/4 cups of honey
• 2 serving’s protein powder (vanilla or chocolate flavor)
• 3 cups dry, uncooked oatmeal

Directions:

• Combine peanut butter and honey in bowl and heat in the microwave oven for about 70 seconds; stir mixture well.
• Stir in protein powder and oatmeal.  Mix thoroughly.  It will be thick.
• Press into a 9" x 13" pan.  Refrigerate until solid enough to cut and then cut into 16 equal bars.  Wrap each bar in foil or saran wrap and store in plastic baggie in refrigerator.

Nutritional Info per bar:

CAL 267 / FAT 5g / PROTEIN 18 g /CARB 38 g

The (not-so) Same Old Mac and Cheese

(submitted by Jason Peters, General Manager @ O2 Fitness Chatham)

If you're anything like me, you are a sucker for some good ol' comfort food.  And, to me, there's no better incarnation than some quick, deliciously-simple Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. However, even a true Mac lover like me occasionally needs to spice it up a bit; and when I do, I don't avoid my favorite artificially-orange half-moon friends. 

I just change it up a bit with two easy additions...Salsa and Cottage Cheese. Macaroni and cheese isn't exactly the most well-balanced meal, so adding these two items accomplishes two things I am looking for from my foods: Increasing the protein and adding more veggies to the mix. By including these two simple additions, you can take a simple, starchy favorite and turn it into a nutritionally valuable, healthy alternative.  Oh...and it tastes absolutely amazing too!

Ingredients:

• One box Kraft Macaroni & Cheese
• One cup low-fat cottage cheese
• One cup veggie salsa (When choosing a salsa, look for something that is less liquid and more dense veggies)

Directions:

• Cook the Mac as usual.  After it's done, drained and you've added the butter, *milk and cheese powder, keep the pot on the burner and add the cottage cheese and salsa.  Stir for 2-3 minutes, or until the mix is all warm.
• Using skim milk helps keep the overall fat content down.  Use a low-fat butter/margarine alternative.

Enjoy!