It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that your typical pancakes are certainly NOT the type of food you want to eat if your goal is fat loss or staying lean. The refined flour with almost zero fiber, the added refined sugars, the crappy inflammatory vegetable oils... not good.
The fact is... normal pancakes make you gain FAT!
However, for years, there's been a basic type of modified pancake recipe floating around in bodybuilding circles that is a healthier higher protein version (although not my favorite)...
Basically, the bodybuilder version is as simple as using a carton of egg whites in a blender, adding some dry oatmeal and vanilla whey protein (and a few other minor ingredients), and then cooking them up as "protein pancakes".
But I'll be honest with you... this bodybuilding pancake recipe tastes more like sweetened eggs than it does like pancakes.
So what I've done is come up with my own variation of healthier higher fiber and high protein pancakes that actually TASTES like pancakes. Of course, we know that most pre-made pancake dry mixes are not the healthiest option. However, they can be more convenient for most people than trying to make pancakes from scratch.
Here's what you can do to make much healthier pancakes:
1. Take only 1/3 of the quantity of pancake mix that the box calls for. So if the box says to use 1 cup of dry pancake mix, just use 1/3 cup instead. This way, you're greatly reducing the amount of refined wheat flour and sugar that are in these mixes by only using 1/3 of the amount recommended.
I know I'm usually pretty strict with ruling out ALL refined wheat flours, but sometimes just reducing the quantity and substituting the remainder with healthier ingredients is the best option for something like this. If you want the healthiest option, start from scratch with your own blend of almond flour, coconut flour, and quinoa flour. Otherwise, the easier method is just to follow this recipe.
2. For the remaining 2/3 of the dry mix, substitute in a mixture of equal parts oat bran, rice bran, and whey protein (preferably grass-fed raw whey protein). You can find oat bran at most grocery stores, and rice bran at most health food stores. Try using a little cinnamon too if you like the taste (cinnamon boosts the antioxidant content and also stabilizes the blood sugar response).
3. Use whole eggs instead of egg whites and use 1 extra egg than what the recipe calls for to increase the protein and healthy fats content.
If you missed my previous article about whole eggs vs egg whites, you'll see why it is downright foolish to use egg whites instead of whole eggs.
4. After mixing in the milk called for on the box, whisk the mixture in a bowl. Now you're ready to pour the healthier pancakes into the pan. Don't forget to top them with some blueberries or other berries for some extra taste and healthful benefits.
5. The best oil to use in the pan for cooking is virgin coconut oil. I use virgin coconut oil for most of my cooking as it's one of the healthiest options. It's a much more stable oil for cooking so it's not prone to the oxidation and free radical production that typical vegetable oils are prone to.
If you're confused about which cooking oils are healthy and which are not, this article of mine clears that up.
Again, the trick to this recipe is using only 1/3 of the dry pancake mix (since that's the least healthy part of this recipe) and the other 2/3 of the dry materials are the oat bran, rice bran, and whey protein (healthiest whey is this raw grass-fed whey here) to boost the fiber and protein content of the pancakes.
I only do pancakes on occasion as they are a nice treat, but at least with this recipe, you have yourself a much healthier version of pancakes that are quite high in fiber and much higher in protein and healthy fats than your typical pancake recipe... but they still taste like pancakes and are delicious in my opinion!
And do yourself a favor and please do not ruin this meal by dousing it with your typical fake maple syrup, which is usually all high fructose corn syrup! Real maple syrup is better than fake syrup, but beware, as it still packs a LOT of sugar and calories.
Instead, a much lower calorie option is to simply top your high fiber, high protein pancakes with some REAL butter (grass-fed, organic) and some fresh berries or other cut fruit instead of syrup.
Enjoy!
Feel free to share this page with all of your friends, family, and coworkers that might enjoy it. Copy this page into facebook to share this healthy pancake idea with your friends.
Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
Founder - TruthAboutAbs.com
The fact is... normal pancakes make you gain FAT!
However, for years, there's been a basic type of modified pancake recipe floating around in bodybuilding circles that is a healthier higher protein version (although not my favorite)...
Basically, the bodybuilder version is as simple as using a carton of egg whites in a blender, adding some dry oatmeal and vanilla whey protein (and a few other minor ingredients), and then cooking them up as "protein pancakes".
But I'll be honest with you... this bodybuilding pancake recipe tastes more like sweetened eggs than it does like pancakes.
So what I've done is come up with my own variation of healthier higher fiber and high protein pancakes that actually TASTES like pancakes. Of course, we know that most pre-made pancake dry mixes are not the healthiest option. However, they can be more convenient for most people than trying to make pancakes from scratch.
Here's what you can do to make much healthier pancakes:
1. Take only 1/3 of the quantity of pancake mix that the box calls for. So if the box says to use 1 cup of dry pancake mix, just use 1/3 cup instead. This way, you're greatly reducing the amount of refined wheat flour and sugar that are in these mixes by only using 1/3 of the amount recommended.
I know I'm usually pretty strict with ruling out ALL refined wheat flours, but sometimes just reducing the quantity and substituting the remainder with healthier ingredients is the best option for something like this. If you want the healthiest option, start from scratch with your own blend of almond flour, coconut flour, and quinoa flour. Otherwise, the easier method is just to follow this recipe.
2. For the remaining 2/3 of the dry mix, substitute in a mixture of equal parts oat bran, rice bran, and whey protein (preferably grass-fed raw whey protein). You can find oat bran at most grocery stores, and rice bran at most health food stores. Try using a little cinnamon too if you like the taste (cinnamon boosts the antioxidant content and also stabilizes the blood sugar response).
3. Use whole eggs instead of egg whites and use 1 extra egg than what the recipe calls for to increase the protein and healthy fats content.
If you missed my previous article about whole eggs vs egg whites, you'll see why it is downright foolish to use egg whites instead of whole eggs.
4. After mixing in the milk called for on the box, whisk the mixture in a bowl. Now you're ready to pour the healthier pancakes into the pan. Don't forget to top them with some blueberries or other berries for some extra taste and healthful benefits.
5. The best oil to use in the pan for cooking is virgin coconut oil. I use virgin coconut oil for most of my cooking as it's one of the healthiest options. It's a much more stable oil for cooking so it's not prone to the oxidation and free radical production that typical vegetable oils are prone to.
If you're confused about which cooking oils are healthy and which are not, this article of mine clears that up.
Again, the trick to this recipe is using only 1/3 of the dry pancake mix (since that's the least healthy part of this recipe) and the other 2/3 of the dry materials are the oat bran, rice bran, and whey protein (healthiest whey is this raw grass-fed whey here) to boost the fiber and protein content of the pancakes.
I only do pancakes on occasion as they are a nice treat, but at least with this recipe, you have yourself a much healthier version of pancakes that are quite high in fiber and much higher in protein and healthy fats than your typical pancake recipe... but they still taste like pancakes and are delicious in my opinion!
And do yourself a favor and please do not ruin this meal by dousing it with your typical fake maple syrup, which is usually all high fructose corn syrup! Real maple syrup is better than fake syrup, but beware, as it still packs a LOT of sugar and calories.
Instead, a much lower calorie option is to simply top your high fiber, high protein pancakes with some REAL butter (grass-fed, organic) and some fresh berries or other cut fruit instead of syrup.
Enjoy!
Feel free to share this page with all of your friends, family, and coworkers that might enjoy it. Copy this page into facebook to share this healthy pancake idea with your friends.
Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
Founder - TruthAboutAbs.com
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