RUNNER'S WORLD HIGH PROTEIN PANCAKES/WAFFLES

Could cottage cheese be part of the solution to high-protein diets which threaten to break the bank?

High Protein Oat, Banana & Cottage Cheese Batter for Waffles & Pancakes

Cottage Cheese is becoming a big thing these days with recipes incorporating the milky curds in breakfasts, as a lower-fat replacement for cream, in baking and in casseroles.

Over the years 67goingon50 has used cottage cheese, blended till smooth, in dips (see Skinnier Smoked Salmon Dip, in Lower-fat/salt Skinnier Spanokopita (fab & so healthy)  and in Vegetarian Lasagna (Can't Believe It's Not Beef!)

Not bad for a once-boring diet food which has been under the radar for years.

67 has seen recipes for pancakes made with cottage cheese before and remained uninterested.  But this recipe from Runner's World was created for those on high protein, lower-carb meal plans.

It was worth a trial.

Reader, the recipe produced quite delicious hot-breads even without fresh fruit or syrup. But - personal preference - 67 preferred the crunchy waffle edges to the smoothness of pancakes. 

Unless you're a professional athlete, 67 thought protein powder could be considered an option and replaced it with wholemeal flour.

  

Cost: £1.50'ish (4/24)

Makes: 4 good-sized waffles or 8 pancakes (recipe doubles easily)

Ingreds: 

• 30g oat flour (if you only have oats, process until fine)
• 30g unflavoured whey protein powder OR 25g wholemeal flour
• 1 tsp baking powder 

• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon

     pinch of salt

• 1 small ripe banana 
• 110g low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 large egg 
• ½ tsp vanilla extract 

(opt): Pure maple syrup and fresh berries, to serve 

Method

PRE-DIABETIC/WEIGHT LOSS REPORT 10

 24 April 2024

Getting back to normal after a nasty bout of ‘flu.

Some weight was lost but cravings for sweets, crisps and dairy were so strong, the body seemed to need them.   

Inevitably, the indulgences triggered bad habits of the past, and combined with less exercise during 'flu, weight gain is a concern. 

There’ll be a progress report next week.

BUTTER-FREE HEALTHIER CAKES FOR SPRING SUNSHINE & SHOWERS

With more rain showers forecast to interrupt our enjoyment of spring, these lovely full-sized and mini-cakes are sure to take the sting away.

They offer bags of lip-smacking flavour and wonderful textures, whether delicate and fine-crumbed or a little more substantial but airy.  

They're not difficult to make and the great thing is: by the time some of the cakes are baked and ready, the rain might have stopped and you can take tea outside. 

Al lof these cakes are Butter-Free but not exactly healthy - they are cake, after all.  But in most, sugar has been reduced and wholemeal flour replaces some white...and you won't notice at all. 

Spring Orange Cake

This is the kind of cake that makes people stop in their tracks and marvel after the first bite.  It's deliciously scented but subtle, with flavours that pack a punch.  Rustic but light; it's easy to make and high in good fibre.  You and your guests won't regret making and eating this.  (Adapted from Sky McAlpine)

Chocolate Cake like Grandma made

Much-loved dark rich chocolate cake like Grandma used to make.  Always a favourite.  It's a beautiful tender-crumbed cake that is a taste sensation.  Okay, it contains a shocking amount of sugar but its in proportion to the other ingredients, and it is a cake for many.  The sugar helps the cake retain its moist tenderness for at least a week (if you're lucky!) and it actually tastes better as time goes by.  

Angelic Lemon Mint Cakes

These gorgeous little mini-angel food cakes are inspired by the beautiful Italian-American chef Giada De Laurentis.  And they are exquisitely tasty.  The interiors are tender and fluffy; the tops deliciously crackly. Think they look boring?  Take a bite and savour the magnificent explosion of lemon-mint glaze.  Utterly, unashamedly delightful.  

Vegetarian Orange Surprise Cakes

These vegetarian Orange Surprise Mini-Cakes - not eggs on cakes! - are wonderful for the kids to make and eat.  The 14-year-old tester said they were so light and airy he could eat lots of them, and he thought the amount of sugar was just right.  The fresh orange hidden in the middle of the cakes was a winner.  Butter and egg-free.

PS These are family-sized recipes but 67goingon50 specialises in smaller midi-cakes for singletons or couples.  They come in 5 inch round cake tins and are perfect cooked in a air fryer.  Sadly for fat-phobics they  contain butter but only small amounts.  Pear & walnut is popular but there's a choice of mocha, raspberry almond and carrot.  

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These recipes have been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  They may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.  

PRE-DIABETIC/WEIGHTLOSS: REPORT 9

April 16 2024 

The Easter break and a nasty bout of 'flu provided plenty of opportunities to think about my food dilemna.

As a pre-diabetic (only just) my programme requires an increase in protein and reduction in carbs.

The problem is: 

• I am lactose intolerant, though a bit of dairy does no harm
• I'm not overly keen on too much meat, decent fish is expensive and plant protein is not cheap, either
• Like most people now, I am on a tight budget and shopping is becoming a nightmare
• Protein powders are not an option: too expensive and I believe, unnecessary, when real food is available
• Eating more pulses and lentils will reduce a food bill BUT if eaten as part of a diet containing animal protein, they count as carbs, not protein
• Plant protein is expensive
• Vegetarian dishes without cheese are lovely but not enough to sustain an ageing but active body (weekly exercise can rise to 7 hours) 
• Packaged pasta is cheap and cheerful but is not everyone's cup of tea, and who has the time to make their own?  Also, for some people, pasta - out of all carbs - leads more quickly to weight gain

What's the solution?  I'm still working on it.

But I have discovered a couple of very useful websites which provide carb counts for food, a guide for working out how many carbs to consume for your lifestyle and food plans and menus.

I won't go into detail now but the URL's are below so you can study them at your leisure.

Diabetes UK: Carbohydrate Reference List 

Lark: Prediabetes Diet: Meal Plan, What Foods to Eat & Avoid

You may already know about these websites but if not, perhaps you will find them useful.  

Good reading!

                         Please leave a comment

This post has been researched by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  They may not be reproduced  without the author's written permission.