Blueberry Acai Protein Pancakes

• Yield:1 serving
• Difficulty:Easy
• Time:20 minutes

I love smoothies, but sometimes I need something more substantial! These pancakes are a delicious way to get your super-food for breakfast when you are looking for something more solid than a smoothie. These can be made regular or gluten-free. For the regular version we’ll be using whole wheat flour. For the gluten-free version, we will be using gluten-free oat flour. You can find these ingredients at your local health food store, or order them online.

The acai smoothie packs will be in the frozen section of the health food store unless it’s being sold in the form of powder. Smoothie packs are the consistency of juice, so I added a thickener called xanthan gum which can usually be found in the baking or gluten-free section of a supermarket. If you are using acai powder instead of the smoothie packs, the pancake mixture won’t be as thin, so you won’t need the xanthan gum.

Acai berries sit on top of the food chain as far as antioxidants go…it’s super-dark purple color tells tales of its concentration of anthocyanins. This is amazing for athletes because hard training creates free radicals that cause oxidative damage in the body’s tissues. Anthocyanins scavenge in the body for these free radicals and absorb them. In English, they will help you recover from your workout in a major way! The acai berry contains antioxidants, electrolytes, minerals, omega fatty acids, fiber, essential amino acids, plant sterols, and B vitamins. They also fight cancer, boost skin health, help with cognitive functioning, stimulate digestion, and protect the heart. Many consider acai to be an adaptogen because it helps prevent elevated cortisol levels by turning off inflammatory pathways that damage nerve signals to the brain.

Ingredients:

• 2 scoops (1 serving) of EFX Sports vanilla Protein 6
• ¼ cup egg white
• ¼ cup of whole wheat flour or gluten free oat flour
• 1 smoothie pack of acai (or the powder equivalent)
• ¼ cup of nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup blueberries fresh or frozen
• 1 packet of stevia
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. xanthan gum (if you are using smoothie packs of acai rather than the powder)
• Nonstick spray

Directions:

Put the powdered ingredients in a large bowl and mix with a spoon. Add all of the wet ingredients and stir. Fold in the blueberries. Spray a large pan with nonstick spray and pour 3-4 inch circles of batter. When the edges are dry (they may bubble) test to see if you can flip them without ripping. Flip when they are ready and let cook for a minute or two. Serve with calorie-free blueberry syrup or Greek yogurt mixed with blueberries, vanilla whey protein, and stevia. After eating these—enjoy your leg day/crossfit/kickboxing class!

Nutrition: