One of my favorite ways to insert some healthier and protein packed foods into my daily meal plan is to use protein powder. Yes, it isn’t just for smoothies anymore (well some of them).
Let me backup and semi-reintroduce myself first though for those who 
don’t know me already. I am a Nutritionist and personal trainer who found a love for cooking (it started very young). When I first started out in my career in the health and fitness world, I wanted to be able to make room for the foods that I loved and give them a healthy twist. I also wanted to show my clients that weight loss and fitness wasn’t about eating a salad, running a million miles and calling it a day but that what they ate was actually the deciding factor in their journey. My goal is to always show someone that they can still eat some of their favorite foods and actually lose weight, get healthy and be able to maintain this way of eating in order to create a lifestyle change instead of heading in the direction that led to yoyo or crash diets.
This is when I started to test some recipes and show my clients that healthy food 1. Didn’t have to be bland 2. diets didn’t have to consist of only salads and 3. that most times, you just needed to re-arrange your pantry and re-adjust supermarket buying habits in order to create an eating lifestyle that even the entire family could enjoy. Furthermore, the food options that they would choose were probably easier on the wallet than that of buying pre-packaged and ready made items (like frozen waffles, pancakes, canned pastas, etc). Sometimes it just took swapping a couple of items a week so that they could start to see a difference.
Now, back to the pancakes! You’ve seen the protein pancakes and waffles in your frozen aisle and even the pre-made mixes in the breakfast items aisle that can cost upwards of $5 a box and you only get a few servings out of them. These are great in a pinch when you know that you won’t have time to make them during the week but, if you do have some time, why not make a couple of purchases that are going to last you for a few weeks instead PLUS will give you multiple options on how to make them and use them? That to me is a bargain that is music to my wallet!
Let’s Talk Protein Powder
Not all protein powders are created equally!
There are SO many to choose from, so many varieties and flavors, so many that are geared towards weight loss and muscle gain, so many that are geared towards weight gain, vegan ones, egg proteins, mixed plant proteins, Casein and Whey… but, which one is right for you?
Honestly, that is all a personal choice (whether you choose to go with a plant based on or not), as well as what your personal goal is. Are you looking to loose weight? Are you looking to maintain weight? Are you looking for one that is better for you when you consume it in the morning vs in the evening? Options, so many options!
My overall go to is a toss up between Whey and Casein, whether I’m consuming it in a smoothie or I’m cooking with it. I will also sometimes also go for a plant based protein (like a pea protein instead of soy). If you are wondering what the difference is between whey and casein: Whey is a faster digesting protein as it increases amino acid delivery into your bloodstream where it metabolizes faster and gets to your muscles faster. Casein is a slower digesting protein that is one of the best to choose from if you are consuming it before bed since you will be going through a greater amount of time without consuming food.
Overall, the choice is yours but, when choosing one for this recipe or any recipe that calls for protein powder, make sure it is a flavor that you will like to use in many other creations and as well as for some smoothies. I personally keep both vanilla and chocolate whey protein at home but, will sometimes purchase a flavorless protein powder so that I can use it for cooking.
Hope this recipe helps to show you that you can still have your comfort food and still be healthy!
Apple Cinnamon Protein Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil for coating the pan
- 1/2 1 apple peeled
- 4 large Egg Whites
- 1 C Whole Wheat Flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 Scoop Vanilla Protein Powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Ginger
- dash of each nutmeg and allspice
- 2/3 C Almond Milk
- 1/2 C unsweetened apple sauce
Instructions
- With a grater, grate apple and set aside.
- Whisk egg and almond milk together. Add in the apple sauce and grated apple, set aside
- Combine dry ingredient in a separate bowl, then pour the egg, milk and apple mixture over the dry ingredients. Mix well with a whisk. If needed, you can add a splash of more milk, if mixture is too thick.
- Heat a non stick skillet over medium heat. Add in 1 tsp of the coconut oil to coat pan.
- Ladle in about 1/4 C of the mixture to make 1 pancake. Let set and cook for about 2 minutes until the top bubbles a bit. With a spatula, flip the pancake and let cook for another minute to 2 minutes until the edge is a bit crisp and the pancake is golden brown. Serve with freshly sliced apples.