Protein is the one macronutrient I consistently see athletes and active folks missing out on.
Especially women.
And vegetarian/vegan athletes.
And busy people.
And older people (50+).
And fat loss seekers.
…Okay, a lot of ya.
The inspiration for this recipe was for my people who do early morning workouts but need to get some fuel into the system beforehand. Priming the pump, so to speak.
I generally recommend in the range of 80-150 calories pre-workout (with ~10-15 grams of protein) for the early morning worker-outers unless we are doing a phase of incorporating some fasted training for various purposes. Note that not everyone should be doing fasted workouts and there are some cautions around that to be aware of (good ‘fodder’ for a different blog to come).
Couldn’t wait to taste test.
Pumpkin is such a great ingredient for pancakes because it provides moisture and a quality source of carbohydrate. [yeah, yeah… it is tasty too.] Paired with chocolate, the world is good.
Ingredients for yield of 10 flapjacks (about 4” in diameter):
1 c (240 gm) pumpkin puree
2 large whole eggs
1/2 c (135 gm) egg white
~2 c (170 gm) chocolate whey isolate powder (I use Thorne’s NSF-certified for Sport powder and this was about 6 scoops at 20 grams of protein each)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1/2 tsp pumpkin spice blend (optional)
1/2 c (55 gm) chopped pecans
Preparation steps:
In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well by hand.
Get the griddle pan going on medium to medium-high heat. You can opt to lightly oil the pan with coconut oil or olive oil, or an oil spray or butter of choice.
Ladle the batter onto the griddle using 2-3 heaping tablespoons worth, or about 1/4 cup as a guide. The amount to intuitively use typically comes with more flapjack-making experience.
Carefully flip the flapjacks with a spatula once you see the edges firming up and some bubbles or pockets starting to form. Let cook another few minutes and then remove from pan when browned and firm. I like mine cooked well!
Ready to chomp “as is” for quickie calories, but you can certainly top with other goodies such as nut butter, fruit & yogurt, sliced banana and a drizzle of maple OR make a sandwich out of it. Freeze the leftovers for later reheat in the toaster, skillet, or microwave.
getting ‘em going
after the flip
These are “cake-y” in texture and dense. The sweetness will depend on the protein powder you use. In this case, the Thorne powder leaves a tiny touch of sweetness, but does not turn on the sugar monster.
Basic nutrition info (assuming yield of 10 flapjacks):
~125 calories
5 gm carbohydrate (1.5 gm fiber)
15.5 gm protein
5 gm fat
You could even use these as “on the bike” fueling if hopping on the trainer for an early morning sesh. Lots of options here with one of my favorite foods, the flapjack.
Let me know if you try them! Comment below or tag me on IG!
-Dina