High Protein Pancake Recipe (Low Carb)
I’ve mastered the do or die willpower that it takes to drop 5 lbs in a week. I feel like it’s gift just as much as it is a weakness. I have a photoshoot on Wednesday so I’ve been eating very clean for about 1-2 weeks (with the exception of ice cream pie on Easter). I know I can look my best by following a strict eating regimen but this tends to cause me to fall off the bandwagon as soon as my shoots are over. Do you need a set date to stay on course like me?
If so, pick an event or random date you want to weigh “X” and stick to it! I love sweets so really, when I say eat clean, I mean, skipping dessert and impulse snacks like Swedish fish while shopping at IKEA. I know that once I reach my date, I can have a cookie or cupcake… and I reward myself with one. The resistance is only temporary and helps build willpower.
As mentioned in a previous post, I’m loosely following pal’s Katrina and Karena’s Tone It Up diet plan for my photoshoot. They have a 14-day event slim down guide with details for each day leading up to the event.
So, what have I been eating while trying to slim down?
I fell in love with a breakfast called the protein pancake. It’s genius. I love carbs in the morning but to really get your muscle to show, you need to cut back on the carbs - not completely. I have this with 1/2 grapefruit most mornings.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 a banana
- 1/4 cup egg whites
- 1 scoop Vanilla whey protein powder sweetened with stevia
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed (I use chia seeds, try folding them in after they’ve been sitting in the almond milk for 10 minutes for extra volume)
- 1/2-1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons of unsweetened vanilla almond milk (this is my addition to the TIU recipe)
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl or mug. I know my flax seeds are not all ground up, my blender broke.
You mix and mash with a fork or hand held blender like me, and put into a pre-heated greased frying pan. Let the bottom set so that it’s easier to flip. Some times I put the lid on. It should take 3-5 minutes.
See the edges start to turn color?
When the bottom of the pancake seems solid, flip it over.
It comes out look just like a freaking pancake! Gluten-free pancakes too boot. Sorry vegans. I make this with chocolate protein powder and leave out the banana and seeds, for a dessert if I’m craving it.
Serving Size - 1 GIANT Pancake, about 200 calories, with over 20 g protein (depends on your protein powder), 4 g of fiber and 4 g of fat.
If you liked this post, you might also like:
Getting Skinny in 1 Week! Tone It Up Pancake Recipe
I’ve mastered the do or die willpower that it takes to drop 5 lbs in a week. I feel like it’s gift just as much as it is a weakness. I have a photoshoot on Wednesday so I’ve been eating very clean for about 1-2 weeks (with the exception of ice cream pie on Easter). I know I can look my best by following a strict eating regimen but this tends to cause me to fall off the bandwagon as soon as my shoots are over. Do you need a set date to stay on course like me?
If so, pick an event or random date you want to weigh “X” and stick to it! I love sweets so really, when I say eat clean, I mean, skipping dessert and impulse snacks like swedish fish while shopping at IKEA. I know that once I reach my date, I can have a cookie or cupcake… and I reward myself with one. The resistance is only temporary and helps build willpower.
As mentioned in a previous post, I’m loosely following pal’s Katrina and Karena’s Tone It Up diet plan for my photoshoot. They have a 14-day event slim down guide with details for each day leading up to the event.
I’ve going to have my very own college section in the updated plan for college students so if you are thinking of buying, hold off one more month!
So, what have I been eating while trying to slim down?
I fell in love with a breakfast called the “Tone It Up” (TIU for short) pancake. It’s genius. I love carbs in the morning but to really get your muscle to show, you need to cut back on the carbs - not completely. I have this with 1/2 grapefruit most mornings.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 a banana
- 1/4 cup egg whites
- 1 scoop Vanilla whey protein powder sweetened with stevia
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed (I use chia seeds, try folding them in after they’ve been sitting in the almond milk for 10 minutes for extra volume)
- 1/2-1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons of unsweetened vanilla almond milk (this is my addition to the TIU recipe)
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl or mug. I know my flax seeds are not all ground up, my blender broke.
You mix and mash with a fork or hand held blender like me, and put into a pre-heated greased frying pan. Let the bottom set so that it’s easier to flip. Some times I put the lid on. It should take 3-5 minutes.
See the edges start to turn color?
When the bottom of the pancake seems solid, flip it over.
It comes out look just like a freaking pancake! Gluten-free pancakes too boot. Sorry vegans. I make this with chocolate protein powder and leave out the banana and seeds, for a dessert if I’m craving it.
Serving Size - 1 GIANT Pancake, about 200 calories, with over 20 g protein (depends on your protein powder), 4 g of fiber and 4 g of fat.
If you liked this post, you might also like:
Vegan Chocolate Cake with Banana Frosting Recipe
As a blogger, labeling recipes as Vegan or Gluten Free is a tricky decision. On one hand, non vegan readers may think this recipe is not for them. Some automatically think, gross, while other’s like me are intrigued. Many of my recipes are unintentionally vegan and gluten free but I eat neither diet purposefully. When I label a recipe, I don’t want to shy away my meat eater, bread loving friends. On the other hand when I label a dessert Vegan, some of my dieting viewers think, oh this must be low calorie, which of course is not always true.
Last year for my best friend Elizabeth’s birthday, I made her a healthy chocolate chip cake. It was a hit at the party despite being “healthi-fied”. I used 1/2 real sugar, 1/2 NuNaturals Baking Blend and a prune mixture instead of oil. I decided to tackle the challenge again, this time going Vegan!
I found a recipe on Oh She Glows for a chocolate cake recipe that seemed very simple. I modified it using what I had on hand. The result - one kick ass birthday cake that no one knew was Vegan or Sugar Free! It’s really just an eggless cake but that is what makes it vegan.
Vegan Chocolate Cake with Banana Frosting
Ingredients:
- 1 cup UnSweetened Vanilla Almond milk
- 1/2 cup NuNaturals Baking Blend Stevia plus 1/3 cup of Erythritol (or 1 cup Sugar)
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (or other oil)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp pure almond extract (optional)
- 1.5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt, to taste
Directions: Preheat over to 350F. In a bowl, combine almond milk, oil, sugar, apple cider vinegar, vanilla, almond extract. To be honest, I added all the ingredients at once and my cake came out fine but for those more advanced feel free to follow proper baking steps. Beat for about 2-3 minutes on medium or with your hands for an added arm workout. Next, sift in the remaining ingredients and blend until lumps are gone. 
You can make cupcakes or a cake. I made both because I didn’t want to give a nasty cake as a birthday present and felt I needed a test. Spoon batter into lined cupcakes or pour into 8x8 greased pan. Bake for about 20-25 minutes. Cool before you frost!
Next was time for the frosting! I had a banana that was going to go bad so I decided to put into whatever I was going to make. Although my cake was sugar free, I decided that sugar was pretty important for frosting. Using the banana though did allow my to omit 1/2 of the butter typical frosting recipes call for!
Vegan Banana Frosting Recipe
- 1 mashed Banana
- 1/4 cup Earth Balance Buttery Stick (or butter)
- 3 cups Confectioners Sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
Blend together banana, vanilla and butter with a blender. Slowly add confectioners sugar starting with one cup at a time. Beat for about 5 minutes or until desired fluffiness. I put aside a 1/2 cup for decorating and adding cocoa powder instead of artificial food coloring.
How To Find The Perfect Recipe Online
Do ever find yourself scouring over the internet looking for the perfect recipe? Maybe you’re looking for vegan meals for earth day, a quick brown bag lunch idea, or a recipe to use up your produce that may go bad, but if you are like me, this process usually is overwhelming. With so many recipes on sites like Cooks.com, AllRecipes.com, Epicurious it’s difficult to weed out the ones that are good and the ones I believe to actually be wholesome. What’s an adventurous cook to do?
Recently I discovered a solution, and had to share it with all of you. I love reading healthy food blogs. I find the recipes incredibly unique, creative, healthy and ingredient lists are usually short! I know Google Reader is nothing new, but I have never used it. Now it’s my new best friend for making dinner.
Maggie told me about a bunch of blogs she reads, so I started with her list in addition to my old standbys. I get to stay up to date on all the good reads, but also when it comes time for lunch or dinner, I simply enter in the search bar an ingredient I want to use like a Laughing Cow Wedge and up pops up a bunch of ideas! 
You can do it with any dish really. Now, I can support my fellow bloggers while giving in to my obsessive habit of over researching on the internet.
After looking at the results that came up, I discovered a delicious idea for a vegetarian sandwich from PBFingers.com called Edamamemole. Julie put 1/2 cup of edamame and 1 Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss Cheese in a food processor to create a delicious vegetarian protein spread for her bagel. (The picture below is owned by PBFinger.com)
How yummy does that look! I’m excited to try this recipe today on a slice of Ezekial bread with dijon mustard, tomato, lettuce and avocado! It’s a great inexpensive way to get your protein without using meat in a sandwich. A half cup of edamame has 13 g of protein and just 120 calories, for a recipe total of 155 calories.
This recipe would also work as a perfect snack as a dip with carrots and celery or crackers.
Now, if I never searched my google reader for recipes, I never would have stumbled upon this creative yet oh so simple idea. Thanks Maggie, Google and Julie!
Do you use google reader already to find new recipes? Am I laggard on this one, or am I actually showing you something you didn’t already know? What are some of your favorite food blogs you think I should add to my google reader?
Discalimer: I’ve partnered with The Laughing Cow. Click here for more info and click here to see all my ideas using the Laughing Cow.
Earth Day Vegan Challenge
This Friday is Earth Day! For over 40 years, Earth Day—April 22—has inspired and mobilized individuals and organizations worldwide to demonstrate their commitment to environmental protection and sustainability.
I don’t believe I’ve ever actively participated in Earth Day on my own, so this year I’m taking the initiative and giving all of you my readers a challenge! If you read my blog, you most likely are also concerned with your own health so here are my top two Earth Day healthy challenges for you to complete.
1. Go vegan or vegetarian for the entire day.
A less drastic approach would be to eat like a locavore (ie only eat foods that were grown nearby). If you are already vegan, skip down to #2.
A 2006 United Nation report revealed that the “livestock sector” generates more greenhouse gas emissions than all the cars, trucks, trains, ships, and planes in the world combined. The livestock sector is one of the largest sources of carbon dioxide and the single largest source of both methane and nitrous oxide emissions. Nitrous oxide is considerably more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. According to the U.N., the meat, egg, and dairy industries account for a staggering 65 percent of nitrous oxide emissions.”
To help combat climate change, cut back on the meat you eat.
“If every American skipped one meal of chicken per week and substituted vegetables and grains … the carbon dioxide savings would be the same as taking more than half a million cars off of U.S. roads. … If every American had one meat-free meal per week, it would be the same as taking more than 5 million cars off our roads. Having one meat-free day per week would be the same as taking 8 million cars off American roads.”
2. Plant a home garden in your backyard or even a window box of full of herbs if you live in a city like me. 
Starting your own little garden without pesticides benefits the environment and removes toxins from your own diet.
Learn how to get started by visiting Learn2Grow.com.
Having a backyard full of fresh herbs is handy when you’re cooking and saves you money. You are reducing carbon emissions used to transport your food. You are also reducing the amount waste that it takes to get the food from the foreign country to your table. A garden significantly reduces greenhouse gas which promotes climate change, waste and improves your health.
There are many more ways to participate in Earth Day like drinking out of a reusable water bottle, walking or biking instead of driving but these are sorta obvious ones that I feel you can do on a regular basis starting today. If you aren’t, start thinking about how to give back. Going vegan even just one day a week takes a bit of research and preparation which is why I’m posting this today!
If you plan to go vegan, click the “Like” button below or share on Twitter with the hashtag #VeganEarthDay. I always say I could be a vegan and now I have a moral reason to do so once a week. I’m helping the environment :)
Here are some vegan recipes to help you get started:
Vegan Breakfast: Baked Oatmeal Banana Bite Muffins
Vegan Lunch: Sesame Maple Baked Tofu Salad
Vegan Dinner: Sweet Potato Edamame Greens Bowl
Black Bean Mango Quinoa Salad
Black Bean Mango Quinoa Salad
- 2 cups quinoa
- 4 cups water
- 1 mango, diced
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 1 small bunch of cilantro, chopped fine
- the juice of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Cook quinoa according to package directions with water. Add all other ingredients to a large bowl. When quinoa is cooked, add to large bowl and stir to combine. Let set for about 15 minutes before serving so that the flavors can combine.
via Eclectic Recipes
CANNOT WAIT TO TRY. Mango + Quinoa=My Heaven