As part of Foodbuzz’s Tastemaker Program, I received a coupon for a free dozen of eggs. Eggland’s Best is my “go-to” brand because the eggs have four times more Vitamin D and over three times more Omega-3 compared to ordinary eggs. And the 6 grams of protein (per egg) and B-vitamins help me recover more quickly from tough runs. The other night I created a low fat, protein packed cheesecake and while the dessert was chilling, I even snuck in a nighttime run!

The main component in this dish is strained yogurt – the end result is very similar to greek yogurt!

I lined a colander with 6 flattened out coffee filters and then I placed the colander inside a large mixing bowl. Next I spooned the yogurt into the colander and let it drain overnight in the fridge.

My 32 oz ($2.99) container of Whole Foods brand plain non-fat yogurt yielded about 2 cups of strained yogurt. Plus a cup of whey – I’m saving this to use in cooking/baking because it’s packed with nutrients.

Protein Packed Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter (4 Tbs), melted
• 1 cup whole-wheat graham cracker crumbs
• 2 cups of strained non-fat yogurt (from a 32 oz. tub)
• 2 8-oz containers of non-fat cream cheese
• 1 whole egg and 3 egg whites, lightly beaten (Eggland’s Best brand)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tbs flour
• 2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and place a pan of water on the bottom shelf of the oven (this will provide a humid baking environment for the cheesecake)
• Mix together the butter and the graham cracker crumbs, press mixture firmly into the bottom of an 9-inch springform cake pan, refrigerate while you prepare the filling
• Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, cream together the cream cheese and sugar
• Gently fold in the eggs, yogurt, flour, and vanilla
• Pour the filling into the springform cake pan and bake the cheesecake on the top shelf of the oven for about 50-60 minutes. Don’t open the door until the 50 minutes are up!
• Turn off the oven and allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven with the door ajar for about 30 minutes.
• Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Add chocolate chips or raspberry jam as garnish!

Nutritional stats per serving (cheesecake yields about 10 slices): 230 calories, 10.5 grams of protein, and 5.5  grams of fat.