Hey Reader!
In the 56th issue of The MF Kitchen, you'll slice into the details of:
- Recipes for my Cauliflower Chicken Fried Rice and Frosted Strawberry Uncrustable Protein Pop Tarts!
- Fast food wasn't always fast...
- The 5 (must-have) ingredients for macro-friendly meals...
- It’s okay to have the sweet (just don’t forget to do this too)...
Preheat your ovens…
Weekly Recipe Roundup 🍽️
Cauliflower Chicken Fried Rice
No more soggy cauliflower rice!
An amazing option for meal prep as well 🙌
Click below to download the recipe and make it easy yourself:
Cauliflower Chicken Fried Rice.pdf
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Frosted Strawberry Uncrustable Protein Pop Tarts
These are amazing for a healthy snack meal prep!
Just make sure to keep the frosting on the side and then just air fry again for a minute or two to heat back up!
Click below to download the recipe and make it easy yourself:
Frosted Strawberry Uncrustable Protein Pop Tarts.pdf
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Recipe Recreations Of The Week 🤌
Cheesy Garlic Breadsticks!
Macros for the WHOLE Batch (12 Breadsticks):
696 Cals, 69g Carbs, 20g Fat, 60g Protein
Here's the recipe and video:
👉 https://www.instagram.com/p/DDNLQ3kxs9X/
Zach's Beats 🎧
Weird Food Fact 🤓
It’s the 1940s, and you’re starving (like, so hungry you’d fight someone for a stale slice of bread).
You pull into a drive-in (hoping for a quick bite) except that’s not how things work back then.
You park your car, flash your headlights (yep, that’s how you “place” your order), and wait. And wait. And wait.
Some guy in a paper hat finally waddles over to take your order, and just as quickly vanishes back inside like he’s running from the mob.
Meanwhile, you’re sitting there, wondering if you’ll live long enough to actually eat (or if you’ll just become a cautionary tale about hunger and bad service).
Fast food? More like eventual food.
But then came the wild idea that changed everything:
Drive-thrus.
“What if you could order food without having to park, wait, order, wait, and sit there in your car an eternity until it was delivered?”
Sounds obvious now, but back then?
People thought it was madness.
Restaurant owners were like, “Wait… you want me to serve food through a hole in the wall?”
The first-ever drive-thru is credited to a little burger joint called In-N-Out back in 1948.
They had this crazy idea that you could skip the whole park-and-wait situation and get your food faster.
Mind-blowing, right?
Except it wasn’t exactly a smooth ride. A lot of people doubted it.
They figured customers wouldn’t go for it.
But clearly, that didn’t last.
By the 1970s? McDonald’s had fully embraced the drive-thru, and the rest is greasy, delicious history.
Today, drive-thrus handle about 70% of all fast food sales in the U.S.
Crazy, right? Something we take for granted today (grabbing a burger and fries in under five minutes) was once considered a risky experiment.
Well if I am being honest, eating fast food nowadays is a risky experiment lol.
It’s gone downhill in quality big time 😭
So the next time you’re in line waiting for your mobile order, just remember, at least you’re not parked with your headlights flashing, praying someone notices you.
Now excuse me while I whip up a macro-friendly 518 Cal Chicken Tender & Fries meal at home because fast food isn’t what it used to be 🤷🏻♂️
One FAQ ❓
Question of the Week:
“Hey Zach, I always find recipes that I don’t have the ingredients for. Are there 5 versatile macro-friendly ingredients that you recommend always having for sweet recipes?”
Answer: Love this question! And major props for using the word “versatile” (because that’s exactly what I look for when stocking my kitchen).
If an ingredient isn’t pulling its weight in multiple recipes, it’s not earning a spot in my pantry.
Simple as that.
Everything I recommend? I’ve used it in tons of recipes, and I’ll keep showing you even more ways to make the most of it.
Here’s my top 5 lineup:
1. Greek Yogurt
This one’s the MVP. Seriously. There’s nothing it can’t do.
From no-bake recipes to baking, frostings, and even pizza crusts, it’s the definition of flexible.
I’ve probably used it in every way possible.
Keep it stocked, and you’ll always have a high-protein base ready to go!
2. Sugar-Free/Fat-Free Pudding Mix
This ingredient is straight-up magic.
It’s my go-to for adding flavor and thick, creamy texture to everything from Greek yogurt and protein oatmeal to ice cream and frostings.
And the best part? You don’t need much to make a big impact.
Pro tip: The cheesecake flavor is elite. Trust me.
3) Whey/Casein Blend Protein Powder
Let’s talk protein powders (because not all are created equal).
Whey gives recipes structure and fluff, but it’s not great for moisture.
Casein (on the other hand) adds density and keeps things moist. But too much casein can make things a bit too dense.
Blend them together? Game changer.
That’s why I created Flex Brands Protein Powder with the perfect ratio of whey and casein for recipes.
Same deal with my one-of-a-kind blend for the FLEX Vegan Protein Powders.
Balanced, versatile, and perfect for baking or no-bake treats.
4) Black Cocoa Powder & Special Dark Cocoa Powder
OREO lovers, the Black Cocoa Powder is the secret sauce.
I’ve been using black cocoa powder since 2015 after digging into OREO’s formula (yes, I’m that guy).
Turns out, this is the exact cocoa they use for their cookies.
Add it to anything for that classic OREO flavor. But a heads-up, this stuff is super absorbent and very bitter on its own.
Use it sparingly, and it’ll take your recipes to the next level.
And a close second place for a RICH dark chocolate vibe, the special dark cocoa powder is a staple in my kitchen.
5) Powdered Peanut Butter
Okay, I’m biased because I made Protein Cookie Butter Powder (and all my cookie butter monsters know this!) but powdered PB still deserves a spot.
It’s perfect for adding zero-sweetness, bare-bones peanut butter flavor without loading up on fats.
Works great in no-bake treats, baking, and even sauces.
Not my go-to for eating straight, but as a recipe booster? Total staple.
And there you have it, my top 5 kitchen essentials for sweet, macro-friendly recipes.
If you’ve got any other favorites I need to try, hit reply and let me know! I’m always experimenting and will keep you posted if anything new makes the list.
Serving Surprise 😮
It’s astonishing how little this thing is:
270 calories for the little brownie!
VS this whole plate of strawberries is 300 calories:
But here’s where most people get it wrong.
Because I DON’T want to directly compare these two.
Brownie or strawberries.
It’s not a battle.
What if it’s both?
Because let’s be real, downing that brownie is delicious. But 10 minutes later? You’re probably still hungry.
The plate of strawberries? It’ll leave you stuffed, but maybe not satisfied if your sweet tooth is still screaming at you.
So instead of making it an either-or choice, try the “and” approach.
Cosmic brownie AND a balanced meal high in protein.
The brownie hits the craving. The protein and volume from the meal keep you full.
Now you’re satisfied AND fueled.
The brownie isn’t the bad guy here.
It’s just a one-trick pony.
It keeps your diet sustainable because you’re not cutting out the foods you love.
But it can’t do the heavy lifting alone.
It’s not going to keep you full, hit your protein goals, or leave you feeling energized.
That’s why we pair it.
Because we don’t just want to lose weight.
We want to build a way of eating that actually fits our lives.
A diet that doesn’t feel like a diet.
And most importantly, one that lasts.
This time of year always feels like a fresh start, doesn’t it?
Make the most of that momentum and motivation. It’s something that goes away as the year goes on.
My goal with these emails is to give you the tools to run with that momentum.
You got this 🫡
Your friend,
Zach