Base Recipe for LowCarb Protein Pancakes

Hey all! This is an oldie, but a goodie. Try this recipe – do it now.

I  posted this recipe for super clean protein pancakes right when I started this site. People LOVE them! Bonus that they’re extremely clean and tasty. I have these on the weekend usually when I want to spend some time in the kitchen with a coffee. It really doesn’t take that long, so they can actually be made during the week.

Now I know everybody has their own version of protein pancakes. I came across this one years ago and I’ve stuck with it. The reason being that it’s really clean. Some recipes get carried away with oats, “clean” flours, even sweeteners… but I like it simple. I know exactly what’s in these and they leave me satisfied. They sometimes turn out a crepe-like texture which is fine by me.

Consider this recipe a base – and add your own extras. Apples and cinnamon?  Pumpkin puree? Go for it!

What are your favourites?

I’m on vacation!

Happy New Year to All! Thanks for checking out the TrainRite website 🙂

Just to give everybody a heads up; whether you’re a regular here, or you’ve found the my site through a listing on Amazon, eBay, or Etsy…. I’m OUT!

It’s -24C here in Toronto, and that’s just about my threshold.

I’m on vacation until January 16th, 2015,  so I’ve temporarily closed all listings for TrainRite Fitness Journals. If you’re looking to place an order, no worries I will reactivate all listings on the 16th, and will return to normal shipping times. (Did I mention I typically ship SAME DAY?!). So you can wait until then, or you can email me directly at: admin@trainrite.ca. I will check these periodically, and alert you upon my return!

Thank you all for an exciting and successful 2014!

-Matt Cronin

Fighting “Decision fatigue”?

I like when the media attempts to coin new terms. “Decision Fatigue”, as this Globe and Mail article calls it, is the idea that in any given day you only have enough energy to make a finite number of “tough decisions”, before you just do what you would normally just…do. The types of “tough decisions” they mean mostly relate to making smarter choices for your health; I’m going to the gym and I’m not going to have that treat that I want to eat right now.

It’s an interesting hypothesis, and I don’t really know what to make of putting a definite limitation ones ability to overcome being tired. What did certainly catch my eye though is how I initially interpreted it: consciously deciding you’re too tired to get out for a run or make it to the gym well before it’s actually time to do it. I do this. All the time. Especially when I’m not training very hard or out really of my groove – as is currently the case.

For myself and those of you like me, there’s really only one solution. Grab a bag a Ruffles’ Sour Cream ‘N Bacon chips (my fav), and settle into the couch for the night. Yes? Of course not. It takes real grit to just get out there and do it. Hell, do it half speed. Take longer breaks between sets. Just get out there and do it. I’ve actually been following my advice this week (before I even happened upon this article), up at 4:30am every morning for the gym and a couple 5km runs in the evenings. You know what? The worst part was really just the thought of going out and doing it. When I’m finally in the gym or mid-run, it feels really good! When it’s over I feel great and I’m ready for the next one.

You can take the points from this article, and they may be very valid for you, but really the biggest challenge for most people is fully committing to something and getting over the various daily excuses that stand in your way. When you fully commit to something, be it healthier meals or a rigid fitness routine, the route to get there is yours for the taking.

Check out the article here, of course I fully support the planning and scheduling advice!

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health-advisor/want-to-work-out-more-defend-yourself-against-decision-fatigue/article19872789/

“Mmm Sauce” and more…

I really like this recipe rubbed into kale leaves, but it can be used as a general sauce for anything really. It has a cheesy flavour, and a little heat if you opted for the sriracha. I make 4 batches at once, because I can’t get enough! This recipe can also be a great base – just add other spices/flavors as you want!

Side note: I wish I had a better name for this recipe.

Check out my “food!” section! I’m going to try to post at least one recipe per week that I make. These recipes I’ll keep as clean as I can, but delicious at the same time. Enjoy, comment if you try them!

Breakfast showdown: Cottage Cheese vs Plain Yogurt

 

Most mornings when I’m short on time I reach for cottage cheese for breaky. Low in sugar and carbs, high in protein – it keeps me full throughout the day. Slice up some fresh fruit, or go the savory route with chopped onion, red pepper, celery and black pepper – it’s extremely versatile and takes me about a minute to prep. But this morning I was out. Being far too lazy and short on time for a grocery run, I found some plain yogurt and went for it. It was delicious! Better than my usual cottage cheese and fruit breakfast I’ve been eating for years. So I thought to myself, what really is the difference between the two?

Here’s a comparison of Nordica 2% Cottage Cheese and Astro Original 2% Plain Yogurt per half cup.

 

I didn’t choose these brands for any particular reason, but most plain versions tend have similar nutritional values anyways.

Calories
Yogurt is slight lower in calories than the cottage cheese (40kcal less, 36% lower). So if you’re strictly counting calories, yogurt can be your friend.

Protein
Cottage cheese wins this one, and by a long shot (9g more, almost 300%). A few years ago I opted for a low carbohydrate focused breakfast to a high protein one. That’s why I started eating cottage cheese in the first place. I always found I was starving at work within a few hour of eating cereal, toast etc. Most mornings I work out before eating breakfast so that blast of protein afterwards is great. Plus I still replenish carbs with the fresh fruit I add.

Fat
They’re both the same. You chose them at 2%. 😛

Carbohydrates
Surprisingly they’re both the same. I’ve seen some versions of plain yogurt that have significantly more carbs via sugars, but the Astro brand seems to be a good choice.

Taste
I really liked the yogurt better. This may be because I’ve been eating cottage cheese for years straight, and the change up is nice. Both have very different textures, and different flavor. I’m leaning towards the yogurt!

Conclusion:
I was honestly expecting to heavily favour the cottage cheese. I assumed the two would vary quite a bit and always thought yogurt was higher in sugars and carbs, so this is a pleasant surprise. I’ll definitely keep both in my morning routine. Keep in mind this is PLAIN yogurt, once you get into the Vanilla and other flavors expect lots of sugar and/or artificial sweeteners. If you add chopped fruits, you really shouldn’t need the flavored version anyway.

There are obviously other factors involved in making the right choice for you – some yogurts have higher calcium, lower sodium and Greek yogurt will have more protein. Yogurt also has bacterial cultures with proven benefits for your immune system and so on. For me, I’m more worried about excess sugars, and getting that higher protein content. I’m not afraid of fat either, and it can be your friend – although calorie dense. So unless you’re concerned about higher calories, go the yogurt route. If protein is what you’re looking for, go for cottage cheese. Otherwise – either are a great addition to your morning.

Which of the two do you favor? Or am I the only one who thinks this much about breaky?

Thanks for reading,
Matt for TrainRite