If you try to stick to a healthy diet, there are certain foods you’ll inevitably end up missing and craving. After all, who doesn’t love cake? Or cookies? Or pancakes?  Luckily, almost everything can be recreated in a healthier version. Today, I want to share with you my version of high protein pancakes. They taste great, they look incredible, and they’re packed with protein, vital for maintaining healthy muscle. Paired with a rich selection of toppings, they’ll create a nutritious, balanced, filling meal that will satisfy you for a long time. With no regrets!

One of the best things about these pancakes is that they’re made of just 3 ingredients! (Four if you add cinnamon which I highly recommend, but it’s not necessary). Egg whites and protein powder essentially provide tons of protein – over 30 grams of it! Protein is a vital nutrient, which helps build and maintain healthy muscle. On top of that, it’s the most satiating nutrient – making sure your meal contains a good amount of protein prevents feeling hungry 30 minutes after you’ve eaten.

Oh, have I mentioned that making these pancakes only takes about 10 minutes?!

I’ve tried this recipe with multiple types of protein powder, including whey and pea protein by various brands. I’ll be honest – some of the protein powders seem to work much better in this recipe than others. It may require a bit of trial and error to figure out the best protein powder from those you have available. I’ve also tried various flavours of protein powders in my pancakes – it creates so many opportunities! However, after testing a few handfuls of flavours, vanilla remains the unbeaten favourite for me.

Bananas add additional sweetness, nutritional fibre – great for your gut! – and vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B6, potassium and magnesium.

For my toppings I chose raspberries, blueberries, fat-free yoghurt and peanut butter.

Raspberries and blueberries are both a source of extra fibre. They also bring vitamin C and manganese. And last – but certainly not least – they look great on top of a stack of pancakes.

Fat-free natural yoghurt adds even more protein to this meal. Not that it needs any more at this stage! I mainly like to add the yoghurt for a bit of moisture, as the pancakes themselves come out fairly dry. Yoghurt is also a good source of calcium.

Peanut butter… do I need to explain why I added it here? It’s delicious. If I had to choose one food to eat for the rest of my life, it would probably be peanut butter – I’m that committed. It’s like the perfect food. The holy grail. Delicious. Filling. Goes well with everything. And on top of that, it’s the perfect balance of healthy fats, fibre and protein. What more could we ask for?

Ingredients (serves 1):

• 150ml egg whites
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1 banana
• dash of cinnamon (optional)

Toppings:

• berries – I love raspberries and blueberries
• fat-free natural yoghurt (for those of you in the UK, I used Fage)
• peanut butter

How to make protein pancakes:

Mix egg whites with protein powder in a small bowl and lightly whisk. Mash the banana and add it to the protein mix, making sure there aren’t any big chunks left.

Heat up a small non stick pan, slightly greased – I like to use spray oils, but you can use regular oil or butter, whatever you prefer.

Add about 2 tablespoons of batter on the pan and fry for a minute on medium heat. Turn over and fry for another minute on the other side. Repeat until you’ve run out of batter. I usually make 3 or 4 pancakes.

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