My Quest for More Protein: FlapJacked Protein Pancakes

I don’t eliminate any food group from my diet. I think it’s important to have a well-balanced diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein, dairy, and healthy fats. You can read more about my food philosophy here.

Buuuut, I have to admit that I am really good at eating enough whole grains, fruits, and dairy and not-so-good at eating protein and veggies. I think I could eat cheesy bread with a side of strawberries every single day and be happy. Maybe a little chocolate for dessert.

This is how I feel sometimes about my food cravings:

So, lately I have been paying more attention to the types of foods I eat. I know that I am lacking in the veggie and protein department. They are the most difficult food groups for me to eat. I don’t like a lot of foods in those food groups so I find myself improvising.

One way I do this is by finding high protein foods that don’t necessarily taste like high protein foods, like Greek yogurt (one of my faves), or Shakeology (which I have every day). My one stipulation is that it can’t be full of other processed junk.

So of course I was intrigued when I recently came across FlapJacked Protein Pancake mix! Anything that looks and tastes like bread but is high in protein is worth a try to me! I ordered a bag of the Buttermilk mix from Amazon and was so excited to try it! They also have two additional flavors: Banana Hazelnut and Cinnamon Apple, but I decided to go with Buttermilk first.

When I received it in the mail a few days later, I was a little disappointed with how small the bag was. But, it ended up making 3 batches worth of pancakes, or about 6 servings of pancakes total.

The directions are so simple. You basically just add a cup of water and you’re good to go! Even I can handle that….(I thought).

This is all you need! (plus a griddle of course)

The first time I made them I didn’t let the batter sit for the recommended 3-5 minutes. I got impatient and went ahead and poured it onto the griddle.

This made the pancakes super thin, more like crepes than pancakes.

So I went ahead and tried again with a second batch and the consistency was much better when I actually followed the instructions and let the batter sit for a few minutes. Who knew?!

The first batch of the super thin pancakes crepes made 8 pancakes. The second batch of the good-sized pancakes made 6.

I tried one of the pancakes with just maple syrup and I wasn’t super thrilled. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great. Instead of a sweet taste, it was almost a little bitter. So, I decided to add a little sliced banana on top. This made a huge difference!

I typically prefer my regular pancakes with some fruit on top and these were no different. While I could have enjoyed them without the banana, the fruit made the taste much more appealing. I’m sure adding some blueberries or strawberries would be good too!

Without the fruit, they’re just a little too plain. I wouldn’t recommend them without a little bit of maple syrup too. Eat plain at your own risk.

But, otherwise I really enjoyed these protein pancakes and think they are a Quest for Protein Success! With 17g of protein in just one serving, I’m a happy camper!

And, speaking of camping…these would be awesome for a warm camp breakfast. Since you don’t need anything besides water and a portable griddle, they would be super easy! I recommend mixing it up into a large ziploc bag. Then just snip off the bottom corner of the bag and it works nicely as a funnel!

Yes, they are definitely more expensive than your traditional Bisquick pancake mix, but you’re paying for the protein. I’m OK with that!

I am looking forward to trying the banana hazelnut and cinnamon apple flavors next. You can get them at an REI store near you, or some specialty grocery stores such as Whole Foods may carry the mix. I find it easiest to order from Amazon, they carry all 3 flavors!

Do you get enough protein in your diet?

What’s your favorite breakfast food?