Laurenfitfoodie

I've been experimenting with getting the perfect Ninja Creami base recipe, and I think I've gotten pretty close. The specific ingredients/brands I chose were ones I found to be most cost effective.

• 1 Scoop (31-33g) Protein Powder
  • I use PEScience because I like the flavor better than other brands. I've also used Optimum Nutrition and it worked well too. The vanilla will work well for most flavors, but I also like to use the same flavor protein as the ice cream I'm making (if available, otherwise I just use vanilla). Aside from the nutritional benefits, protein powder also acts as a stabilizer to further improve texture.
• 10g Modified Cornstarch
  • Significantly improves overall texture. I use the Thick-It brand, but there are many others. Jell-O is made with modified cornstarch so will work fine too. Regular cornstarch will not work.
• ~1/8-1/4 tsp (~1.4g) Salt
  • I eyeball this when measuring so the amount is a rough estimate. Lite salt and NoSalt will also work. Not completely necessary if using Jell-O or another pre flavored modified cornstarch.
• ~1/8-1/4tsp (~0.7g) Xanthan Gum
  • I also eyeball this. There's other stabilizers like guar gum that I haven't tried but may work even better than xanthan gum. I haven't felt the need to switch yet though. Don't add too much or the texture becomes...weird.
• ~1/8tsp (~1.4g) Sucralose Powder (or whatever sweetener you want)
  • Also eyeball this. I use pure sucralose, not something like Splenda which has extra bulk added. The brand I use is Hard Rhino (on Amazon US). It's very easy to add too much of this, so maybe start with a little and add a very small pinch at a time until desired sweetness.
• 1 tsp (7g) Corn Syrup
  • This is to mitigate ice crystals. It's worth the extra 20 calories for the better texture it provides. Honey also works but how well depends on the particular honey. I think it has to do with the amount of invert sugar present. You can read about it's effect on ice cream here: https://www.seriouseats.com/the-deal-with-corn-syrup-makes-better-sorbet-why-use-invert-sugars. For a calorie free alternative, maltitol syrup works (like Smuckers sugar free sundae syrups), but it can also act as a laxative so YMMV.
• Water (fill it up to the fill line)

And that's it, just blend and freeze for at least 12 hours (preferably 16+). I almost never use just the base recipe though because it needs more flavor. For some flavors like the one's below, you can just add some easy to find ingredients to increase the flavor. For others, I use extracts. I've found extracts to be the best way to easily add flavor, just make sure to not add too much. In the US, McCormick makes some good quality, easy to find extracts for flavors like Vanilla, Mint, and Coconut. I've also tried Bakto's Butter Pecan which works really well, and I've ordered some Amoretti flavors to try too (they are pretty expensive, though). One brand I unfortunately cannot recommend is OliveNation. All of the extracts I've ordered from them have tasted....awful. Maybe try their flavor fountains though
Flavors not needing extracts (although I often add a 1/2tsp of vanilla extract to these flavors, just because) These are to my taste preference so you may need to adjust:

• Coffee - Base (I use PES Snickerdoodle) + 1/4cup (20g) instant coffee
• Key Lime - Base + 1/2cup (120g) keylime juice.
• Chocolate - Base (Preferably a chocolatey protein flavor) + 2Tbsp (10-12g) dutch processed cocoa
• Peanut Butter - Base (I use PES Peanut Butter Cookie) + 2Tbsp (16g) PBFit (better than PB2 IMO). Adding up to 6Tbsp of PBFit (48g) makes it even better, but just be aware there's 70kcal per 2Tbsp

You can basically add anything (fruits, sauces, powders, etc. to the base to create any flavor you want. With extracts, any flavor will have less than 250kcal per pint.
For those without a Creami, the base and all flavors will also work as Protein Fluff. Just omit the water, and use 300g ice cubes and only a 1/2cup of whatever liquid you want. Then follow the same process as this recipe: https://laurenfitfoodie.com/how-to-make-the-best-protein-fluff/#mv-creation-23-jtr

Hey everyone! I just wanted to share three really great bloggers that I follow, a few of their recipes that I've had on weekly rotation, and open the floor up to suggestions from other people too!
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1. Lauren Fit Foodie:

https://laurenfitfoodie.com/
I am NOT a fan of the desserts on this blog, but the following non-dessert items have been awesome:
https://laurenfitfoodie.com/upside-down-cheesy-garlic-egg-white-pizza/
https://laurenfitfoodie.com/buffalo-chicken-spaghetti-squash-casserole/
https://laurenfitfoodie.com/slow-cooker-chicken-curry-low-fat-healthy-and-easy/
https://laurenfitfoodie.com/?s=philly+cheesesteak
https://laurenfitfoodie.com/?s=jammin+crunch+wrap
and the one dessert I do like (this is a recipe for protein "fluff"/ice cream). I make it almost every day.
https://laurenfitfoodie.com/how-to-make-the-best-protein-fluff/
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I follow her on insta too, and she has such a great personality, and awesome relationship with food. Big fan.
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2) Katie Crokus
https://www.empowernutritioncoach.com/recipe-links
Follow the links on the website above. My favorites are the chicken and brocolli bake, rainbow chili, and the chicken and tomato stew. My absolute favorite is the ZPO bar (zuchinni pumpkin oat bar). They are 1 cal/gram and give all regular baked goods a run for their money.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3iEbnKDTZv/
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3) Emyogifit
https://emyogifit.com/
So....even if you aren't a female body builder you'll probably like her stuff. Shes got tons of fun desserts, cauliflower oat tutorials, my favorite dinner recipe from her is by far the bbq bowl.
https://emyogifit.com/2020/03/09/everything-bbq-bowl/
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But yeah! I thought I'd share. I used to follow a ton of food accounts on insta that didn't really resonate with my volume eating ways. I'd always look at their stuff and be like, "ok....soooo....wheres the rest of the food? how are you not eating the walls behind you?!?!" These guys normalize the volume a little bit, and also show how awesome your results can be if you stick to it!
So what are your favorite accounts to follow?