Faith * Family * Fitness * Food: Blueberry Quinoa Pancakes

When pregnant our bodies take the good nutrients from our food and give them to baby before we see any bit of them - which is exactly what we want! But often this leaves those fatty remnants for us to absorb. This is why exercise is so important because exercise turns those fats into energy, and why eating a healthy protein-filled breakfast can really make a difference in how we feel and look at the end of the day.

These quinoa pancakes are so delicious and a great way to get healthy proteins into your baby's body, your body and your toddler's little body! Here are some of the reasons - aside from the buttery, nutty flavor it adds - that I love quinoa!

Quinoa is one of the most protein-rich foods we can eat. ...
Quinoa contains almost twice as much fiber as most other grains. ...
Quinoa contains Iron. ...
Quinoa contains lysine. ...
Quinoa is rich in magnesium. ...
Quinoa is high in Riboflavin (B2). ...
Quinoa has a high content of manganese.

I will make a whole batch of these and stick the leftovers in a freezer bag and just reheat in the microwave on mornings when McKinley and I want them for breakfast. She can be finicky when it comes to blueberries, (she doesn't really care about all the great antioxidants they provide her) so I will make about half of these with just one or two blueberries in them.

BLUEBERRY QUINOA PANCAKES

PREP TIME: 15 minutes

COOK TIME: 30 Minutes

SERVES: 16 pancakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup quinoa flakes

2 tsps baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

dash of salt

2 egg whites + 1 egg

1 1/2 cups milk

1 tsp pure vanilla

1 tsp pure maple syrup

1 cup fresh blueberries (frozen is fine, too)

1-2 tbsp evoo

In a small mixing bowl combine your dry ingredients.

In a mixer, add your egg whites and mix on high until fluffy - this is a great trick I learned from the Food Network which helps to make those pancakes nice and light! This especially comes in handy when you don't use sugar, like we are doing today.

Add in the remaining ingredients, but save the blueberries for later.

Pour the bowl of dry ingredients into the mixing bowl and mix on low until combined.

Lastly, gently fold in the blueberries.

Heat a skillet to medium heat. Add a tablespoon of evoo (or your choice of oil) to the pan. You will only need to do this a couple of times while cooking your pancakes.