No, it’s not a Rorschach test. It’s a delicious chocolate protein pancake.

After this morning’s weight training, I whipped up some chocolate protein pancakes. I used my chocolate favored Whey protein powder.  But you can use vanilla if you prefer.

I started out mixing it by hand. After a few minutes I broke out my hand mixer to break up the banana. As for a topping, I decided to go with a thin layer of almond butter. But you could use fruit or 2 tsp of maple syrup.

How does it taste? As with most post-weight training food, I hope for the best and expect the worst.  This one knocked my socks off.  It was delicious. It’s moist and the chocolate, oatmeal and egg combine to give it a nice flavor with the occasional burst of banana.

Would I make it again?  Absolutely. It’s very filling. I’ve also seen a recipe with plain, non-fat yogurt and I might give that a try.

Why The High Carbs?
Coming in at 55 net carbs, this is not a low carb meal. You need to eat both carbs and protein after an intense workout – and when I mean intense, I don’t mean walking 30 minutes on a treadmill. I’m talking about the kind of intensity where a trainer kicks your ass to the point where you feel like jelly or you ride a bike for 3 hours.

Anyway, the carbs boost insulin levels after a workout. The insulin in turn helps your body to more efficiently use the amino acids from the protein. Essentially you’re repairing and rebuilding your muscles more quickly. But you have a small window to do this after a workout – about 2 hours (1 hour is best).

Also, be smart about the your carb choices. Technically after an intense muscle workout you could eat a candy bar and it would probably get stored as muscle and not fat.  But remember this is a lifestyle change…not a diet.

Protein Pancakes
Serves 1 person
Net Carbs: 55
Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 11

Ingredients

• 4 Large eggs (3 whites and one whole)
• 1 Scoop Whey protein (chocolate)
• 1/2 Banana, mashed
• *1/4 C Oatmeal, steel-cut or old fashion

Directions

• Spray pan with cooking spray and heat over a medium high heat
• Stir all ingredients together until combined
• When the edges of the pancake begin to harden, flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes
• Top with syrup, nut butter or fresh fruit and enjoy

*Steel-cut oatmeal takes 30 minutes to prepare, so suggest you give yourself extra time or make the oatmeal before your workout.

Related articles

• Juggling Carbs, Protein And Fat (dot2trot.com)
• Building My New Weight Loss Menu (dot2trot.com)
• The. Best. Protein. Pancakes. EVER. (tgipaleo.com)