Protein is a vital part of our diet and, in my opinion something that people often aren’t getting enough of. Sufficient protein is often the missing ingredient in many people’s fat-loss journey, and something that becomes increasingly important as we age and start suffering the effects of age related sarcopenia; muscle wastage/loss.
At Wild Life, we suggest getting protein from the best, most nutrient dense, wholefood sources available to you, and consuming them as food. But, we are also aware that in the real world buying the best meats and plant based proteins of good provenance isn’t always easy, affordable or convenient.
So while less than optimal, protein powders do have a place in our ethos. Again, buying the best quality powders that you can afford is key. And while drinking your protein may not be the most effective way of consuming it, for a number of reasons, including protein powders to up your protein intake is better than running at a deficit.
And you don’t have to drink protein powder. You can cook with it too.
What follows is a quick and easy recipe for Protein Pancakes. The are not nearly as nice as our Primal Pancakes but they are protein rich, low carb and simple.
They have just 4 ingredients as the base, but you can of course add whatever you fancy to the mix. It is basically just eggs, protein powder, baking powder, and a dash of milk/milk alternative/water. I also like to add a dash of vanilla extract.
Warning: Glenn is about to go off topic in his usual inappropriate way and tell you something you’ll probably prefer not to know!
Quality and provenance means a lot. Buy the best you can comfortably afford, both for your health and for environmental and ethical reasons. And don’t trust the food manufacturers to be honest with you. Always do your own research.
To illustrate the point, my son recently, and joyfully informed me that many cheap vanilla extracts are not actually derived from vanilla pods, as one would expect, but from a gooey secretion obtained from the glands next to a beaver’s anus. BEAVER’S ANUS!!!!! Yes, you read that right.
I of course dismissed this immediately as childish whimsy, but the seed of doubt was sown. A quick trawl through the interwebs confirmed that he was indeed spot on.
The beaver produces a chemical compound know as Castoreum from it’s castor sacs, under the tail, right next to the anal glands. This sweet smelling, brown goo has been extracted for over 80 years as a vanilla flavouring in food. As it is considered perfectly safe, it is often only labelled as ‘natural flavouring’ under FDA rules. Extracted how? ‘Milked’ from the glands of anaesthetised beavers!
There are a whole host of things wrong with last sentence.
Thankfully, the use nowadays is pretty small. That vanilla perfume you love though? Packed to the brim! I now use the descriptive metaphor “Sweet as a beavers arse!” as often as I can, just so I can inform the world of this fact.
And if you haven’t already left, let’s get on with the recipe.
Quick and Easy Protein Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 Eggs
- 2 scoops Protein Powder
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 dash Milk/Milk Alternative/Water
- 1 dash Vanilla extract If you dare!
- 1 tbsp Coconut Oil or similar For frying
Instructions
- Place the eggs, protein powder, baking powder and vanilla extract into a mixing bowl.
- Add a small amount of milk/water and stir. We are looking for a pretty thick consistency. It needs to pour easily but not be too runny.I like to leave the mixture for 5-10 minutes before using it, but you can proceed straight away if needed.
- Heat up a frying pan to a medium heat and add the oil.
- When it's nice and hot pour half the mixture in to the pan to form an 8-10 inch/20-25cm pancake.
- Turn the the heat down low and cook until you see bubbles forming on the surface. Gently lift and flip the pancake with a spatula. Cook the other side for a couple of minutes.
- Repeat with the remainder of the mixture.
- Serve with whatever makes you happy. They can be a little dry so a spoonful of yoghurt and/or cooked berries can be nice.
Now obviously, depending on what type of protein powder you use, and what liquid you use, the macros and calories will vary, For my pancakes it works out as 369 calories, with 4.6g of Carbs, 13.6g of Fat, and a whopping 51.1g of Protein. Now that’s if I were to eat both. Which I do. Be warned though, that protein content is immensely filling and it will leave you feeling sated for a long time. You can of course just eat one. Which I do not.
These pancakes can be a little dry, again depending on the protein used, so I like to load them up with plenty of juicy berries and organic cream or yogurt. There is also a huge variety in the flavours of protein powder you can use which will all yield very different pancakes. Coconut is my current favourite.
These pancakes are not going to win any culinary awards, but they are simple, cheap and will really help you to hit your protein targets.
If you try them then please let us know how you get on.