Breakfast Ideas with Premier Protein

This post is sponsored by Premier Protein®. I'm excited to share some of my favorite breakfast recipes and ideas featuring Premier Protein Shakes and Bars with you.

Premier Protein ready to drink protein shakes are a healthy and convenient breakfast (or any time of the day) way to get 30 grams of protein, 24 vitamins and minerals, in just 160 calories and 1 gram of sugar. You can drink them right from the container so they are a perfect breakfast on-the-go option. Today I want to share with you a few ways to use Premier Protein shakes (and bars) for breakfast you might not have thought of doing.

Cereal - Instead of milk in your bowl of cereal use Premier Protein shakes. They come in 5 flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberries & Cream, Bananas & Cream and Caramel so you can jazz up that boring bowl of O's or puffs.

Overnight Oats (similar to Swiss Bircher-Muesli) - You can eat this cold in the summer or heat it up for a minute in the microwave in the cold months. I make them in half pint, 8 oz. canning jars they come with a lid so they are portable and perfect for taking on a hike (or work.)

For each jar you will need:
1/3 cup Rolled Old-Fashioned Oats (not Quick or Instant)
1/4 cup Premier Protein Ready to Drink Shake (any flavor)

Spoon oats into jars (or a bowl.) Pour the Premier Protein shake over the oats. Pat down the oats so the surface is moistened. Cover and let rest overnight in the fridge.

In the morning, fluff oats with a fork and serve with a variety of toppings (and if desired a dollop of yogurt the way the Swiss do.) Here are some yummy topping combos but the possibilities are endless...

Oats and Premier Protein Caramel Shake with

• a spoon of Unsweetened Apple Sauce (or some chopped Apple) and a sprinkle of chopped Walnuts
• a spoon of Peanut Butter (or Powdered Peanut Butter) and chopped Premier Protein Bar
• a few slices of Peaches and a sprinkle of chopped Pecans

Oats and Premier Protein Bananas & Cream Shake with

• sliced Banana and a sprinkle of unsweetened toasted Coconut 
• a spoon of Peanut Butter (or Powdered Peanut Butter) and Bacon Bits (don't knock it)
• a few Fresh or Freeze Dried Strawberries

Oats and Premier Protein Vanilla Shake with

• a spoon of Sugar Free Strawberry Jam and a sprinkle of toasted Almonds
• a spoon of Sugar Free Orange Marmalade and a sprinkle of Pistachios
• a few Cherries and a sprinkle of toasted Almonds

Oats and Premier Protein Chocolate Shake with

• a spoon of Peanut Butter (or Powdered Peanut Butter)
• sliced Banana
• a few Cherries and a sprinkle of toasted Almonds

Oats and Premier Protein Strawberries and Cream Shake with

• a few Strawberries and crumbled Premier Protein Bar
• a spoon of Peanut Butter (or Powdered Peanut Butter)
• a few blueberries and a sprinkle of toasted Almonds

Waffles -  Replace the water or milk in your favorite pancake or waffle mix with any flavor of Premier Protein Shake.

Cook as directed per your waffle maker instructions. Look for a whole or multi-grain waffle mix with lower carbs. These waffles were made with Premier Protein Caramel Shake and a dash of Cinnamon.

I served them with a drizzle of Sugar Free Maple Syrup but you could top with fresh fruit or mm-mm cooked apples would be great on these (caramel + apples = heaven) or make it a portable, on-the-go breakfast by wrapping in foil a waffle "sandwich" with a smear of almond butter.

Build Your Own Yogurt Parfaits - I love protein packed yogurt parfaits and they are even better when you can adjust your own yogurt to topping ratio: a dollop of Greek yogurt, some berries, and for a little crunch (and more protein) some crumbled Premier Protein Protein Bars. This is a great one to do when you have overnight guests. Use plastic cups and spoons so your guests can feel free to take breakfast with them when they hit the road.

Want a chance to win some Premier Protein Shakes so you can give a few of these breakfast ideas a try. Head over to my Instagram account to enter to win the AWESOME Premier Protein prize pictured below.

This post is sponsored by Premier Protein® #TheDayIsYours For the purposes of this post Premier Protein provided me with products used. Want to learn more about Premier Protein products LIKE their Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram and tell them The World According to Eggface told you to stop by.

Cool Product Alert: Real Good Foods Pizza

Have you tried Real Good Foods Pizza yet? It's frozen pizza with a crust made out of all-natural chicken & Parmesan cheese and it's really good! Obviously it's high in protein and low in carbs since the typical white flour carby pizza crust is replaced so it's perfect for us post weight loss surgery folks, the low carb or keto dieters and those that need a gluten-free diet. It's got that bendy, Neapolitan thing going on (East Coasters will get this) and I literally forgot as I was eating it that it was a chicken crust.

They come in 3 flavors: Three Cheese, Pepperoni, and The Supreme (Italian Sausage & Veggies) (I've tried 2 of the 3 and enjoyed them both) but you can really create your own flavors just by adding toppings from home. The Three Cheese would be a great vehicle to use up leftovers... sauteed mushrooms or onions, sliced olives, leftover meatballs, taco meat, whatever you have bumping around the fridge.

Stats: They are personal 5" size (I ate 2 slices and was full), calories range from 240 (Three Cheese) to 270 (Pepperoni or Supreme) per serving (1/2 the pizza) 25 grams of protein and only 4 grams Carbs.

You can prepare it a couple of different ways per the box instructions but here's how I did it: the pizzas come on a little cardboard circle, wrapped in plastic and in a box. Remove from box and plastic and place the pizza on its cardboard circle on a microwave safe plate and nuked it for a minute on high then tossed it into a saute pan to brown/crisp the bottom.

Verdict: It was a winner, winner, chicken pizza crust dinner (sorry could resist.) Very tasty. They are a great option to have in the freezer for nights you want something quick and easy... those hot summer nights you can be eating in less than 10 minutes... maybe add a salad or veggies & dip for a complete meal.

Where to find: They have a product locator on their website to see what stores in your area are carrying them or you can order direct from the company online (P.S. Feel free to use my coupon code: eggface to score 10% off your order.) Let me know what you think!

Post Weight Loss Surgery Menus: A day in my pouch

A day in my pouch is a series of blog posts to show what a typical daily menu looks like in my post weight loss surgery world. Yesterday's healthy and delicious menu...

Breakfast: Started my day with leftover Ricotta Pancakes with a smear of Almond Butter and a Bananas & Cream Premier Protein Shake. I wrapped my "Pancake Sandwich" in foil and went for a walk at about the halfway mark I ate... then it was off to the Farmer's Market. This week's haul: strawberries, cherries, apples, an avocado, yellow, green and red onions, mushrooms, zucchini, cauliflower (I'm thinking my Cauliflower Pie later this week), cucumbers and some beautiful baby bok choy.

More Eggface Post Weight Loss Surgery Breakfast Recipes

Lunch: I came home and pitted my cherries (a messy but rewarding job), chopped up my strawberries I froze about 1/2 the cherries partly because I love them in Protein Shakes and it's supposed to get really really hot next week (near 100 ughh) but partly because I might be tempted to eat them if they were all left in the fridge and frozen well that would give me brain freeze ;) it's for my protection.

I sat outside on the patio and ate the fruits of my labor... a dollop of cottage cheese, cherries and strawberries.

Dinner: This was soooo good and will be on my menu again very soon. Well technically it's on today's menu because it makes 24 mini meatballs and we have yummy leftovers. I'm going to heat them up in this little gadget (it's great for keeping leftovers moist.) I'm going to have them for lunch with a cucumber & tomato salad. I just picked 12 or so from the one plant I have growing on the patio. Last night I served it with Baby Bok Choy that I sauteed with a little onion and a splash of soy sauce.

I was feeling like something with an Asian vibe the other night and scribbled this in my recipe notes book. It seemed like the perfect dinner when I found that baby bok choy at the Farmer's Market. I stopped at the supermarket and picked up some ground pork (it was on sale) but really you could use any ground meat.

Shelly's Teriyaki Pork Meatballs

1 lb. Ground Pork (or any meat you prefer)
1 Small Yellow Onion, diced
2-3 Green Onions, diced
1/4 cup Milk
1/4 cup Oatmeal, dry
1 Egg, beaten
1 Tablespoon Ginger Paste (or minced very fine)
1 1/2 teaspoons Soy Sauce
a few twists of Black Pepper

Sauce: 2 Tablespoons of Store bought Teriyaki Sauce, I love Kikkoman Garlic & Green Onion Teriyaki Sauce.

Mix milk and oatmeal together and set aside for 1 minute to soak. Saute onion till golden. Set aside to cool. Mix all ingredients together including soaked oats and cooled onions. Form into cocktail (half dollar-ish size) meatballs. Saute in a nonstick pan with a little drizzle of olive oil till golden brown and crispy (don't be tempted to flip too soon), flip all your balls and continue cooking till done. Drain any excess oil. On the heat, spoon sauce onto meatballs and shake them in the pan to be sure all the balls get a light coating of sauce. Makes about 24 meatballs.

I served it with the baby bok choy but some other options... Cauliflower Fried Rice,  one of those steamer bags of Asian-blend veggies, or these would be great for a party horsd'oeuvre or appetizer with little food picks.

More Eggface Healthy Asian Inspired Recipes

Snacks: Coffee and I made a couple of batches of Quest Protein Bar "Cookies" Mocha Chocolate Chip (latest flavor) If you have any Quest Bars that have gotten a little hard or flavors you didn't like. Make cookies out of them. I am telling you it's a game changer.

More Eggface Weight Loss Surgery Friendly Desserts and Snacks

More Days in my Pouch