Happy Runner: Coconut Protein Pancakes

In seven weeks, I will have hopefully crossed the finish line of the Chicago Marathon. My training has been going well (minus a little IT band achiness a couple of weeks back) and I've gotten up to 18.5 miles but the thought of 26.2 miles still scares me. I'm doing everything I can to physically prepare and, now that I have gotten into a great groove with my commitment and dedication to my training plan, I'm starting to focus more on the nutritional aspect of my training. Really this just means I'm trying to eat a little healthier and working on constantly seeing food as fuel. This is not an easy task when you like to bake as much as I do. It's all about balance though as this recipe for protein pancakes proves: pancakes made with my favorite yogurt combo and topped with my favorite crunchy chocolate Nuttzo butter.  The pancakes were thin and full of flavor and a great alternative to my traditional pancakes that are delicious but rarely make me feel that "food as fuel" mentality. (Note: this recipe is for half the original recipe and was enough for two servings for me).

Coconut Protein Pancakes
Source: Foodfanatic.com
Serves 1 to 2

1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 Chobani Almond Coco Loco flip
1/3 cup vanilla almond milk
1 tablespoon honey
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed
Desired toppings, like fruit or syrup

Add all of the ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth.

Heat a large skillet or griddle to medium heat. Spray with non-stick spray. Using a cookie scoop, scoop batter onto hot skillet or griddle, placing about 2-inches between pancakes.

Cook for 2-3 minutes until bubbles start to form. Flip, and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.

Serve with desired toppings.

For more on my eating and training for the Chicago Marathon follow me on Facebook and Instagram @thecookierunner!

Sunshine Burgers Review!

I say it all the time that running has changed my life and it's true. Running has set me on a path that I never thought I would walk. I never thought of myself as athletic until I started running and I never thought it would be possible to feel as confident as I do now. I never thought I would be an ambassador for anything, let alone something fitness-related. Yet, here I am representing Sweat Pink Ambassadors and writing up this review of Sunshine Burgers. Life is one beautiful, unpredictable adventure!

Trying Sunshine Burgers was a first for me in a big way. This was my first time having a veggie burger! I had always been weary of them because when I would  hear "veggie burger" I immediately thought of something that was made only with those vegetables I didn't like. I imagined broccoli and spinach packed into a party and that did not appeal to me. So when I heard about Sunshine Burgers and their line of veggie burgers made with things like quinoa and chia seeds, I signed up as quickly as I could. They sent me six of their burgers and, to date, I've tried six of them. I'm not terribly creative so I don't have any innovative recipes using Sunshine Burgers, but I did come up with meals that convinced me veggie burgers aren't scary and could be a part of my diet.

The first one I tried was the falafel burger. This burger actually tasted like a falafel! I ate it with Two Peas and Their Pod's Greek Quinoa salad and it was delicious.

The next burger I tried was the Loco Chipotle. This is a bigger burger that I ate with a haas avocado and a bit of sour cream. This is the veggie burger that turned my thinking about veggie burgers around. If you know me, you know I love spicy and anything I can add avocados and sour cream to so this burger was made for me. I was in heaven!

The last burger I tried was the one that started things off for Sunshine Burgers: Garden Herb. This burger is made with brown rice, raw ground sunflower kernels, carrots, herbs, and sea salt. Talk about simplicity in ingredients! I ate this burger with quinoa, olive oil, and dash of Parmesan cheese. Because this was the original burger flavor, I was apprehensive about the taste. But, considering the founder of Sunshine Burgers started off making these burgers for her kids, I shouldn't have been surprised the burger would be tasty enough to please picky little eaters. 

Aside from being impressed with the taste, I was also impressed with the ease of eating these. All the patties are cooked and simply need to be reheated. These are perfect foods to eat when you need to put something together quick and you don't want to feel guilty about what you just ate. While I still feel like I need my meaty burgers, I'm glad I was open to trying something that was out of my comfort zone because I discovered something new that I like and that's good for me. These burgers fit right in line with my goal of being my healthiest and fittest self. 

I did not pay for these samples nor was I paid by Sunshine Burgers to write this review. All the opinions are my own.

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram @thecookierunner

(PS this is my trying to blog from my phone. I'm sorry if the format is funky!)