The best gift you can give me this holiday season is to rate, review and subscribe to my podcast. I want to hear from YOU. What topics should I cover next year? Who should we interview? This podcast is a representation of the Burn culture which is centered around the ideas and opinions of others and coming together collectively – so don’t shy away from sharing! As always, my door is wide open.

Merry Everything and Happy New Year!

Love,

Your Top 5 Episodes: Audience Picks

• Mental Health & Good Nutrition for the Female Athlete with Taylor Kiser
  • Listen Here
• Getting Your Family Healthy with Jessica Spiers
  • Listen Here
• Let’s Break the Stigma and Talk About Mental Health With a Burn Boot Camp Owner, ER Nurse, and Mom of Three with Darci Evans
  • Listen Here
• What Is Holistic Health and Why Is It So Important? With Dr.Cammy Benton
  • Listen Here
• How To Change Your Life: The Courage, the Risks and the Rewards With Franchise Partner Lisa Kostelnik
  • Listen Here

P.S. We just launched my favorite items over on the Burn Boot Camp shop! Head on over to check out the new gear!

This year, more than 295 individual gyms across Burn Nation were represented in our second-highest fundraising effort since we began our partnership with the MDA over 5 years ago. A big thank you to our incredible members, Franchise Partners and their teams for showing up in a big way to support the MDA. 

Burn Boot Camp Founder and COO, Morgan Kline, recently shared her thoughts on the importance of community impact and a commitment to a charitable partnership with Global Franchise. In the article she states, “Over the past few years, we at Burn Boot Camp have seen how working with the MDA has connected us to our community and strengthened our bond with our team members and members.”  

Read more about her thoughts on this topic below, and if you’re interested in donating to the MDA, please click here. 

A Cause Worth Rallying Behind – Why Your Business Should Prioritize Charitable Efforts 

By Morgan Kline (This story was originally published by Global Franchise) 

Most people have an inherent desire to connect with others and be a part of something larger than themselves. Between work, family, and other commitments, our sense of purpose can weaken, or even feel lost, as we try to keep up in our fast-moving world. 

This is leading to a record number of people looking to merge the two worlds – they’re leaving their jobs in search of a career that will allow them to make meaningful connections to satisfy that desire and find purpose in their work. Now is the time for businesses across all industries to step up and demonstrate a social conscience. 

Since its inception, community impact has been a crucial component of Burn Boot Camp’s DNA and a top priority across the system. This is why we have an ongoing partnership with the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). The annual philanthropic ‘Be Their Muscle’ event supports MDA’s mission to empower the lives of kids and adults living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and over 43 neuromuscular diseases to fund research, care, and advocacy so families can live longer and grow stronger. In correlation with the event, Burn Boot Camp locations across the country host a workout on a specific day, with 100% of the proceeds directly benefitting MDA to send hundreds of children living with muscular dystrophy to a life-changing summer camp. 

Over the past few years, we at Burn Boot Camp have seen how working with the MDA has connected us to our community and strengthened our bond with our team members and members. The below insight and advice are meant to help franchisors understand the value and importance of prioritizing charitable efforts and the benefits it will have on the business.  

Having a Charitable Partner Brings Your Company Mission to Life 

There are many franchisors that include messaging in their mission statement about how they want to have an impact on their community or be a part of the bigger picture. But the question is, what are they doing to act on that mission statement? 

The mission of Burn Boot Camp is to empower individuals to build confidence and happiness that will transcend fitness into a community of mentally, emotionally, and physically strong people. We wanted to pick a cause that worked well with what we believe in doing every day. Both Burn and the MDA believe in building strength through unity, which allowed us to align and come together on our goals and missions. 

Having a charitable partner should be seen as an investment a business is making in their community, employees, and brand. It helps increase public awareness of your initiative and dedication to the cause by demonstrating that tangible steps are being taken to follow through on your promises. Not to mention, it will help educate and drive awareness towards the cause and charity – a win-win.  

Strengthen Community Morale and Involvement 

At Burn Boot Camp, our community is dedicated to educating, influencing, and inspiring every life with knowledge, love, strength, and passion. So, we knew our members would share our passion for MDA and building awareness on their efforts.  

To further build on existing community relationships, or to create ones, connect with local businesses to see if there is interest in joining the cause. Maybe it’s as simple as putting up a flyer for a charity event at the local coffee shop or an effort that’s a little more involved, such as asking a local vendor to participate alongside you or make a donation. Relationships built on strong grounds with the common interest of something like supporting a charity can prove to be useful down the road. 

When one employee or organization in a community dedicates themselves wholeheartedly to a cause, it has the potential to spread like wildfire and bring in others who are interested in contributing to the cause as well.  

Organizations are expected to do more than provide quality goods and services to customers and a paycheck to employees. Consumers and employees are looking for businesses to go the extra mile and support local, or national, causes in their community. A study done by Cone Communications found that 90% of the customers surveyed said they would support a company that championed a cause they care about. Supporting a charity or specific cause can also go as far as helping attract and retain members and talent.  

Things to Consider When Selecting a Charitable Partner 

Select a charitable cause or partner that instills a common thread of passion and excitement across the business. To ensure that you are aligning with your employees, include them in the process. Ask them to submit or share their ideas, interests and passions, and include them in the planning process so they feel represented.   

Once you’ve received input from others in your organization, make sure you are selecting a cause that you know your brand can support. Compile a list of potential initiatives that could be conducted systemwide such as in-person events or week-long supply drives, or whatever it may be. Also ask yourself if the business has the appropriate means and resources required to see the effort through. When you enter into a philanthropic partnership, you want to make sure you have a clear idea and vision on the execution. 

Philanthropy has the power to have a profound impact on your franchise system. It will rally together your franchisees, home office team members, and community while providing the best platform to engage with your current and potential members. Franchise brands that prioritize philanthropy will reap the benefits of a strengthened system of partners that will have a direct impact on bottom-line results.  

Today we are welcoming Tony & Alisa DiLorenzo to Coffee & Kettlebells! They are the co-authors of the Amazon bestseller: 7 Days of Sex Challenge. They believe that the healthy combination of sex, love, and commitment is more than the foundation of a strong marriage… it’s the glue that will keep a marriage together.

They write, podcast, and coach couples around the world. Tony and Alisa have been married for 23 years and have a son and a daughter. 

If you feel like sex is a taboo topic, don’t shy away. This episode is far more than an episode talking about couples and their sex lives. 

• The funny story about a quick end to their honeymoon phase 
• How Tony and Alisa found themselves to be roommates rather than romantic partners
• The importance of asking the “tough questions”
• Tony and Alisa’s marriage, near-divorce and journey to today 
• The 60-days of sex challenge  
• How simple acts of service can improve a marriage and a relationship 
• Owning a business together, parenting together and living together
• A little insight into my marriage with Devan 
• How marriage and workouts are very similar
• .. and so much more! 

A healthy pregnancy diet will promote your child’s growth and development. During pregnancy, the basic principles of healthy eating remain the same — get plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats. Sound familiar? I thought so. However, there are a few MVP’s when it comes to nutrients that deserve a shout-out. Let’s dive in to look at which nutrients you need most and where to find them!

FOLATE & FOLIC ACID: Prevent Birth Defects

Folate is a B vitamin that helps prevent neural tube defects and serious abnormalities of the brain and spinal cord. The synthetic form of folate found in supplements and fortified foods is known as folic acid. Folic acid supplementation has been shown to decrease the risk of premature birth.

How much you need: 400 to 1,000 micrograms a day of folate or folic acid before conception and throughout pregnancy.

Good Sources: 

• Cereal. ¾ cup (15g to 60g) ready-to-eat cereal contains 100 to 700 mcg – choose an option that’s 50 to 100% fortified
• Spinach. ½ C (95g) boiled spinach contains 131 mcg
• Beans. ½ C (89g) contains 90mcg
• Asparagus. 4 spears contains 89mcg
• Oranges. 1 small orange contains 29mcg
• Peanuts. 1oz dry-roasted contains 27mcg
• Prenatal vitamins. These can ensure you’re getting enough of these essential nutrients. Just make sure it’s a vitamin supplement containing folic acid!

CALCIUM: Strengthen Bones

You and your baby need calcium for strong bones and teeth. Calcium also helps your circulatory, muscular and nervous systems run normally.

How much you need: 1,000 milligrams a day; pregnant teenagers need 1,300 milligrams a day

Good Sources:

• Cereal. 1C (20g to 60g) calcium-fortified ready-to-eat cereal contains 100 to 1,000mg of calcium
• Juice. 1C Orange Juice contains 349mg
• Milk. 1C skim milk contains 299mg
• Yogurt. 6oz. Low-fat fruit yogurt contains 258mg
• Cheese. 1oz part-skim mozzarella cheese contains 222mg
• Salmon. 3oz contains 181mg
• Spinach. ½ C contains 123mg

VITAMIN D: Promote Bone Strength

Vitamin D also helps build your baby’s bones and teeth.

How much you need: 600 international units (IU) a day

Good Sources:

• Milk. 1C skim milk with added vitamin D contains 115 IU
• Fish. 3oz cooked sockeye salmon contains 570 IU
• Juice. 8oz calcium and vitamin D-fortified Orange Juice contains 100 IU
• Eggs. 1 large hard-boiled egg contains 44IU

PROTEIN: Promote Growth

Protein is one of the crucial macro-nutrients for your baby’s growth throughout pregnancy.

How much you need: 71 grams a day

Good Sources:

• Cottage Cheese. 1C low-fat contains 28g
• Fish. 3oz canned pink salmon contains 17g
• Poultry. 3oz boneless, skinless, grilled chicken breast contains 26g
• Lentils. ½ C contains 9g
• Milk. 1C Skim contains 8g
• Peanut Butter. 2T contains 7g
• Eggs. 1 large hard-boiled egg contains 6g

IRON: Prevent Iron Deficiency Anemia

Your body uses iron to make hemoglobin, a protein in the red blood cells that carries oxygen to your tissues. During pregnancy, you need double the amount of iron that nonpregnant women need. Your body needs this iron to make more blood to supply oxygen to your baby. It will also help with fatigue.

How much you need: 27 milligrams a day

Good Sources:

• Cereal. ½ C quick oats fortified with iron contains 20mg
• Meat. 3oz roasted lean beef tenderloin contains 3mg
• Spinach. ½ C contains 3mg
• Beans. ½ C contains 2mg
• Poultry. 3oz roasted dark turkey contains 1mg
• Prenatal vitamins typically contain iron. In some cases, your health care provider might recommend a separate iron supplement.

The more you know:

The iron from animal products (like lean meat!) is most easily absorbed. To enhance the absorption of iron from plant-based sources and supplements, pair them with a food or drink high in vitamin C — such as OJ, tomato juice or strawberries. 

Supplements: Talk To Your Doctor

Even if you eat a healthy diet, you can miss out on key nutrients. Taking a daily prenatal vitamin — ideally starting at least three months before conception — can help fill any gaps. Your health care provider might recommend special supplements if you follow a strict vegetarian diet or have a chronic health condition.

Additional Resources – Pregnant & Fit:

Pregnant & Fit: Listen to Your Body

Pregnant & Fit: Best Exercises for Every Trimester

Why Use Grass-Fed Beef?

To keep this hamburger mac and cheese the healthiest it can be, you’ll want to ensure you use grass-fed ground beef. When beef is grass-fed, it contains a healthy ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids. Conventional beef is extremely high in omega-6 fatty acids, and when you over-consume these, you promote fat storage—which is definitely not what you are looking for. Grass-fed, on the other hand, is especially high in the omega-3 fatty acid CLA, which is an extremely healthy fat that’s great for promoting fat burning. Plus, meat with the American Grassfed certification label cannot contain any antibiotics or hormones.

Swaps!

Now let’s talk about how versatile this dish is. This recipe is made dairy-free with the use of cashews for creaminess. Cashews can easily be swapped out for macadamia nuts, almonds or sunflower seeds. If you are both nut- and seed-free, you can use plain hummus or full-fat coconut milk instead. In this case, you’ll want to reduce the amount of water used in the recipe. Are you plant-based? You can easily make this by eliminating the ground beef. To keep the recipe high-protein, swap the ground beef for lentils or tempeh.

If you become hooked on this recipee and are looking for a twist, add chili powder into the mix or top off your dish with some hot sauce.

Are you looking to add more vegetables to your meals? One of my favorite things to do with this recipe is roast a big sheet pan full of cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts and mix those into the dairy-free cheese sauce. Or, if you are short on time, toss a bag of spinach into your cooking noodles a minute before removing them from heat.

I hope your reaction to this mac and cheese is the same as mine. Enjoy!

*Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a commission. Keep in mind I linked these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission we receive from your purchases. Whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you!

Dairy-Free Hamburger Mac and Cheese Ingredients:

1 lb grass-fed ground beef

1 package chickpea pasta

Dairy-Free Cheese Sauce:

1 cup butternut squash cubes

 1 cup raw unsalted cashews

 ½ cup water

 ¼ cup nutritional yeast*

 2 tsp. garlic powder

 2 tsp. onion powder

 1 tsp. salt

 ½ tsp. smoked paprika

Juice of ½ lemon

Directions:

Soak cashews overnight or for at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut butternut squash into small cubes and roast for 15 minutes on an oiled baking sheet. While the butternut squash is baking, bring water to a boil in a pot.

Once boiling, add in chickpea pasta and cook according to box directions. On a separate burner, cook ground beef in a skillet until fully cooked. Drain noodles and return to pot. Remove butternut squash from oven and allow to cool for 2 minutes.

Add all the sauce ingredients into a high-speed blender or food processor and process until completely smooth. Add sauce and ground beef to the pot with the noodles and stir until the noodles are well coated.

Nutrition Facts: 

Serves: 6

1 serving:

Calories: 396

Carbs: 30g

Fat: 19g

Protein: 30g

*This is an affiliate link. We only link products we personally use and trust!

The first thing I love about this cookie is that it is giant! How can you go wrong with a recipe that has  “giant” and “chocolate” in the name? Secondly, I love that it is single serving. Yes, that’s right—it’s giant and it is single serving! So when I bake this protein cookie, I get to indulge in the entire thing myself.

Want to know what makes it even better? You’re probably thinking, “How could this get any better than it already is?” Well, let me tell you, it can! This recipe is gluten-free, contains only naturally occurring sugar and has 25 grams of protein, which means you can eat this entire cookie yourself, 100% guilt-free!

*Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a commission. Keep in mind I linked these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission we receive from your purchases. Whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you!

This recipe calls for sunflower seed butter, but that can be easily swapped for almond, peanut, cashew or any other kind of nut or seed butter you happen to have on hand. The measurement will remain the same. The recipe also calls for unsweetened applesauce, but you can easily use pumpkin puree interchangeably. And if you want your cookie to be grain-free, you can substitute the oat flour with extra flaxseed meal—just add a total of 2½ tablespoons of flaxseed meal to the mix.

I also use cacao powder versus cocoa powder for this recipe. I personally prefer cacao powder, as it is much less processed and provides greater health benefits than cocoa powder. It’s extremely high in iron, magnesium, potassium and antioxidants. Plus, it’s a natural metabolism and mood booster! You can shop my favorite cacao powder here.

To make this more of a superfood cookie, you could sub chocolate chips with cacao nibs. Cacao nibs are just like chocolate chips but they are chocolate in its raw form and do not contain any extra ingredients. They are also an excellent source of fat and a great way to get your chocolate fix without raising your blood sugar. You can shop my favorite cacao nibs here.

Ingredients:

 1 scoop chocolate AfterBurn

 2 tbsp. oat flour

 1 tbsp. cacao powder

 ½ tbsp. flaxseed meal

 ¼ tsp. baking soda

 ⅛ tsp. salt

 3 tbsp. unsweetened applesauce

 2 tbsp. plant-based milk

 1 tbsp. sunflower seed butter

 Stevia to taste

 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

 1 tbsp. 100% unsweetened dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, combine Afterburn, oat flour, cacao powder, flaxseed meal, baking soda and salt. Stir until evenly combined. In a separate bowl, combine applesauce, plant-based milk, sunflower seed butter, stevia and vanilla extract. Stir until completely mixed.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until a dough-like consistency is formed. Add more milk if needed. Fold in chocolate chips.

Using your hands, form a ball with the dough and place on the baking sheet. Press ball into a cookie shape, about ½ inch thick. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, more or less depending on how soft or crunchy you prefer your cookie.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from baking sheet. Enjoy the entire cookie, guilt-free!

Nutrition Facts: 

Serves 1

Calories: 404

Carbs: 30g

Fat: 20g

Protein: 31g

1. Oatmeal is perfect for meal prepping for the week.

I love to bake this Baked Maple Protein Oatmeal recipe on Sundays to ensure I have either a healthy breakfast to grab when I am on-the-go or for when I need a mid-afternoon pick-me-up snack. I love how absolutely simple it is to meal prep. Just stir all the ingredients together, transfer to a baking dish and bake! 

2. It’s kid-friendly!

My kids absolutely love this Baked Maple Protein Oatmeal recipe and are always asking for more. If you are a parent, you know how difficult it can be to get your kids to eat foods that are actually healthy—and this recipe makes it so simple!

*Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a commission. Keep in mind I linked these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission we receive from your purchases. Whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you!

3. I love all things maple!

As much as I love eating a plate of pancakes drenched in maple syrup, I know it’s a complete sugar bomb and should only be something I treat myself to from time to time. This Baked Maple Protein Oatmeal gives me that same delicious maple flavor without all the processed sugar by using maple extract and stevia drops instead.

4. It’s filled with protein.

It’s important to include protein into your breakfast, but for me it’s not always the easiest thing to do. Between the Afterburn and Greek yogurt, one slice of this Baked Maple Protein Oatmeal gives me 13 grams of clean protein.

5. It’s gluten-free and contains zero added sugars!

I feel so much better when I remove both gluten and sugar from my diet. I not only feel more energized, but I notice my complexion to be more clear and I feel less bloated. Sometimes it can be hard to find a quick breakfast on the go, that is gluten-free, sugar-free and high-protein. Thankfully, this Baked Maple Protein Oatmeal is all three! 

This Baked Maple Protein Oatmeal is…

High-protein

Sugar-free

Gluten-free

High in fiber

Warm

Comforting

Filling

Easy to make

Perfect for meal prepping

Ingredients:

2½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats

2 scoops Afterburn protein

1 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

2 cups plant-based milk

2 whole eggs

¼ cup maple syrup

¼ cup coconut oil, melted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. maple extract

2 bananas

Topping:

1 cup Greek yogurt

2 tsp. maple extract

2 tsp. Cinnamon

Stevia

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Thoroughly combine eggs, plant-based milk, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract and 2 tsp. maple extract in a large mixing bowl. In a separate mixing bowl, combine oats, Vanilla AfterBurn, baking powder and salt, then stir.

Transfer dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir again until well combined. Pour mixture into a 9” x 13” glass baking dish. Cut bananas into thin slices and spread evenly on top of mixture. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

For the topping, combine Greek yogurt, 1 tsp. maple extract, cinnamon and stevia in a small bowl. Stir until evenly mixed. Once the baked maple oatmeal is fully cooked, remove from oven and allow to cool. Top each serving with 1 to 2 spoonfuls of Greek yogurt topping.

Nutrition Facts: 

12 Slices

Serving size: 1 slice with ¼ cup Greek yogurt topping

Yields 12 slices

Calories: 210

Carbs: 22g

Fat: 8g

Protein: 13g

A quesadilla without cheese? What?!

Seeing the title of this recipe, dairy-free chicken quesadilla, you’re most likely thinking, “What is a quesadilla without cheese?” Which probably makes you also think it has some weird-tasting vegan cheese alternative that doesn’t even come close to comparing with your typically oozing-and-gooing-with-cheese quesadilla.

Well, let me tell you, the best thing about this quesadilla recipe is that it doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. Yes, it’s dairy-free and has no cheese, but it doesn’t try to pretend to cheesy when it’s clearly not!

What’s the Secret? 

So without the cheese, what exactly makes this chicken quesadilla so good? The sauce. I like to call it “magical enchilada sauce” because it is just that delicious! And you know what makes the magical enchilada sauce even more magical? It’s made from 100% whole food ingredients, is gluten-, grain- and corn-free, and my kids can’t seem to get enough of it! Delicious, healthy and kid-friendly? What more can I say besides that I know this recipe will become a weeknight staple at your house!

This Dairy-Free Chicken Quesadilla is…

Dairy-free

Gluten-free

Grain-free

High-protein

Ooey

Gooey

Cheesy

Addictive

craving-crushing

Oh-so satisfying!

*Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a commission. Keep in mind I linked these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission we receive from your purchases. Whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you!

Ingredients:

8 Siete cassava flour tortillas

 2 cups shredded chicken

2 red peppers, chopped

1 sweet onion, chopped

1 avocado

2 tbsp. coconut oil, divided

Filling:

 8 oz. enchilada sauce

1 cup cashews

⅓ cup nutritional yeast

⅓ cup black bean salsa

1 cup garlic hummus

Juice of 1 large lime

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

Directions:

Add all filling ingredients into a high-speed blender or food processor and process until completely smooth. Transfer filling to a bowl and set aside. Using the stove, melt 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a frying pan. Add chopped peppers and onions and saute until cooked to your liking. Transfer veggies to a different bowl.

Melt another tablespoon of coconut oil in the frying pan, if needed, to prevent sticking. Spread filling on one tortilla, top one half with cooked vegetables and shredded chicken and fold in half. Place on pan to cook, flipping after 2 minutes or when it begins to brown. Remove from heat after the opposite side begins to brown. Slice avocado to top it off.

Nutrition Facts

Yields 8 quesadillas 

1 quesadilla:

Calories: 322

Carbs: 29g

Fat: 15g

Protein: 20g

I may be the co-founder and COO of Burn Boot Camp and regularly preach living a healthy lifestyle, but at the same time I am all about taking a balanced approach to health. We need to be realistic—not restrictive—when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle.

With living a balanced, healthy lifestyle comes being realistic about how much I love margaritas and definitely not restricting myself from enjoying them from time to time! But, I am all about finding healthier alternatives whenever possible! So of course, I did some experimenting and came up with a preservative-free, extremely fresh skinny margarita that never fails to hit the spot!

All fresh ingredients!

You will be amazed by how a few squeezes of lime, lemon and clementine, and of course some tequila, come together to make the most refreshing and delicious skinny margarita! With zero processed ingredients, and the natural sweetness from freshly squeezed fruit, you’ll feel refreshed when drinking this skinny margarita and even more refreshed the morning after. Be sure to check out my episode of Morgan Makes It (below) where I show you just how simple this skinny margarita is to shake up.

*Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a commission. Keep in mind I linked these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission we receive from your purchases. Whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you!

This Skinny Margarita is…

Fresh and fruity

Perfectly sweet

Extremely flavorful

Extra Refreshing

Ingredients:

1 oz. tequila

1 lime

1 clementine

½ lemon

Stevia to taste

Ice

Directions:

Squeeze the juice of the lime, clementine and lemon into a cocktail shaker. Add tequila, ice and stevia to taste. Shake for 10 seconds and pour into an iced-filled glass.

I prefer to use a lemon squeezer to easily squeeze the juice of the lemon, lime and clementine for this recipe.

Nutrition Facts: 

1 serving: 

Serves 1

Calories: 96

Carbs: 10g

Fat: 0g

Protein: 0g

Regular pancakes heighten my cravings for more carbohydrates 

But to be 100% honest, as much as I love them, they fail to keep me full and satisfied. Generally after eating a plate of pancakes, I am hungry again an hour later, and I crave more carbs than usual throughout my day. I finally realized that consuming carbohydrates—especially processed carbohydrates like pancake mixes from a box—without any protein or fat will drastically spike my blood sugar levels, which heightens my cravings for more carbohydrates.

But I wasn’t going to give up my Saturday morning pancakes that easily, and that’s why I came up with these extremely satisfying Protein-Packed Afterburn Pancakes. Made from complex carbohydrates and whole-food ingredients, and packed with 40 grams of protein per serving, these protein pancakes set me up perfectly for a successful day of eating.

Swap out the maple syrup for this…

To include a healthy fat into the mix and ditch the sugar-packed syrup, I love to combine one teaspoon of maple extract with one tablespoon of melted coconut oil, ghee, cashew butter or almond butter and drizzle over my Protein-Packed Afterburn Pancakes.

This recipe has transformed my comforting, but highly-processed, pancakes into a nutritious, balanced meal without compromising the taste!

Perfect Post-Workout Pancakes

I also love diving into these Protein-Packed Afterburn Pancakes post-workout. With the perfect balance of carbohydrates and protein, there is no better way to replenish my body and fuel my muscles for growth than with these pancakes. Whip up a batch and let me know what you think!

These Protein-Packed Afterburn Pancakes are…

High-protein

Gluten-free

Easily made vegan and dairy-free

Simple

Healthy

Fluffy

Filling

Delicious

Indulgent-tasting (without actually indulging!)

Ingredients:

½ cup oat flour

 ½ cup pumpkin puree

2 egg whites

1 scoop Vanilla Afterburn

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. baking powder

Directions:

Combine all ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir until well combined. Heat a non-stick or oiled griddle over medium heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using about ¼ cup for each pancake or make one giant pancake. Brown on both sides.

Nutrition Facts: 

Single serving

Calories: 371

Carbs: 39g

Fat: 6g

Protein: 40g