Anyone out there feeling inspired to change your eating habits but terrified to deal with cravings?
Two years ago when I decided to eliminate processed foods, I was attacked with horrible sugar withdrawal (let's keep in mind that refined sugar is the enemy; I was eating loads of fruit but still suffering terribly). For nearly three months I was hit with headaches, crankiness, and cravings for all things sweet.
I was determined to stick with my goals because at that point I understood that humans were not originally built to live off of the packaged crap that litters our grocery stores. I knew humans are meant to thrive off of whole, natural foods. So I pushed through and eventually made it to the other side and stopped wanting donuts so damn bad.
I went for the all-or-nothing approach initially, which made it difficult later on to find a proper balance. If I could go back, I would've dabbled in modified baking sooner. Now I'm obsessed with picking food that I crave and adjusting the recipe to make a sweet treat that's dairy-free, gluten-free, and refined-sugar-free. Because of this, a lot of my preferred recipes are defaulted to low-carb; I've mentioned this before, but typically I try to get my carbohydrates from natural foods such as potatoes. Certain recipes that are sugar-free come with a low-carb option to help people that can't have gluten or that are following a low-carb diet. I don't define my eating habits as following any particular guideline or "diet" but I know this recipe fits the criteria for many of my friends' food choices.
If you're nervous to transition into new eating habits, I hope you can find comfort in knowing that there's no need to give up your favorite foods. Of course, there's nothing wrong with going to a bakery and getting the damn donut every once in awhile. But for me I know what upsets my stomach and skin, so why not make something that I can enjoy while also keeping my digestive system happy?
A frequent craving of mine is pancakes or waffles.
I've attempted various recipes for homemade pancakes that fit my needs, but to no avail. I wanted some that use almond flour, but every recipe I tried was an epic fail; they would fall apart in the skillet, burn on the outside but be raw in the middle, or have a strange grainy texture.
I found this recipe on a blog called www.choosingchia.com and decided to try it out...finally it worked! Apparently I usually go for quite a runny pancake batter, which might have been my problem before. The batter for these came out incredibly thick and they turned out amazing. I figured I would share this recipe with you and show how you can get creative with flavors, toppings, and on-the-go breakfast.
Prep time: 5 min.
Cook time: 10-15 min.
Total time: 15-20 min.
Ingredients:
-1 cup almond flour
-1/2 tsp baking powder
-1/4 tsp salt
-2 eggs
-1/4 cup almond milk
-1 tsp coconut oil, melted and cooled
-1 tsp vanilla extract
*-my added bonus: coconut sugar to taste.
Directions: Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, then wet.
My added commentary/tips:
-If you have an Aldi near you, check it out for almond flour! My Aldi recently started selling it for a much better price than other grocery stores/health food stores...if you've ever shopped for almond flour, you know how pricey it can get.
-Walmart has gluten-free baking powders available.
-The recipe didn't specify on any certain salt, but by default I used pink Himilayan salt for added health benefits. The best price I've found so far for this is at Walmart and T.J. Maxx.
-The microwave in our house is currently broken so I wasn't able to melt/cool the coconut oil. I just left it out to soften a little and actually rolled the jar back in forth in my hands to try warming it up a bit more. I was sure to mix my batter thoroughly and the pancakes still turned out great.
-I added coconut sugar as a sweetener because I find it to be a relatively clean alternative (no added ingredients; I get mine from Giant Eagle). You could also add honey, agave nectar, or any preferred sweetener. Or you could opt out of this part and focus more on your sweet delicious toppings!
-the batter will be THICK! It really threw me off and I was tempted to add more almond milk but just stick with it! Spoon a dollop into your hot skillet and gently spread it. I went for medium sized pancakes at medium-high heat. This helped cook the pancakes all the way through without burning the outside.
Topping Ideas:
-Sugar free syrup. Sold at Walmart and Giant Eagle.
-dairy free whipped cream. Sold at Walmart in a spray can!
-Peanut butter (or any nut butter) sprinkled with cinnamon.
-Any fruits such as strawberries or bananas.
There are countless toppings out there but those are my personal favorites. You can also pick an actual pancake flavor and add it to the batter, such as blueberries or chocolate chips! My favorite thing to do around this time of year is go to T.J. Maxx and browse the sugar-free flavors that can be added to baking recipes, coffee, or whatever you want!
If you don't have time to sit down for breakfast: spray or line a cupcake tray and fill it with the batter. I wish I could give you a time to follow, but so far I've always made these "pancake muffins" with my oven at 350 degrees F. and the time varies around 9-15 minutes. Check them by inserting a butter knife through the center of one to see if it comes out clean of batter. Just grab one or two in the morning to eat on the go.
Let me know if you try these out and how it worked for you. I've made these about four times now and so far every batch has turned out awesome. We're transitioning into a time when we all crave a cozy meal.
Thank you, as always, for taking the time to read!
*Photo is my own.
*Original recipe found here: https://choosingchia.com/fluffy-almond-flour-pancakes/