I don't believe in dieting on vacation. In fact, I think you should be able to eat whatever you feel like on vacation (within reason). So, I indulged in peanut butter and jelly, potato chips, beer at lunch, beer in the shower, cocktail hour, crab dip, pizza, cookies, ice cream, pasta, bread... I could go on, but I think you get the idea... and I think I may have gained weight just typing that sentence.
One of the great things about consistently eating a healthy diet and regularly exercising is that you can get away with eating like total crap for a week and not completely destroy your waistline. I only gained about a pound while we were gone, but was feeling pretty gross.
To get rid of the vacation bloat (and my craving for chips and beer), I returned my focus to eating clean. If you simply choose healthy foods, there is no reason to go on a crazy diet or eliminate any food groups. I have been focusing on high protein, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, vegetables, fruits, and lots of water.
After a week of peanut butter and jelly with potato chips and beer for lunch, returning to healthy food can be a challenge. So I decided to go on a search for clean recipes that felt indulgent, but were actually healthy. I came across this recipe for oatmeal pancakes, which are so delicious that I have been eating them for breakfast every single day!
I know that combining egg whites and oatmeal sounds weird. My mother was thoroughly disgusted as I made these for the first time, until she saw how fluffy and delicious they turned out. I promise you can't taste the egg. You're just going to have to trust me on this one!
Oatmeal Pancakes
Taken from Kath Eats Real Food
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| Oatmeal pancake, topped with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter. |
Ingredients:
1/3 cup quick oats
1/3 cup egg whites (I like the 100% egg whites that come in a carton)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon to taste
Toppings to taste
Directions:
1. Mix together oats, egg whites, baking powder, vanilla, and cinnamon in a bowl.
2. Preheat a skillet, spray with non-stick spray, and pour the batter into a large disc "pancake." If you use a large skillet, you will want to use a spoon to shape the batter into a pancake shape.
3. When you can shake it around in the pan, it's time to flip!
4. Once cooked through, add toppings of your choice. (Peanut butter, canned pumpkin, mashed banana, or maple syrup are all great ideas! My personal favorite is peanut butter).
Nutrition Information for plain oatmeal pancake
Serving size: 1 pancake
Calories: 139
Fat: 2g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 221.33mg
Carbohydrate: 18.65g
Protein: 11.32g
Now... let's compare that to a regular plain pancake.
Nutrition Information for plain homemade traditional pancake
Serving Size: 1 pancake
Calories: 227
Fat: 9.7g
Cholesterol: 59mg
Sodium: 439mg
Carbohydrate: 28.30g
Protein: 6.4g
The oatmeal pancakes are lower in calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium and carbohydrates than their traditional counterpart, and will keep you full for much longer with nearly twice as much protein! Plus, they only take about 5 minutes from start to finish, making them possible to eat even on the busiest of mornings. These would also be a great idea for kids who like processed frozen pancakes before school in the morning!
I hope you enjoy these clean "pancakes" as much as I have been! I'd love to hear what you choose to top yours with.
Peace, love and healthy food.
-Katie
