Lean Bodies - Amy Perez

I am sure my parents would have described me as a picky eater when I was younger. It’s interesting how we pick up a lot of our eating habits from our habits growing up. I always thought veggies had to have melted cheese on them, and that bread could serve as the main dish.

Having two kids of my own, I am constantly trying to find ways to ’sneak’ in some healthy snacks, and more protein. My son, who we refer to as the ‘carb lover’ of the family, could easily live on bread alone. He likes chicken and eggs, but really struggles to like other protein sources. His idea of having some veggies would be carrots smothered in ranch dressing or cheese. My daughter on the other hand, was defintely born after my eating habits changed for the better. She loves vegetables and most protein sources. She even asks for brocolli and cauliflower on a daily basis. :faint:

So for all of you with picky eaters, this ranch dip, has really been a life saver! Not only for my kids, but for me too. Its not only low carb, it’s also high in protein. This is a perfect thing to serve the kids to help in getting them to eat more protein. Not to mention, it doesn’t have all the fat that your traditional ranch dressing. :thumb: And as a bonus-it doesn’t taste like those tangy fat-free dressings.

I take 1 packet of Ranch mix (buttermilk recipe)
400-600g of cottage cheese (depending on how ’strong’ you like your ranch flavor)
1/4 to 1/2 cup of water (depending on the thickness you prefer)
Blend all together in the Magic Bullet or blender.

I seal it in a rubbermaid container, so that I can use it throughout the week. My kids like it with their veggies, but also like it to dip chicken in. :yum:

I figured that I would put up a recipe that I posted on LBF several months ago. It is my nightly dessert. Although typically I am not fond of cottage cheese, you would never know that my peanut butter ice cream is made with it. I even had my husband fooled. I typically make up a weeks worth of these at a time so I don’t have to bother with the prep every night. I’m usually tired from a busy day and the last thing I want to do after put my kids to bed is make another meal.

Like I have mentioned before, I am all about volume or at least the appearance of it. The ice cream takes me a while to eat, so I always finish this meal feeling satisfied. I usually take it out of the freezer about an hour before I am planning on eating it. This way it is slightly thawed out. YUMMY!

Protein Ice Cream
My plan calls for:
100-125 grams of cottage cheese (changes based on day)
10-15 grams of peanut butter
1/2 scoop of protein powder- (you can add this into your ice cream however, I like to crumble it over the top)