For most of us the idea of pancakes means an overly-sweet, high fat, low nutrition meal that will leave us feeling bloated and ravenous for the rest of the day.  Well sigh no more, you can have your cake and eat it too (yes even if it comes from a griddle)!

I found this delicious recipe from Self’s Drop 10 Plan. However, I like to substitute unsweetened almond milk instead of the 1% milk and stevia instead of brown sugar. These pancakes are packed with slimming superfoods so you get the satisfaction of fluffy flapjacks but without the guilt.  The recipe includes quinoa, a grain which includes all the essential amino acids needed to build lean muscle, non-fat Greek yogurt, which carries a whopping 20 percent (or more) of your daily cortisol fighting calcium, a hormone that can cause wiggle around your middle, and egg whites which have zero fat and are full of choline, a compound that may help stop fat absorption. The cherry on top, this delicious morning treat has only 336 calories and is loaded with 5 grams of fiber and 19 grams of protein, so it can be enjoyed any day of the week!

Ingredients

½ cup cooked quinoa

2 egg whites

¼ cup 1 % milk (I like unsweetened almond milk)

1 tsp brown sugar (or stevia)

¼ tsp vanilla extract

½ sliced banana

2 tbsp nonfat plain Greek yogurt

2 tbsp chopped walnuts

1 tsp real maple syrup

Preparation

In a bowl, combine cooked quinoa, egg whites, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, and half (1/4 cup) of the sliced bananas. Cover a skillet with vegetable oil cooking spray. On medium- high heat, pour on batter to make 3 pancakes. Flip once after about 3 minutes, or until firm.

Finish by topping the pancakes with nonfat plain Greek yogurt, the rest of the sliced banana, antioxidant filled blueberries, or any fruit of your choice, chopped walnuts, and maple syrup.

 

-Emily Freeman