Breakfast Weight Loss Recipe: Quinoa Pancakes

There are a lot of reasons to love quinoa. The tiny seeds are chock-full of protein, every amino acid, including lysine, which is essential to your health. But perhaps the two best reasons to love quinoa are that it tastes great and, after eating it, you'll feel great—full of energy and ready to tackle any challenges.

One of best ways to start your day is with quinoa pancakes.

Quinoa pancakes aren't like your typical pancakes. Sure, they taste great, and they're easy to make. But more importantly, they are full of everything you need to fire up your metabolism and take on the day—muscle-building protein, bone-strengthening calcium, disease-fighting antioxidants and just enough calories to ensure that your body will have enough energy to make it to lunch.

Look at all these fat-burning, muscle-building ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked quinoa, which you already know comes complete with protein and essential amino acids
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, which will provide plenty of fiber (substituting whole grain fiber is even better for your health)

Photo and recipe courtesy of POPSUGAR

• 1 large, protein-rich egg, plus 1 large egg white (just to give you a little more protein)—did you know that, in addition to protein, eggs are a great source of Vitamins A and D?
• 1/4 cup low-fat milk to provide you with the calcium you need to keep your bones strong
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, which is a delicious alternative to sugar and also extremely high in essential minerals (plus it satisfies your sweet tooth)
• Fresh fruit that provides vitamins and antioxidants, both of which fight disease.
• 1 tbs. unsalted butter
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. course salt

Directions:

1. Combine the quinoa, flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and whisk together.
2. In a separate bowl combine the egg, egg white, unsalted butter milk and maple syrup and whisk until it's smooth.
3. Add the mixture from Step 2 into the bowl from Step 1 and combine.
4. Use butter or non-stick cooking spray to coat a large, non-stick skillet. Drop large tablespoons of the pancake batter onto the pan and cook over medium-high heat until bubbles appear on top, approx. 2 minutes.
5. Flip the pancakes and cook for approx. 2 minutes on the other side, until golden brown.
6. Clean the skillet after each cake and serve with maple syrup and fresh fruit!