I had started my fitness journey a few years ago by starting up weightlifting and switching to a healthier diet. In fact, I had started this blog as a way to track my progress and to document the recipes I was developing.
Over time, my fitness routine changed and so did my diet. I not only cut out fast food, but also any sort of processed products, like bread, and potential GMOs, like grains. I was working from home at the time, so I was able to make big, hearty breakfasts every morning that would keep me full until dinner. So, I stopped snacking too. I tracked my macros and counted my calories. I lost close to 30lbs (13.6 kgs) and I looked like I was in the peak of my health.
However, my work situation changed and I do not work from home anymore. Most days, I eat my breakfast on the bus or at the office. I try to keep my first meal of the day healthy, and grab whatever fruit or veggies are handy. But, they aren’t very filling – I’d be hungry and tired an hour later — and I usually do not have time to snack on anything. I would wait for lunch (usually a salad + protein), devour it quickly, and feel tired again in the afternoon.
I noticed my performance stalled when it came to exercise too. My diet is pretty high in natural proteins and healthy fats, so I didn’t know what was wrong.
It’s at this point where I met Jacklyn, an in-store registered dietitian at my local Loblaws. In our consultation, she listened to my concerns, took note of my current diet, and gave me lots of useful information about an easy-to-maintain balanced diet.
As it turned out, I was actually not eating enough carbs (maybe the only person ever with this problem?!). Jacklyn helped explain to me that whole grains and legumes are essential for short term energy, which is why I would feel so sluggish all day. If I added them to my breakfast and lunch, I would have enough energy to get through the day and my exercise performance would increase. She referenced the recently revamped Canada’s Food Guide for portioning my meals and making sure they are properly balanced.
She also reminded me that I should eat when I’m hungry, meaning that it is OK to snack. She gave be a useful tool for tracking my hunger levels before and after I eat. Essentially, I should be eating when I’m just starting to feel hungry (not when I am famished!) and I won’t be as sluggish and overly full afterwards.
Jacklyn was awesome and really listened to my concerns, particularly about how: 1) I am still not entirely comfortable eating grains; and 2) I often don’t have a lot of spare time to make breakfast. She not only gave me some really great and easy (!!) breakfast ideas that: 1) do not include bread or cereal; and 2) also can be made in big batches for the rest of the week – she sent me recipes and even brought me down to my local Loblaws’ grocery store floor to show me specific ingredients and where to actually find them in store.
I was particularly interested in the PC Organics Chickpea Flour. Jacklyn had recommended making Chickpea Pancakes for breakfast, as they can be prepared in bulk, and contain healthy carbs, protein, and fibre. Just like regular pancakes, they can be topped with healthy condiments like yogurt/skyr, fruit, nut butter, hummus, and local veggies. Since our meeting, these pancakes have actually been my go-to breakfast – they are so versatile, very easy to make, and pretty tasty too!
I noticed that since I’ve been eating these pancakes for breakfast, I’ve been feeling satiated all morning. I haven’t been over-eating at lunch, and I haven’t had mid-afternoon slumps. Importantly, I’m finally breaking free of my exercise plateau too!
I had such a great experience with Jacklyn and the Loblaws dietitian program. Conveniently located in-store, Loblaws’ registered dietitians have a university degree, specialized in building tailored nutrition programs to help meet specific health needs. They can personally help you plan and shop for meals that are right for you and your family! I personally love that I can be a #FoodLover, but also keep my health in mind. You can find out more information about this here.
More about the Chickpea Pancakes! As I said, these are delicious, versatile, and filling. While I make the pancakes in big batches at home, I keep many of the toppings handy at my office, so these are super convenient for someone with limited time in the morning, like me.
Featured in the photos are two different topping ideas, one being inspired by Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine, and the other being more conventional.
Let’s start with the pancake recipe. I had adapted and modified the recipe from Oh She Glows, so it can be served either savoury or sweet.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup PC Organics Chickpea Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt (I used smoked sea salt)
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/2 cup water
Directions:
- Preheat a small pan or skillet (I like using a 6” pan for perfect individual pancakes) on medium to medium-low heat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients (flour, garlic powder, salt, pepper, baking powder, cayenne)
- Add the water and whisk well until no clumps remain and air bubbles form.
- When the skillet is pre-heated, add olive oil or grapeseed oil
- Pour batter into the pan. Cook for about 6 minutes on one side, until you can easily slide a spatula under the pancake and it’s firm enough not to break when flipping. Flip pancake carefully and cook for another 5 minutes, until golden or brown. *** Be sure to cook for enough time as this pancake takes much longer to cook compared to regular pancakes.
- Serve with desired toppings. Leftovers can be wrapped up and placed in the fridge. Can be reheated or eaten cold.
For the Middle Eastern / Mediterranean toppings, I used Greek yogurt, cucumber, carrot, tahini, feta, sesame seeds, chopped olives, two sliced dates, crispy onions, fresh herbs (oregano, thyme, sorrel, black basil, tarragon, marjoram), and olive oil. Admittedly, the presentation is for the photos, but the ingredients can be prepped ahead of time and tossed on if you’re on the go!
For a more traditional take, I used sheep’s milk yogurt, local blueberries, fresh time, coconut flakes, bee pollen, sesame seeds, and dark honey. With the exception of the pancakes and blueberries, I actually keep the rest of the ingredients at work!
The best part is that you can find all these ingredients at Loblaws!
What will you be putting on your pancakes?