Since I make both smoothies and bars regularly, I was excited to receive the new eBook, High Protein, No Powder, to review. Although I have a decent spark of creativity when it comes to stovetop cooking, my smoothie and bar recipes tend to follow a similar formula. This is unfortunate for my poor children and husband, who are subjected to the same boring smoothies and bars, day after day. This book provided a welcome break in the monotony, and has made me realize these treats can be not only tasty, but also nutrient dense.
I learned more about smoothies and bars in this book than I ever knew was possible. Author Tiffany Terczak of Don’t Waste the Crumbs has covered all the bases, from ingredients, to equipment, to the benefits of homemade bars and smoothies versus commercial products. I will be honest – at first when I saw the book, I wondered how you could possibly go on about smoothies and bars for this many pages without being redundant or just plain boring. But just like her recipes, the information Tiffany provides is neither of those.
And speaking of the recipes, there are quite a few. Here are some of the items I tried:
- Almond Coconut Protein Bars
- Café Mocha Protein Bars
- Oatmeal Raisin Protein Bars
- Chocolate Cherry Cake Protein Bars
- Apple Pie Smoothie
- Green Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothie
- Orange Dreamsicle Smoothie
- Mango Tango Smoothie
- Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothie
Not only did my husband and I like every recipe we tried, but so did my kids, which is an added bonus. The smoothies are full of ingredients many kids might not like on their own, but when you put them all together you get a real treat. My daughter thought every smoothie was made of kiwi (her favorite fruit) because of the crunchy texture of the chia seeds. Before I received this book, I used yogurt as a base for most of my smoothies, but Tiffany’s recipes use a combination of kefir and cottage cheese. I was a little skeptical at first, but it quickly became my favorite way to make creamy, high-protein smoothies.
What makes this book even more useful is that there are two versions of every smoothie: a grain- and gluten-free recipe and a vegan recipe. The first recipes contain dairy products, whereas the vegan recipes tend to use hemp milk and white beans as a base. So really, there are double the smoothie recipes, since you get two versions for each variety of smoothie. Although our family diet is not vegan, I tried several of the vegan versions of the smoothies and they were delicious and filling.
The ingredients Tiffany uses set her bars and smoothies apart from other similar recipes I’ve tried in the past. I tend to fall into a predictably small and boring ingredient list with my smoothies – yogurt, frozen fruit, and protein powder – but Tiffany’s recipes use ingredients I had never tried before, including kefir, cottage cheese, hemp hearts, and coconut water. The resulting smoothies and bars are not only tasty but also nutrient-dense and high in protein, even without the protein powder.
Keep in mind that since the recipes are high in protein but do not contain protein powder, the ingredient lists may be longer than you’re used to. Personally, I get tired of protein powder easily, so I appreciated the unique powder-free ingredient lists. However, if you shy away from smoothies with more than three ingredients, you might find the ingredient lists a bit long.
The photos and layout were straightforward and easy to read and follow. I only tried the PDF version of the book. If you purchase “The Whole Pie,” you receive a Kindle version, as well as a twenty-page mini eBook, three printables, and a one-year monthly email subscription to new recipes. Personally, I prefer using my Kindle in the kitchen, so that was one drawback for me. I received the eBook for review, but if I were to purchase it I would definitely spend $5.00 more and get “The Whole Pie.”
Informed readers might be aware of most of the information covered in the non-recipe parts of the book, but I definitely gained some new insights into crafting the perfect bar or smoothie, both in terms of taste and high-quality ingredients. Overall, I recommend this eBook for anyone looking to mix up their smoothie and bar routine, particularly if you lead an active lifestyle and are looking for a healthy way to recover from workouts.
“High Protein, No Powder” is available for $8.00 (PDF only) or $13.00 (PDF and Kindle files) at Don’tWastetheCrumbs.com.
