Banana Pancakes (high protein)

These wholesome ingredients come together, somewhat surprisingly, to deliver delicious pancakes. A bonus (you might have guessed from the ingredients) is that these pancakes make a pretty healthy breakfast or snack that can provide the protein that most people lack in their morning meal.

The nutrition profile is much better than traditional pancakes, which are typically high in refined carbohydrates even before the syrup is poured on . . .

Cottage cheese and eggs provide a boost in protein, and the carbohydrate sources (oats and bananas) are a better choice than white flour, because like most whole grains and fruit, they offer a host of other important nutrients.

READ How Much Protein Do You Need?

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats (large or 1-minute variety)
2 medium bananas
1 cup cottage cheese (I used 1%)
4 large eggs
2 tsp. baking powder

Optional flavorings: 1 tsp. vanilla and/or 1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions

Place oats in blender and blend for 30 seconds.
Add the remaining ingredients, and blend for about another 30 seconds until ingredients are mixed.
Preheat a large pan or griddle over medium heat. Grease with a little butter or oil (put on a paper towel to spread over the surface of the pan).
For each pancake, drop about ¼ cup of the batter onto the pan (if it’s thick and doesn’t make a nice circle, spread it out with a spoon until it does). Cook without disturbing until you see bubbles form on the top surface and the bottom is golden brown (you can take a peek underneath). Flip the pancake over and cook until other side is golden brown.
Transfer pancakes to a wire rack and put in a warm oven while you cook the rest of the batter.

These are terrific topped with berries, bananas, and maple syrup.

READ 6 Healthy Morning Meals: The Science Behind Breakfast

Nutrition Notes

Oats are well-know for their cholesterol lowering properties, and recent research shows that they contain bioactive phytochemicals with strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that might help decrease chronic inflammation that can lead to disease.
Bananas are rich in fiber, and an excellent source of potassium, an essential mineral that most people don’t get enough of in their diets. Bananas have been compared to sports drinks during exercise, and were found superior to other carbs in terms of decreasing exercise-induced inflammation. The authors chose bananas because of their “unique mixture of carbohydrates, nutrients, and antioxidants that may provide good nutrition support during prolonged and intensive exercise.”
Cottage Cheese is a good source of protein and available in low-fat versions, which reduces saturated fat and calories.
The importance of protein in the morning. Most people don’t consume enough protein in the morning, even though they are getting enough total protein by the end of the day. New research shows that protein distribution throughout the day is important: your body needs about 20 to 30 grams of protein at a time for muscle repair and muscle building processes, and many people fall short of this at breakfast – but eat two to three times the amount they need at dinner (and more than 25 g protein at a time doesn’t build or repair more muscle). This distribution is especially important for athletes and older individuals who require more protein overall. You can find out more about your protein needs in this article.