You’ll flip for these Blueberry Protein Pancakes!
Growing up, every Sunday morning was pancake time. Our mom, who as you know made everything from scratch, would whip out her whole wheat flour, eggs, and her other pantry staples and get cooking. Usually we’d have apples and cinnamon in them and on special occasions, there would be blueberries, yum! 🙂 . Mom’s pancakes were yummy, but they certainly took some time to make and they definitely weren’t light and fluffy. They were dense and heavy (this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, Mom!—unless you plan on exercising later since they stay in your stomach all day. On the bright side when you feel really full and heavy, you won’t overeat later in the day ;)).
Nowadays, we still love a good pancake (remember these Easy Oats ‘n’ Nana Pancakes, these Homemade Skinny Pancakes and these Double Chocolate Chip Pancakes and we still need it to keep us feeling full (and you too!) so that none of us end up overeating later. And we all also need to be able to make it really quickly. We want it to feel light and fluffy so we can stay energized and also exercise without getting a stomach cramp. That’s why we made these jacks! They are the ultimate start to your day for weight loss (although they make an ideal snack too! Just sayin’…!).
Our clients especially love these on weekends –they feel like they can have a guilt-free delicious brunch even when they are trying to get bikini ready.
Meet Your New Muffin Top Shrinking Bestie…
First, these jacks are super easy to prepare and have just a few ingredients you likely already have at home, so you’ll actually make them. Second they’re protein-packed to keep you satisfied—and they’re light, only 75 calories each for a good-sized jack, yet they’ll fuel you so that you can exercise and stay satisfied. So they’ll prevent you from getting ravenous and overeating later in the day. As you probably know, our clients who have eggs with breakfast (remember these Wake-up Sunnyside Pineapple Berry Oatmeal , these Veggie Frittata Bites and these Balsamic Egg White Capped Portobello Burger) find it one of the greatest weight loss secrets because they give you a lot of bang (staying power!) for your buck (a relatively small amount of calories).
After eating these, our clients feel great all morning and it prevents them from overeating. So they typically see great results with inches lost around the waistline. And this recipes sneaks in eggs—and 10 grams of protein per light and fluffster pancake ;).
Spotlight on rockin’ pancake ingredients:
One small very ripe banana:—this satiating quality carbohydrate fuels the body, providing energy. It’s got fiber to help fill you up and keep energy levels stable. Plus, its’ sweet flavor squashes sweet cravings and it’s a high moisture food (74% water), so its’ great combination of water and potassium helps to restore normal hydration status in the body, flushing bloat.
Protein Powder: Generally speaking, we stick to real, whole food. However, over the years, various protein powder manufacturers have sent us their protein powders to sample– and with our hectic lifestyles, at times we’ve found we really appreciate the convenience and portability of a protein source that won’t spoil easily. And we’ve been grateful to have the powders to quickly toss in our homemade shakes and some other recipes.
Our favorites have contained just a source of organic protein (typically from whey, pea, hemp, brown rice, artichoke or cranberry) or along with protein, just some greens (dehydrated vegetable or other plant products)—but not the ones with additional fats, grains, or thickeners. Since protein powders all differ in their nutritional content, try to find one that has little to no sugar and is low in carbs and fat. A protein powder can assist in body fat loss if you typically choose a carb-heavy breakfast and instead lighten it up by cutting back on some of the carbs and adding some protein to help you to stay full longer and stay on track. This will prevent overeating soon after breakfast—and the rest of the day.
Note: A word of caution: Watch out for protein powders with additives. To make it easier, try to choose protein powders with just a few ingredients so you don’t have to research all of the other ingredients that very likely could be sugars or sugar substitutes, herbs, etc. If you do find protein powders with many ingredients and you have time to research them (eeks, who has time!?), you can check it out here http://ods.od.nih.gov/. Also, beware if a protein powder brags on the label about creating weight loss on—it likely could dehydrate you with a diuretic and cause a quick water loss which is regained just as quickly as it’s lost!
Egg whites: In our experience as dietitians, including eggs at breakfast helps to stave off hunger more than any other food. Preventing hunger is the key when it comes to weight loss. If you’re trying to lose weight and you’re hungry, it’s very hard to prevent succumbing to temptations. Egg whites contain about 16 calories per egg white and 4 grams of protein. Have 4 egg whites for about 64 calories and 16 grams of protein. You’ll feel really full for a very few amount of calories.
Blueberries: We recommend topping your jacks with these. Not only are they delicious but they may aid in weight loss! They contain the phytochemical known as Cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G). Research shows C3G aids in the production of both adiponectin, which enhances fat metabolism, and leptin, which suppresses appetite. Burn more fat and prevent an insatiable appetite? Sign us up! 🙂
Take a dip in the skinny pond…
Blueberry Protein Pancakes
Makes 3 pancakes
Ingredients
1 small very ripe banana
½ scoop vanilla flavored protein powder (1/2 scoop of the one we used has 50 calories and 10 grams of protein like Garden of Eatin’ Raw Organic Protein or Tera’s Whey)
6 egg whites
Toppings (optional)
½ cup blueberries, recommended
2 teaspoons honey, optional (if use, heat in microwave for about 15 seconds so it becomes very runny and a little bit goes a long way)
Directions
1. Mash banana with a fork until it’s thoroughly mashed.
2. Stir in egg whites and protein powder.
3. Spritz a skillet with oil from a spray jar. Heat oil over medium heat. Once pan is hot, add three pancakes to the pan and heat, cooking and flipping over several times until you have the perfect pancake! Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts Per Serving (1 Pancake):
75 calories, 8 g carbohydrate, 1 g fat, 10 g protein, 0 g saturated fat, 1 g fiber
Nutrition Facts Per Serving (1 Pancake with ½ cup blueberries):
89 calories, 12 g carbohydrate, 1 g fat, 10 g protein, 0 g saturated fat, 2 g fiber
Wanna eat all three delish pancakes? Be our slim, satiated guest! 😉
3 Pancakes: 225 calories, 24 g carbohydrate, 2 g fat, 30 g protein, 0 g saturated fat, 3 g fiber
- 1 small very ripe banana
- ½ scoop vanilla flavored protein powder (1/2 scoop of the one we used has 50 calories and 10 grams of protein)
- 6 egg whites (we used Eggland’s Best www.Egglandsbest.com)
- Toppings (optional)
- ½ cup blueberries, recommended
- 2 teaspoons honey, optional (if use, heat in microwave for about 15 seconds so it becomes very runny and a little bit goes a long way)
- Mash banana with a fork until it’s thoroughly mashed.
- Stir in egg whites and protein powder.
- Spritz a skillet with oil from a spray jar. Heat oil over medium heat. Once pan is hot, add three pancakes to the pan and heat, cooking and flipping over several times until you have the perfect pancake! Enjoy!