What to Eat When You're Sick of Oatmeal

Turns out this is an actual book! How awesome is that?

I don't want to brag but food ruts are kinda my specialty. I don't know if it's because I hate food, eating freaks me out or just my innate laziness but I'm happy to eat the same ol' thing day in and day out. Case in point: For three years I ate nothing but oatmeal for breakfast. Oh sure I mixed it up a little bit - some days I did steel cut oats instead of regular, other times I sliced a peach or threw in a handful of berries instead of my usual apple - but every morning was some variation on The Almighty Oat. I even bought little packets of Kashi instant oats to take with me on vacation. (Ever wonder what a Mormon uses the coffee maker in their hotel room for? Fresh, hot oatmeal! Although eating them with those little stirrer-straws gets ridiculous.) I'll even eat them raw, I like oats that much.

After my oat phase, I entered an egg phase. Every morning was 1 yolk + 2 whites scrambled with peppers and onions, served on a bed of wilted spinach. I probably had eggs every morning for the last 6 months. But for the past two weeks I've found a new breakfast love. What could be so amazing as to break my rut?

Behold the wonderous protein pancake! I got this recipe from Heather Eats Almond Butter but I've also seen variations of it from Deb the Smoothie Girl and Allie the Protein Shake Pimper. So chances are you have seen it around the fit-o-sphere. But have you tried it? YOU MUST. First, it's so easy even I can't screw it up and second, they're a whole plate of fluffy deliciousness for a low-carb, high-protein 100 calories. And that's not 100 cals/pancake but 100 calories for the whole recipe! I get 5 good sized pancakes out of it.

Charlotte's Variation on The Protein Pancake
3 egg whites
2 Tbsp oat flour (others use coconut flour, almond flour, whole wheat flour, buckwheat flour, brown rice flour etc. I've tried them all and they all work but the oat's my fave.)
2 Tbsp almond milk (or regular milk)
1/4 tsp baking powder

Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks. Stir in other ingredients. Cook. (Like you need my direction on how to flip pancakes, right?) Top. (I love coconut butter, cashew butter and/or chunky applesauce on mine.) Eat. Melt into a puddle of joy.

These are so fluffy they're almost like angel food cake but without the sugar. Totally worth the few extra minutes it takes to beat those bad eggs.

If you need something quicker in the morning - and you aren't going to skip breakfast no matter how busy you are! (Yes Miss Hannigan!) - try these muffins. (Okay, so for them to be quicker you will have to make them the night before. But then they're grab-n-go the next day! Plus they freeze well.) I got the base recipe from Fat Free Vegan but have altered it to make it, well, not fat free obviously. (These days I'm still avoiding wheat but loooooving on the fat.) I recently brought these for the gym buddies with butterscotch chips in them and they all liked them so much they asked for the recipe, which is big news for a girl with as bad a cooking reputation as mine is.

Charlotte's Whole Wheat Vegan Muffins
3 ripe bananas mashed
2 Tbsp lemon juice
4 oz. unsweetened applesauce
1 Tbsp oil
1/2 c sugar (I've used less, they're still good)
2 c whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
whatever add-ins you like: chocolate chips (dark chocolate's like a health food!), nuts, dried fruit, frozen berries etc.

Mix. Bake @ 350. (How long? I dunno. Until it looks done. I suck at cooking, remember?)

You didn't ask but my favorite lunch these days is Moong Dal (spicy lentils) and roasted veggies which is fortunate since I've had that every day for two weeks.

What's your current favorite breakfast? Do you go on food jags too or do you love variety? Got any good breakfast recipes to share?

PS> I think *sob* my body really is doing better without wheat. I haven't had a single binge since I gave it up.