You’ve heard it before: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. While every meal is important, there is a lot of truth to the statement that breakfast is most important. While you were sleeping, your body depleted its energy stores, which caused you insulin levels to spike, which lead to your body retaining fat. Also, your body went into a catabolic state, meaning it started feeding on muscle for energy. This combination puts you behind the 8-ball right off the bat in the morning. You need to feed your body a protein-rich, low fat meal, but it also needs to contain slow-digesting carbohydrates that will balance and sustain you insulin levels. Protein pancakes will fill that void.
Below is a basic recipe that you can alter to you liking (add cinnamon, brown sugar, fruit, etc.), just make sure it is within reason; there is no sense in turning this into a sugar-packed meal. To make basic protein pancakes, mix together equal parts eggs, oats (I prefer quick oats because they cook quicker… go figure), and low fat or fat-free cottage cheese (or greek yogurt). You can use egg whites if you prefer, but the yoke, while high in fat, also has additional protein and some of that fat is omega-3 fats which are good for you, so don’t shy away from the yoke just because there is fat in it.
Once mixed, pour into a small skillet to make as many pancakes as the mix will make (the smaller they are, the easier they are to flip). Top with fruit and/or syrup (a small amount!) and enjoy.
If this recipe is too boring, you can find a list of more exotic recipes here. You can add peanut butter, protein powder, coconut oil, almond milk, and pretty much anything else that is high in protein to spice up your protein pancakes. Just make sure that the finished product is high in protein, low in fat, and balanced with slow-digesting carbs (and of course, it should taste good too). Give it a try and enjoy!
