Giovanna’s Delicious Crave-Buster Pancakes {Guest Post}

• By hhk
• January 23, 2017
• 1 Comment

It’s two weeks into the New Year at 11:43am on a Thursday when my FitBit has already logged over 8,000 steps for the day. It’s just before lunch and I am well ahead of my daily FitBit step pace. Unfortunately, my hunger has also driven me to a record pace for opening and closing the pantry door for the last ten minutes.

I glance over my pre-filled Mason jar collection of nuts, dried fruits, seeds, nut butters, high quality chocolate and cacao nibs. I begin to convince myself that breaking off a small piece of that 85% dark chocolate, topping it with 1 tsp of vanilla almond butter and finishing it off with a dusting of cinnamon is a great choice for a health conscious female in need of a snack. As I am about to cave, I begin to recite a message taped (that I have conveniently avoided up to this point) to my pantry drawer that reads, “Nothing tastes as good as being lean feels”.  I audibly mumble back at the message that it’s obviously a misguided cliché because everyone knows that my little clean eating amuse bouche of heaven absolutely tastes better than any outward physical state I may or may not find myself in. The inanimate message says nothing back but its silence snaps me back to some semblance of rationale and I decide that I should make a better choice. I reluctantly shut the pantry door for the umpteenth time and head towards the refrigerator, which basically takes the mental-effort equivalent of 20 or so lunges.

I pull open both refrigerator doors and I immediately hear the Food Gods reign down applause for the award I just won in the “Better Choices” category. As the pomp and circumstance subsides, I see my perfectly organized glass meal prep containers that dominate the right side of my refrigerator. They are filled with lean proteins, roasted carbs (the good kind), and satisfying fats (the healthy kind). And so, in less than five minutes I had sat down in front of a small plate of healthy, hunger zapping goodness that was better for me physically and more satisfying for me emotionally.

This is why I say that there is victory in meal prepping. Meal prepping is a way to take control of what you are putting in that beautiful strong body of yours. Because I invested in the prep work a day or two earlier and had healthy food at my disposal, I was able to make a better diet choice in a time of temptation. Although I will always love my friend Justin (‘s almond butter), consuming it would have probably only made me hungrier. Although I almost gave in during that moment of weakness, I was reminded that my body was worth more than what my sweet tooth was craving. Conquering your cravings strengthens your mind and gives you the motivation to keep pursuing healthier choices.

I challenge all of you busy, tired, jammed-packed to-do list moms to slow down, take a deep breath and enjoy a 15-minute, solitary meal. If your feeling like an overachiever, go so far as to enjoy your meal on an upscale table setting complimented by a cloth napkin. To get started, I suggest you try my Pancakes-4- 1 recipe (serving for ONE) as a simple introductory meal prep exercise where you will find that your food is ready as soon as your tummy is!

NJAPP Challenge:

Pancakes-4- 1

(Makes only 1 serving)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of cooked oats

½ of a medium mashed banana

2 tablespoons of liquid egg whites

¼ tsp of cinnamon

Optional:

2 strawberries

½ tsp of vanilla almond butter

Dash of Cinnamon

Directions:

• Pre-heat your skillet over a medium-high heat.
• Mix your cooked oats, mashed banana, egg whites, cinnamon altogether in a small glass bowl. Your mixture will be slightly lumpy from the oats and bananas. Try not to over mix your pancake mixture.
• Spray your heated skillet with spray canola oil. You may want to lower your flame a little.
• Drop 2 scoops of the batter onto to your heated, greased skillet. You will hear a sizzling sound. Once your pancake is just about cooked through, flip it and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until golden brown on both sides. Out of your mixture you will be able to get 2 medium pancakes.
• Remove your pancakes and place onto a pretty plate. Top with some sliced strawberries, ½ tsp of vanilla almond butter, & a dusting of cinnamon.

Enjoy and remember you are WORTH IT!

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