Q + A, Part 4

15 May, 2013 by Claire | Leave a comment

Today I’m answering another handful of the questions y’all have submitted. Be sure to readpart 1, part 2, and part 3 to see if I answered your question or just to check out the answer to something you probably wanted to know anyway. If you’re still feeling snubbed, please submit any question you’d like!

Will doing 100 ab crunches a day for thirty days give you evident results?
The most definitive answer I can give you to this question is no. Unfortunately, you can’t really target fat loss that way and, more often than not, the moves you make in the kitchen will deliver more results than the moves you make in the gym. Think about it this way: you can consume calories far faster than you can burn them. So, if you’re looking to get bikini-ready abs, I’d suggest a calorie-conscious diet full of whole foods, cardio, and strength training (including those crunches, if you’d like).

You mentioned that you did Weight Watchers when you were younger. What are your thoughts on it now?
I’ve had a couple stints with Weight Watchers and excluding my undergraduate nutrition education, it has probably provided me with the most knowledge about healthy eating. Recording your food as PointsPlus is a great way to exercise portion control and hold yourself accountable for what you put in your mouth.

My only qualm about their new system (assuming this is still how it works) is that fruit is zero points. For most people who don’t particularly enjoy fruit as a snack, this is probably an effective way to get them eating more. And while fruit is a nutrient-dense alternative to many snacks that are nutritionally empty, it still has calories. As someone who loves fruit, I was happy I could consume cups of it between meals to stifle my hunger without dipping into my daily PointsPlus for the day. That extra couple hundred calories or so, however, definitely stifled my weight loss, as well.

I have the BIGGEST sweet tooth ever, which has been a problem since I am trying to lose the 20 pounds I gained freshman year. What can I do to keep me away from the sweets?
I think your best bet will be to indulge in your cravings from time to time, but in a slender way. There are lots of lower calorie alternatives to satiate a sweet tooth, and totally avoiding the things you love is just going to set yourself up for failure. I like to have a 100-150 calorie “safety net” left over at the end of the night for sweets that satisfy my sweet tooth. This includes things like sweet slender nachos, single serving mug brownies, or chocolate Greek froyo.

Dark Chocolate Energy Bites

9 May, 2013 by Claire | Leave a comment

I told myself I wouldn’t do this. I told myself to stay on top of it throughout the semester so I wouldn’t have to neglect the blog in favor of cramming a semester’s worth of material into my brain in between cups of coffee.

Since I haven’t posted in two days, I’ll let you be the judge of how successful that one was. Oops.

So, let’s keep it short. Last semester I brought you brainola, my low calorie version of granola that’s packed with healthy fats, whole grains, protein, fiber, and antioxidants. Good for the brain and body. This semester, I’m bringing you dark chocolate energy bites. These are a great alternative to the yucky processed snack bars you might have hiding in your backpack now.

Plus, you won’t be that annoying kid fiddling with their wrappers on the silent floor of the library. Everyone hates that kid.

Dark Chocolate Energy Bites
Makes: 24 servings | Calories per serving: 55
Fat: 2.1 g (Sat Fat: 0.5 g) | Carbohydrate: 7.0 g | Fiber: 2.1 g| Protein: 2.8 g

2 C instant oats
1 C chocolate PB2, dry
1/4 C ground flaxseed
1/4 C chia seed
2 t vanilla extract
2 oz dark chocolate, chopped
2 T granulated Splenda
1 t cinnamon
1 T cocoa powder
3/4 C water

directions:
1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients except for the water. Mix well until everything is evenly incorporated.
2. Add in the water 1/4 C at a time, stirring between each addition.
3. Refrigerate the mix for at least 30 minutes.
4. Remove the mix from the refrigerator and, using your hands, roll them into balls. Refrigerate until eating!

Sweet Slender Nachos

17 April, 2013 by Claire | Leave a comment

There are two kinds of people in this world– those who think dessert nachos sound like a bangin’ idea, and those who have never thought of the possibility of dessert nachos. Luckily, I don’t discriminate on The Slender Student, but if you’re part of the latter group, prepare to be converted.

Sweet Slender Nachos | The Slender Student Sweet Slender Nachos
Calories: 157 | Fat: 5.3 g (Sat Fat: 1.2 g) | Carbohydrate: 27.0 g | Protein: 2.3 g

ingredients:
1 small corn tortilla
1 t granulated Splenda
1/4 t cinnamon
1/2 small banana, sliced
1 t nut butter (I like almond butter because I’m human being who is alive)
1 t mini chocolate chips
PAM Original nonstick spray

directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350° and coat a small baking sheet with PAM.
2. With a sharp knife, slice your corn tortilla into 6-8 triangles. Lay these on your baking sheet and lightly spray with PAM.
3. Sprinkle your corn tortilla triangles with the Splenda and cinnamon. Place in the oven for 5 minutes; flip and then bake for 5 more minutes, or until crispy.
4. Remove the crispy tortilla chips from the oven and top with banana, nut butter, and mini chocolate chips. Bake for 3-5 more minutes, until everything is melty and delicious. Keep an eye on them so nothing burns. I refuse to be held liable for your ensuing sadness.

Slender Double Chocolate Cake Balls

10 April, 2013 by Claire | 3 Comments

Cake balls are one of my favorite ways to give my normally healthy diet the finger. They’re what would happen if cake, brownies, and a chocolate bar had a baby… If three (inanimate) beings could procreate, I mean.

Sometimes, though, I want it all. I want the happiness I get from hybrid chocolate treats and I want to be slender. So on the 734,855th day, The Slender Student created slender double chocolate cake balls.

Of course, I’m not the first blogger who has tried to lessen the impact of the cake ball calorie bomb. But many of the other recipe makeovers use a cake pop pan (which eliminates the need to mash up the cake with frosting and, like, who wants that), or are fake balls made with ingredients like almond bark, or cashews, or dates (what?!).

I, on the other hand, am not fooling around. This is the real deal. Cheap cake mix that’s undoubtedly more delicious than any cake made from scratch, my slender cream cheese frosting, and chocolate chips. Ka-boom.

Slender Double Chocolate Cake Balls
Makes: 28 servings | Calories per serving: 108
Fat: 3.0 g (Sat Fat: 1.8 g) | Carbohydrate: 18.4 g | Fiber: 0.4 g| Protein: 2.1 g

ingredients:
1 box of chocolate cake mix (I used Betty Crocker Super Moist Triple Chocolate Fudge)
1 12 oz can of diet root beer
1 8 oz package of fat free cream cheese
1/2 C fat free plain Greek yogurt (I like Fage 0%)
1/4 C granulated Splenda
1/2 T vanilla extract
1 C chocolate chips

directions:
1. To prepare the cake, combine the dry cake mix with the can of diet root beer and whisk until smooth. Bake according to the directions on the box, but keep in mind that the cooking time might be slightly less. For example, I baked mine in a cupcake tin at 325° for 10-12 minutes.
2. While the cupcakes are baking, mix together the cream cheese, Greek yogurt, Splenda, and vanilla extract with a whisk or electric mixer until completely smooth. Refrigerate.
3. When the cake is done baking, cool completely. Then using your hands, crumble it into a large mixing bowl.
4. To the cake crumbles, add in your refrigerated cream cheese frosting and mix until the icing is incorporated throughout.
5. Using your hands or a cookie dough scoop, roll out 28 cake balls on to a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Refrigerate or freeze for until the cake balls have firmed, about 30 minutes to an hour.
6. After the cake balls are done in the fridge, put the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and microwave until melted, stopping to stir the chocolate chips every 30 seconds. Be careful not to burn the chocolate.
7. Dip the bottom of each cake ball in the melted chocolate and place it back on to the cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Then using a spoon, drizzle the remaining melted chocolate over the cake balls. Refrigerate again until the chocolate has hardened.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

3 April, 2013 by Claire | 2 Comments

This recipe started off as a protein bar. I had pretty images in my head of hearty, homemade bars, drizzled imperfectly with vanilla icing, wrapped in parchment paper. Alas, things went wrong, as they often do with food experiments. The bars turned out somewhere in between cake and bread, and the icing tasted chemically sweet.

I was close to scrapping the whole thing when I realized that, with a few tweaks, the bars could easily become a sweet bread with none of the guilt associated with most recipes– low fat, low sugar, high protein, and whole grain.

Welcome to the world, slender cinnamon raisin bread. You’re going to be so loved.Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Makes: 12 servings | Calories per serving: 70
Fat: 0.7 g (Sat Fat: 0.2 g) | Carbohydrate: 12.2 g | Fiber: 0.9 g| Protein: 5.0 g

ingredients:
1 C instant oats
1 C granulated Splenda
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I use Designer Whey)
1 t baking powder
2 t cinnamon
2/3 C liquid egg whites
1 C fat free Greek yogurt (I like Fage 0%)
2 t vanilla extract
1/2 C raisins
PAM Original nonstick spray

directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 325° and lightly grease a loaf pan with PAM.
2. In a medium size bowl, combine your oats, Splenda, protein powder, baking powder, and cinnamon. Stir until everything is evenly distributed.
3. To your dry ingredients, add your egg whites, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract. Mix well.
4. Add in the raisins, mix, and then pour your batter into the loaf pan.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.