Oats are a great choice for breakfast. Don’t worry, I didn’t forget about the protein! This Raspberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats recipe includes cottage cheese, which has 14 grams of protein per serving. For those of you who hear “cottage cheese” and run for the hills, stick with me. After combining the oats, cottage cheese and almond milk with the berries, honey and vanilla and allow to sit in the fridge overnight, you’ll have a delicious breakfast waiting for you in the morning…and you won’t think twice about the cottage cheese.

For an extra-healthy, protein-rich boost, top off the Raspberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats with hemp seeds and you’ll have a full 30 grams of protein without using eggs or protein powder. Hemp seeds are a great plant-based source of protein and full of essential amino acids. Of course, you can always eat the Raspberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats straight out of the container, but you are welcome to top it with raspberries, your favorite nuts, yogurt, granola or nut butter—get creative and enjoy!

This recipe for Raspberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats is…

Grab-and-go

Worry-free

Added-sugar-free

Delicious

Indulgent

Protein-rich

Full of amino acids

Raspberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats Ingredients

½ cup fresh raspberries

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup oats

½ cup full-fat cottage cheese

½ cup plant-based milk

2 tbsp. hemp seeds (optional)

Raspberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats Instructions

In a bowl, mash together the berries, honey and vanilla until a compote is formed. Add oats, cottage cheese and plant-based milk. Stir until combined. The mixture will seem dry—no worries! Allow to refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours. Top with extra raspberries and your favorite nuts.

Raspberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats Nutrition Facts

Per serving:(1 serving)

Calories: 353 (calculated without hemp seeds)

Carbs: 44.2 g

Protein: 20.3 g

Fat: 9.9 g

Typical spiked lemonade often has 25 to 30 grams each of carbs and sugar—all from processed ingredients. The easiest way to cut carbs and sugar: Don’t use the fake stuff! Why use fake ingredients when real fruit tastes so amazing?

This spiked watermelon lemonade has no added sugar and makes sitting poolside that much sweeter. It’s way too easy. All you have to do is add vodka, water, watermelon, lemon juice and optional stevia to a blender and blend until it becomes completely smooth. You can serve your spiked watermelon lemonade right out of the blender, or you can pour it into a pitcher and refrigerate it while you wait for your friends to join you.

This spiked watermelon lemonade recipe is one of my favorite summer drinks. The clean ingredients make it taste light and refreshing, and it’s full of nutrients like vitamins A and C. Plus, the water and watermelon give you a boost of hydration—you can’t go wrong!

This Spiked Watermelon Lemonade is…

Summer Staple

Refreshing

Perfect Poolside

Added sugar–free

Hydrating

Spiked Watermelon Lemonade Ingredients

1 cup vodka

1 cup water

6 cups seedless watermelon

3 lemons

3 drops liquid stevia (optional)

Spiked Watermelon Lemonade Directions

Add vodka, water, seedless watermelon and stevia to a blender. Using a handheld juicer, juice lemons into the blender. Blend until watermelon becomes completely smooth. Pour into a large pitcher and refrigerate prior to serving.

Nutrition Facts

(Serves 4)

Per serving:

Calories: 211

Carbs: 20 g

Sugar: 16 g

The “Re-Fuel” Window

In the first hour after exercising, look to replace the important nutrients lost during your workout. Many people in the fitness world call this the “refuel” or “anabolic window.” The goal here is to replenish muscle glycogen fuel stores to help repair the muscles. Glycogen is what keeps you going when your body isn’t getting energy from food—we love glycogen. When you break it down, glycogen is made up of glucose molecules, which are the main source of fuel for our cells. The way your body makes glucose is through breaking down the food you eat. The human body is incredibly smart when it comes to storing energy. When you don’t need the energy from food right away, glucose gets put into storage in the liver and muscles to use when you’re ready. These guys hate being alone, so they huddle together and call their new group “glycogen.” Then, when you do end up needing a boost of energy—to crush your next camp, for example—the group of glycogen is broken apart to release each glucose molecule into the bloodstream to be used as fuel for the cells, leaving the glycogen “storage facility” empty. Our job is to fill that storage container back up, which requires protein and carbohydrates.

Not every workout is created equal—even Burn Boot Camp’s weekly protocol balances strength and high-intensity cardio days. That being said, it is something to consider when choosing your post-workout fuel. After an intense workout, you want to make sure to get protein and carbs with foods like smoothies or an apple and peanut butter. If you need inspiration, check out these recipes:

After a strength-based workout, adding a scoop of protein to some water or your milk of choice is a great way to make sure you don’t miss the anabolic window. Try to use a high-quality protein powder that is minimally processed for maximum absorption. Some key things to look for on the label:

• Contains zero artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners or preservatives 
• Non-GMO
• Grass-fed, non-denatured whey 
• More than 20 grams of protein per serving 

Two options we love that meet all these requirements : 

• Chocolate Protein Powder
• Vanilla Protein Powder

The International Society of Sports Nutrition suggests active people aim for an overall daily protein intake of between 0.64 and 1 grams per pound of body weight—for example, a 150-pound active person needs roughly 95 to 150 grams of protein per day. If you find that you are falling short of the recommended amount, a serving of AfterBurn protein powder will give you 23 grams per serving.

10 Ways to Use Protein Powder

• Coffee 
• Smoothies 
• Yogurt 
• Oatmeal 
• Pancakes 
• Cookies 
• Brownies 
• Shakes
• Added to Milk
• Waffles 
• Cake 

If you are feeling adventurous, these Burn recipes are so delicious, you won’t believe they pack a protein punch:

• Funfetti Afterburn Protein Bars
• Baked Maple Protein Oatmeal
• Protein-Packed Afterburn Pancakes
• Giant Triple Chocolate Protein Cookie
• Sugarless Sugar Cookies with Whipped Protein Frosting

If you like this article, you’ll also love….

$1 Homemade No Sugar Added Cranberry Juice Recipe

Ingredients: 

• 1 Cup Cranberries 
• 1 Cup Water

Bring 1 cup of cranberries and 1 cup of water to a boil in a small sauce pan. (The unused cranberries in the bag can be frozen for up to 1 year.) When the cranberries start to pop open (about 1-2 minutes), reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Using a fine mesh colander, strain the juice into a container and then mash the remaining berries to get all of the juice out. Pour strained juice into a glass jar with a lid and keep in the refrigerator to use in your detox tea throughout the week. Recipe yields a little over 1/2 cup of juice which contains less than 4g of sugar.

Easy, inexpensive, and it leaves your house smelling wonderful, too!

Stephanie Drew is the owner of Burn Boot Camp North Durham’s Fit Community of Mom’s and is very passionate about educating others on how you can be healthy, but also save money!