Delicious and Filling Protein Powered Pancakes

Over the past many, many years I have experimented with breakfast foods and breakfast recipes. I have learned that my first meal of the day needs to be filled with protein.  Oh, I have tried various carb-filled delights such as pancakes with fruit and maple syrup, or stuffed French toast with whipped cream... and as delicious and filling as I find those things while I am eating them, an hour later I am shaking and HANGRY... with low blood sugar and a headache.  And quite miserable.  And I make everyone around me miserable too, until I get something else to eat.

So, I know that my breakfast needs protein.  Lots of protein.  On days I work out in the morning, I normally have a shake made with some kind of protein powder.  If I use a whey powder, I make it with nut milk and some kind of fruit.  If I use a vegan powder that is higher in carbs I usually add only water.

After my workout, I will have an another small protein-filled meal... usually eggs or egg whites with spinach, or squash, and perhaps some turkey bacon.

But on days I don't work out, I like to have one solid meal in the morning and then not eat again till noon.  I have been trying out different foods to make sure I have my nutritional bases covered... protein, carbs, and a bit of fat... enough to get me through a busy morning but not weigh me down. It needs to have lots of protein, some carbs, some fat.  A good balance of all three.

I love pancakes.  But I have not found a mix that is both high protein and gluten-free that is anywhere near affordable, so I have been trying various mixtures of ingredients, and I think I have finally come up with something that is worthy of sharing.

I have make this same recipe 3 different mornings now and find it not only tastes great, but it also fills me up and keeps me fuelled, easily, through several hours.  Now, admittedly, it is kind of time consuming to make a new batch every time I want some, so I have started to pre-measure the dry ingredients for a few batches and keep them in sealed bags in the pantry. That way I can grab one, add the wet ingredients, and start cooking within a couple of minutes. Cleanup is easy too.

I weigh gluten-free oats and then grind them into flour in my food processor.  Then I mix them with the rest of the dry ingredients and bag them up.  When I want to make a batch of cakes, I mash some banana, then beat up some egg whites, add the dry ingredients and cook the cakes in a pre-heated pan that has been coated with a bit of non-stick spray.

If you don't have a banana, I am pretty sure that an equal amount of pumpkin puree or unsweetened applesauce would work as well.  Of course, the N.I. would be slightly different.

I use a vanilla whey protein powder. You could try another flavor if you like. If you use unflavored, then add a bit of vanilla extract or almond extract to your wet ingredients.

Here are the amounts you need to make 4 nice pancakes.  And yes, they freeze.  Make a huge batch and freeze them. That would make mornings even easier, right?

Protein Powered Pancakes
makes 1 serving of 4 cakes

 Dry Ingredients:

• 40g oats ground into flour (about 1/3 to 1/2 cup)
• 16g whey protein powder (about 1/2 scoop)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• liberal dash of cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup egg whites
• 60 g ripe banana, mashed (about 1/2 small)

Instructions:

1. Pour egg whites into mixing bowl and beat till a bit fluffy with fork or whisk.
2. Add mashed banana and beat a bit more.
3. Add the dry ingredients, mix well.
4. Make 4 individual pancakes.  Use a 1/4 cup measure to spoon batter into prepared pan.  Cook for a couple of minutes and flip over to cook second side. Remove to plate and cover to keep warm. Repeat for all 4 cakes.
5. Serve with favorite toppings.

Per 4 cake serving, without toppings.

Weight Watchers Smart Points =  8.

Calories 324;

Fat 4g;

Saturated Fat 1g;

Carbohydrates 42g;

Sugar 9g;

Protein 33g

Cook the pancakes one at a time in a preheated pan.

I like sugar free syrup on my pancakes... but you could try fruit or yogurt.

Dig in!

Printable Recipe

Are you pancake fan or do you prefer waffles?

High Protein Breakfasts Suitable for Weight Watchers with Smart Points Values

I always eat high protein breakfasts... I have learned by trial and error over the past several years, that the more protein in relation to fat and carbs that I consume in the morning, the better my day goes.  Protein satisfies me.  Starchy carbs do not.

Some people do very well with eating cereal in the morning... I am not one of them.

I  have tried eating oatmeal with milk and fruit... I have tried bagels with peanut butter and perhaps all-fruit jam... but those things just make me light-headed within an hour and then I get HANGRY... you know, that feeling that you have to eat RIGHT NOW or chew off the arm of the person closest to you!  Nobody wants to be around that person and The Captain, bless him, put up with that for far too many years until I figured it out.

On those three days a week that I do my strength training program in the morning, I have a quick high protein shake about an hour before my workout. which I follow up with a walk.  Then I come in and make breakfast.  I have a few favorites that are very high in protein. I usually add some low glycemic-load veggies or fruit alongside... mostly for the sake of volume and taste.

I do like eggs with turkey bacon or lean ham.  And if there is neither on hand, I will have scrambled egg whites with cottage cheese or plain Greek yogurt, and some fruit.

I love that egg whites have so much protein and no fat, but sometimes I need the extra nutrients that a whole egg provides so I will scramble a whole egg with my egg whites.  It really does increase the satisfaction factor.

Here are some breakfasts that I have eaten recently and have really enjoyed.. and found that they have kept me fully satisfied for 4 to 5 hours till I eat my lunch.  I am sharing the Weight Watchers Smart Point count for each because I know that is important to some of you.

Scrambled egg whites with cottage cheese and mike-softened apple slices, strawberry slices, cinnamon sprinkles.

Total SP = 2

Eggs with lean ham and navel orange pieces.

Total SP  5.

Eggs with turkey bacon and sauteed yellow zoodles.

Total SP = 5.

Scrambled eggs with tomato, onion, and real crumbled bacon, pieces of navel orange.

Total SP = 5.

Scrambled egg and egg whites with fat free Greek yogurt, sauteed apple slices and cinnamon sprinkles.

Total SP = 3.

Eggs with turkey bacon and ruby red grapefruit pieces.

Total SP = 5.

If you like to get a little creative with protein powders, check out some of my breakfast recipes such as my High Protein Puck (2 SP), or  my High Protein Breakfast Puff (2 SP).

If  you must have oatmeal in the morning, have a look at a couple of ways to get more protein into them.  Protein Packed Cheesy Oats (7 SP) is one good idea. 

Some Smart Point counts for common breakfast items:

1 egg = 2 SP

1/2 cup egg whites = 0 SP

1 cup egg whites = 1 SP

4 slices turkey bacon = 1 SP

2 slices lean ham = 1 SP

1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese = 2 SP

1/2 cup fat free plain Greek yogurt = 1 SP

1/4 cup uncooked oats, quick or rolled

most fruit  = 0 SP

most veggies = 0 SP

herbs and spices = 0 SP

What is your favorite breakfast these days? 

If you like this post, I hope you will share it with your friends and Pin if for future reference.

Sugar Free Meringues

As most of you know I am carb cycling these days and really trying to be  more careful with what I eat in general... not going off the rails with sweets and treats.

But since I indulged in a few gluten free macarons and date muffins (OMG!) at a family wedding I recently attended... I have been craving sugar.  Not only was it the most beautiful and intimate wedding I have ever attended, it was also the most delicious!  I guess I am going to confess to having eat a whole jar of this fabulous granola that was a favor from the wedding, too.   It is full of whole nuts and the most wonderful oat mixture.

So, I have been trying to come up with a healthy way of getting in a bit of sweetness and today I experimented with making sugar-free meringues.  I love meringues, but certainly don't want all the sugar that normally goes into making them... but I looked in my pantry and spied several little bottles of NuNaturals liquid stevia in a variety of flavors.

I chose lemon.  And went to work.  Now, I know these pictures are not great, but I am going to show them here anyway so I can share this recipe with you. If I get better ones another time, I will replace them, promise. I think it is more important at this point to get this out to you than to dither over poor pictures!

If you don't have flavored stevia, use plain and add a small spoonful of vanilla or almond or any other extract that you might like.  I used cream of tartar to help stiffen the egg whites as I beat them. If your climate is dryer than mine, you may not need it.

Little confession... no, these meringues are not exactly like the ones you would make with sugar... they are dryer and flakier... but just as tasty and they fill the sweetness need.

Sugar-Free Meringues
Makes 9 meringues

Ingredients:

• 5 Tbs liquid egg whites 
• 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
• 15 drops liquid stevia. flavor of choice

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 215°F.
2. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
3. Beat your egg whites and cream of tartar till stiff peaks form. May take several minutes.
4. Add the stevia drops and beat again till well mixed.  (At this point I tasted the mixture. If it had not been sweet enough I would have added  more stevia.)
5. Using a large spoon, make 6 mounds of the egg white mixture on the baking sheet.
6. Put the pan into the oven and bake 75 minutes.
7. Remove from oven.
8.  Store any uneaten meringues (ha ha) in a covered container as they will take on moisture.

Per whole recipe:

Weight Watchers Smart Points = 1 *

Calories 43

Fat 0g

Saturated Fat 0g

Sugar 0g

Protein 8g

* You can actually have up to 1 cup of egg whites for a single Smart Point so make a larger batch if you like and go for it!

I think I will use this method to make some Pavlova nests in the near future. With some berries and a bit of whipped cream, they will be lovely... and still low carb.  YAY!

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff.

Add stevia and beat again till mixed.

Pile on a baking sheet and place in oven.

Out of the oven and cooling...

and popping one into my mouth!

Printable Recipe

High Fibre Egg White Muffins

I think that egg whites are a really good way to get some extra protein into my daily menu. I often start my day with egg whites or eggs mixed with egg whites as the base for omelets crammed with a variety of healthy veggies... tomatoes, onions, spinach, peppers... you get the picture.

You may have heard that I am giving carb cycling a try these days... and yes, fitting it within my Weight Watchers program quite nicely, for those who are wondering.  These High Fibre Egg White Muffins are great for my low carb/higher fat days.  I love them as an after workout snack or to satisfy that mid afternoon urge to nibble, too.

They are very portable, but require a cooler if you plan to store them for more than an hour or so.

They are really simple, only require a few ingredients... if you don't use the North Coast Naturals Ultimate Daily Cleanse (and why don't you?) then you could try ground flax seeds, or a mixture of ground flax and crushed psyllium husk.

I like them slightly sweetened, but leave out the Stevia if you like... and feel free to slather them with nut butter after they have cooled a bit... or have them with a bit of cheese.  Mmmmmm.

High Fibre Egg White Muffins
Makes 6 muffins

• 1 cup egg whites (or 8 egg whites)
• 2 Tbs Ultimate Daily Cleanse
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• Dash of Stevia

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Beat all the ingredients together in a medium bowl.
3. Spoon batter into 6 prepared muffin cups.
4. Bake for 15 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
6. Store leftovers in refrigerator for up to one day.

Per serving of 2 muffin2, no toppings.

Weight Watchers P+ = 1.

Calories 59; Protein 10g; Carbohydrate 3.5g; Fat 1.2g; Fibre 1.9g.

Printable Recipe

What is your favorite after-workout recovery snack?