But pancakes don’t need to be smothered in sugar or full of saturated fat to be enjoyable. Healthy pancake recipes do exist!

That’s right – what if we told you there was a way to enjoy pancake day – but still keep your macros in check?

Well, there is. Here at SMG, we’ve created 4 super easy and healthy pancake recipes that will keep your healthy diet on track.

The perfect pancake

Pancakes are very versatile. No really, you can have them with pretty much anything and everything. Even better? You can eat them for breakfast, post-workout, pre-workout and even as a little late-night snack.

When it comes to making the perfect pancake, we have two tips you should follow: make sure your pan isn’t too hot and your batter isn’t too thin/watery.

Healthy pancake recipes

It’s time to say goodbye to boring breakfasts and paltry post-workout snacks. Get stuck into these 4 healthy pancake recipes and get the nutritious kick your body needs.

The last bite

If you’ve made it this far with your ‘new year, new you’ diet, there’s no need to fall flat when it comes to pancake day. With these quick, easy and healthy pancake recipes you can enjoy a guilt-free treat.

Don’t get left out! Fire up your frying pan and get flipping. If you enjoyed these recipes, let us know in the comments below!

That smell alone first thing in the morning is enough to set you up for the day. Top those delicious fresh-cooked treats with fresh cream, maple syrup or sweet jam and you’ve got yourself one heck of a great morning.

But there’s one drawback, pancakes for breakfast ain’t exactly healthy right?

Wrong.

Fitting a plate of delicious pancakes into your dieting might be easier than you think – all with protein pancake recipes.

We’ve created three recipes that put a new, healthy twist on your average pancake so you can stick to your diet, while enjoying a guilt-free treat.

What are protein pancakes?

Ok, we hear you. Healthy pancakes surely can’t be a thing. But give us a moment to convince you.

One of the most effective, proven ways to lose weight is to enjoy a high-protein diet [1], and protein pancakes fit that bill down to the ground.

If you’re going to achieve a high-protein diet, you need a hearty helping of these amino acids in every meal – and so many of us fail to get ours in at breakfast.

Fitting in a good level of protein into your breakfast is the ideal way to get you off to a good start, and ensure you’re getting enough of this nutrient into your diet.

What’s more, our protein pancake recipes provide you with fiber, essential nutrients and a well-balanced meal that will complement any healthy diet.

Starting to sound a little better? Good.

A protein pancake honestly is the way to get the best of both worlds.

Follow our step-by-step instructions and learn how to make protein pancakes with these delicious recipes.

Protein pancake recipes

Check out these protein pancake recipes to kickstart a day of healthy eating and satisfy that sweet tooth.

Before you get started, you’re going to need a few things in your kitchen. Check you’ve got the following before you begin whipping up a breakfast feast:

• Blender or smoothie maker
• Round, flat-based skillet
• Spatula

Once you have all of these things, you’re ready to start cooking up a storm. Take a look at the recipes below and pick out your favorite.

The final taste

With these protein pancake recipes, you can quite literally have the best of both worlds.

Believe it or not, a delicious, fluffy, flavorsome and healthy pancake isn’t that hard to create yourself.

Simply follow our step-by-step guidelines and you can transform you breakfast into something that not only satisfies your cravings, but helps you stick to your clean-eating plan too. It’s what dreams are made of.

What are you waiting for, fire up that skillet and start flipping those pancakes like a pro today. Let us know what you think when you’ve had a taste!

1. Jäger, R., et al. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2017 14:20

Perfecting your diet isn’t always the most exciting thing to do. Without the right kind recipes, meals can become dull, repetitive and uninspiring very quickly.

To help you mix up your eating routine, without falling off the wagon, we’ve created these truly delicious healthy chicken recipes.

They’re lean, packed full of protein and tasty to boot. Read on to learn how to make them for yourself.

Health benefits of chicken

There’s so much to love about a really good healthy chicken breast recipe.

The main benefit of chicken breast is it’s lean. This means it’s a great source of low-fat, low-calorie protein.

While that might not seem very important, it’s actually what makes it such a great ingredient for a weight loss diet. By opting for a high-protein diet, you can maintain a higher level of muscle, which in turn promotes fat loss [1] and can contribute towards a healthier body composition.

As it’s low-calorie, chicken also fits well into a calorie-restricted diet.

Of course, we’re talking about a plain chicken breast here rather than anything fried or battered. As soon as you add these extra bits, you can expect the calories and fats to go sky high. Not so healthy. They may taste good, but don’t worry, the flavor in our recipes will put fried chicken to shame.

Whether you’re planning on losing fat or gaining muscle, or both, including chicken in your dishes can put you on the right track.

On top of all the body composition potential, chicken breast contains a whole host of health-boosting nutrients, that will also nourish your body.

Here’s a few of nutrients chicken can offer:

[Related article: How to Meal Prep for Weight Loss]

Healthy chicken breast recipes

Harness all the nutritious powers chicken has to offer and check out these delicious, healthy recipes today. We’ve created some truly tasty dishes that will keep diet boredom at bay, whilst giving your body the nutrients it needs to stay in top shape.

 [Related article: The 5 Best Lunches for Weight Loss]

[Related article: High Protein, Low Carb Dinner Recipes ] 

[Related article: 5 High-Protein Snack Recipes ]

The final bite

Mix up your weekly routine, hit your body composition targets and improve your overall wellbeing with these healthy chicken breast recipes.

We’ve packed the flavor and the protein in these recipes to help you stay on top of your diet and keep your body in top condition.

Check them out today, freshen up your weekly menu and take you’re your health to the next level with these healthy chicken breast recipes.

In todays’ hectic world, it’s hard to keep motivated to stay lean and fit. Finding the time to cook healthy meals every night seems impossible – but don’t worry, we have the answer you’ve been looking for.

Meal prep is the new, uber-cool way for busy moms to stay on top of their nutrition. No more grabbing junk food, no more worrying about food choices.

Everyone from athletes to figure athletes are using these healthy meal prep recipes… and now it’s your turn.

Why meal prep is important

Meal prep helps you control what you eat, track your calories and maximize healthy nutrition.

It doesn’t matter how hard you work out in the gym or how much you try to be active daily.

If you aren’t supporting your goals with good food choices and nutritious meals, you’re just not going to succeed in carving out that lean, curvy figure.

Imagine coming home from a sweaty cardio workout or a busy day in the office to find your meal fully prepped, laid out in front of you ready to tuck into.

Sounds like heaven, girl.

Meal planning helps you make better decisions

How many times have you found yourself snatching a gas station sub or a junk food takeout because you didn’t make lunch?

You know you should take the time to check the ingredients, choose a low-calorie option and assess the macros, but with your afternoon meetings in just a few minutes you haven’t got the time to search for good food.

Instead, you grab what you can and have to make do.

That’s a familiar situation, right?

This is where meal preparation comes in.

Taking the time to plan and prepare your meals in advance helps you to calculate exactly how much food you need to support your goals. It reduces the changes of straying from the plan. It controls your cravings, temptations and distractions too.

“Meal prep supports your healthy eating goals by reducing the temptation of high-calorie snacks and treats”.

The benefits of meal prepping

Much like a great exercise program needs structure, planning and adherence; so does your diet. Some women have it in lock down, and others struggle to make the right decisions each day.

Here are just some of the reasons why meal prep supports you in your quest to the best physique ever:

Planning your prep: what do you need?

You don’t actually need a great deal to jump on the meal prep wagon. The biggest thing you need is some motivation to get going and achieve a super-hot bod. That’s it.

Oh, and these few things:

That’s it.

Like we’ve said already, meal prep is THE easiest part of a healthy lifestyle.

Right. It’s time to take a look at some of our SpotMeGirl favorite healthy meal prep recipes. We literally can’t live without these.

And now it’s time for you to get them too. 

The bottom line

These healthy meal prep recipes are great for feeding your body with nutrients and energy. Check them out and fit them into your meal prep. It’s a simple and effective way of grabbing your goals with both hands.

It doesn’t matter how hard you push yourself in the gym or on the track. Without the right diet to nourish your cells, feed your body and support your fat loss journey, you’ll never achieve your goals.

In this guide we give you access to mouth-watering high protein, low carb dinner recipes.

That way you’ve got everything you need to shred excess body fat, tone your muscles and ramp up your fitness.

If you’re following a diet that restricts carbs but focuses on the power of protein, these will slot in seamlessly. And with holiday season just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to put yourself first and work on that figure.

Not only do these recipes taste awesome, they work too!

High protein low carb dinner recipes

The bottom line

These high protein low carb dinner recipes help to support all of your health and fitness goals by nourishing your body.

Not only do they reduce excess carb intake in your diet, they provide a huge hit of fat-burning, muscle-building protein in minimal calories.

Say goodbye to no motivation and grinding, sluggish workouts – nailing your pre-workout nutrition is the key to success.

When it comes to pre-workout snack recipes there are a few essential requirements we need from them. Aside from being delicious, they should supply a good portion of carbohydrates to give your body a powerful energy kick.

They should also ideally contain some protein to heighten muscle growth and maximize gains.

Luckily, we’ve gathered a selection of super tasty, easy-to-prepare snacks that will help you hit your nutritional needs and power up your workouts.

[Related Article: A Definitive Guide to Pre-Workout Supplements for Women]

Pre-workout snack recipes

The final bite

Never feel sluggish or unmotivated in the gym again and get the best out of every workout with these delicious pre-workout snack recipes.

They’re carefully designed to deliver essential nutrients to your body, so you’ve got the energy you need to power through, and the building blocks you need to grow.

Try these pre-workout snack recipes before your next session and maximize your performance.

Whether you’re short on time, in need of a “cheat” meal or are looking for a vegan dish, begin every day with a healthy fat-loss breakfast. We’ve got you covered with six delicious meals that will help you lose weight and support muscle.

Why do I need a fat loss breakfast?

We know a lot of people skip breakfast, preferring to eat later on in the day or just have a quick snack because they’re too rushed in the morning. No worries girl, you do you. But if you’re anything like us, without breakfast you’ll be hangry by 11am, which ain’t pretty.

The way we see it, every mealtime is another opportunity to get in more of that magical muscle-building macro, protein.

A smart fat-loss breakfast can give you a powerful start to the day. Protein will help you hit your muscle-building goals and energize your body from the word go. With a healthy, well-balanced meal first thing in the morning, you may feel some of these benefits:

What makes a fat loss breakfast work?

When you start planning out your fat-loss breakfast, you need to think about the nutrients you’re putting in to your body.

A good rule of thumb is to make sure you’re on a calorie restricted diet and hitting the right macros. Generally, if you’re looking to train weights, grow stronger and lose fat, then a high protein diet is the way to go. The protein will help you maintain muscle which can help you burn more fat.

Aim to reflect this in your fat-loss breakfast by monitoring the calorie value of your food, including plenty of protein in snacks and meals and making sure everything you eat will nourish your body.

Related article: What Does IIFYM Mean? – A Guide to Flexible Dieting for Fat Loss

We’ve created these fat-loss breakfasts to reflect a healthy diet, with controlled calories and a high protein content. Everyone’s calorie needs are different, so we haven’t put measurements into these recipes – you can figure out the amounts you eat to perfectly complement your own diet.

The final bite

There you have it girl, you’ve got enough fat loss breakfasts to keep you hitting your weight goals and growing muscle like a pro. Each one is powered by protein and healthy nutrients, so you can enjoy a delicious first meal of the day, whilst smashing your fitness goals in one go.

Whether you’ve got a sweet tooth or are a plant-based goddess, these meals will have you covered. Put your culinary prowess to the test and whip them up for yourself.

When you’re nailing that diet, it’s likely you’ll start craving a little treat here and there. Don’t sweat it girl, it happens to everyone and you’re only human. By giving yourself a little break with a much needed snack, you can actually improve your adherence to a diet.

See, it’s basically a good idea to cheat a little bit. We’re just thinking about you, girl.

The trick is to perfect your cheats. By giving yourself something you’ve been craving, but controlling what you eat, you can enjoy a treat, without going completely off the rails. That’s where a delicious healthy brownie recipe can be a diet-saver.

Ok girl, we’ll level with you, there are still some fats and carbs in here, you can’t get that delicious brownie texture and decadent flavor without a few sacrifices. However, these healthy brownie recipes are a whole lot better for you than your store bought treats.

Overall, they’re  lower in calories, fats and refined sugars, making them a much better choice if you’re on a calorie restricted diet. Plus, who doesn’t love getting their bake on occasionally?!

So girl, don’t get hangry. Check out these healthy brownie recipes for some seriously delicious, yet guilt-free healthy brownie recipes that will give you the perfect cheat from your diet.

[Related Article: Discover the 6 best breakfasts for fat loss with SpotMeGirl.]

Healthy brownie recipes:

The final taste

Girl – You. Are. Welcome.

Not only are these brownies mouth-wateringly good, they’re low on refined sugars, fats and calories too. So, although they’ll give you a much needed treat, it’s nothing that will send you into a diet-danger-spiral.

In fact, by enjoying a little sweet treat and satisfying those cravings, it’s often just the break you need, before you can refocus your energies on nailing your diet on the regular.

Get your taste of the sweet life, but stick to that diet like a girl-boss with these healthy brownie recipes.

As lifters, protein makes up a big part of our diet. They’re the building blocks of muscle growth, we can’t get enough of this handy macro.

However, there’s only so much chicken you can eat and protein shakes you can drink without getting a little bored on a high-protein diet. When boredom hits, cravings can kick in and they can be enough to tempt you into a cheat day.

With these snacks, you can enjoy the occasional sweet treat, without compromising your diet.

To help you include more of that all-important muscle-building macro in your snacks, we’ve got a range of high-protein snack recipes that’ll inject a little more excitement and flavor into your daily menu.

Why you need high-protein snacks

Sometimes, when you’re on a high-protein diet, its easy to prep for every day, and be so focused on the macros, you forget to add something delicious to your menu. A well-balanced diet should be both nutritious and tasty, so you’re less likely to give up on it. We’re not saying go all out and buy chocolate bars and bags of chips, quite the opposite.

A delicious high-protein snack can add a little guilt-free indulgence to your diet and help you hit your macro intakes at the same time.

If you’re looking to gain muscle, they’re a super convenient way to up the amount of protein you eat on a daily basis. You can simply add them to part of your food prep routine and enjoy them at any time of day.

Unhealthy snacking is often the Achilles heel of an otherwise well-rounded diet. When you’re hungry between meals, it’s difficult to make a diet-conscious choice unless you’re prepared. Temptation is everywhere girl and it’s often the easier decision to just grab a bag of chips from the store.

But us lifting girls don’t go down the easy route. Instead of getting hangry and making rash decisions, include some of these tasty snacks in your meal plan. You’ll enjoy a guilt-free treat and add more protein to your diet. It’s all round bonuses.

5 easy high-protein snack recipes

To help you make your own snacks and add a new, hunger blocking dimension to your diet plan, we’ve found five super simple high-protein snack recipes. You can batch cook these delicious treats and always have them on hand to combat hunger and keep your protein levels topped up.

High-protein chocolate smoothie

Put a delicious twist on a plain protein shake. This is a whole lot creamier and more satisfying than your usual post-workout drink, making it feel like a more indulgent choice. Who could say no to such a tasty, yet guilt-free chocolate smoothie.

Ingredients:

• 200ml unsweetened almond milk
• 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
• Half of one banana
• One scoop of your favorite chocolate protein powder

Method:

1. Put all of these in your blender
2. Blast them until the mixture is smooth and ready to drink
3. Store in the fridge until you need a snack

This is a great choice for a satisfying, mid-morning treat. What’s more, the yogurt and banana add a creamy texture that tastes so good, you won’t even notice you’re not having the real thing.

Protein muffin in a cup

This little snack is not only a chocolatey treat, it’s packed full of protein – perfect if you’re in the mood for something sweet but don’t want to ruin your gains. What’s more, there are only four ingredients in this one, so you don’t have to be a culinary goddess whip up something delicious.

Ingredients:

• Two scoops of chocolate protein powder
• 5g of cacao powder (cocoa powder is also fine)
• A gram of baking powder (just dip the very end of your teaspoon in for this)
• 60ml of almond milk

Method:

1. Add all of your ingredients into a mug and mix well
2. Put it in the microwave and cook for 45 seconds
3. Enjoy!

For a little extra flavor, spoon some Greek yogurt on top, and maybe a couple of raspberries. It’s the perfect high protein snack recipe to give you a sweet treat before you head off to bed.

Peanut butter protein balls

If, like us, you’ve spent any time in the protein snack section of your local store, you’ll definitely have seen companies advertising protein balls on the shelves. Usually, they come with a pretty hefty price tag for such a small snack, but girls, don’t fall for that. You can make them yourself at home.

Ingredients

• One and a half cups of rolled oats
• Two scoops of vanilla protein powder
• Half a teaspoon of cinnamon
• Half a cup of peanut butter
• Two teaspoons of agave nectar
• A third of a cup of chocolate chips
• Two to four table spoons of almond milk (or milk)

Method:

1. Put your protein powder, oats and cinnamon into a large bowl
2. Add the agave nectar and peanut butter and stir it all together
3. Include your chocolate chips in the mixture
4. Pour in your milk and mix it all together using your hands
5. If the mixture is too dry and isn’t becoming sticky, add in more of the liquid slowly. It should still hold its shape.
6. Take some of the mixture, enough to make a small ball
7. Roll it between your hands to create the ball
8. Turn the whole mixture into equally sized balls and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to harden
9. Store them in your fridge until you need a snack

These useful snack balls are ideal if you’re looking for a pre workout boost. The oats give them plenty of slow release energy so you can max out in your next gym session. Pair it with our favorite pre workout drink, 4 Gauge for next level results in the weights room.

Cottage cheese bowl

This delicious snack is the perfect mid-morning treat. It’s an easy, tasty way to bring more variety to your dishes and more protein to your diet. Simply put these ingredients in a container and enjoy it whenever you need to put a stop to those hunger cravings.

Ingredients:

• Half a cup of cottage cheese
• A quarter cup of chopped walnuts
• Two teaspoons of agave nectar
• A handful of raspberries

Method:

1. Put the cottage cheese into a bowl
2. Sprinkle the walnuts and raspberries on top
3. Douse the ingredients in agave nectar

It really is that simple to make this one. It’s a tasty, protein-packed alternative to a yogurt and will satisfy your sweet tooth after a meal.

Peanut butter protein bar

A protein bar is a fantastic way to get your protein fix in an easy-to-consume format. You can buy these, but often the flavors are a little too synthetic for us, we prefer to make our own so you know exactly what’s going into it.

Ingredients:

• Two cups of rolled oats
• Eight pitted, chopped medjool dates
• A cup of runny peanut butter
• Two tablespoons of agave nectar
• One teaspoon of vanilla extract
• Two scoops of vanilla protein powder

Method:

1. Blend your oats in the food processor until it turns to fine oat flour
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend them all together on a high setting until it begins to look like dough
3. Take a tray baking pan and line it with parchment paper, or rub the bottom and sides with coconut oil
4. Put the dough into the tray and spread it out evenly
5. Place the tray in the freezer for around 30 minutes to set, then cut until equal sized bars

We’re self-confessed peanut butter fanatics, and this protein bar delivers on flavor, as well as your muscle-building macro. It’s the perfect way to fill up on all the right stuff, as well as enjoying a sweet treat.

Add these tasty bites to your meal prep repertoire and perfect the art of guilt-free snacking. With them on the menu, you can keep those pesky hunger pangs away, avoid temptation and add to your performance at the gym. You’re welcome girls.

Discover more nutrition articles from your girls at SMG:

• What Does IIFYM Mean? – A Guide to Flexibel Dieting for Fat Loss
• Get the Most Out of Your High-Protein Low-Carb Meals
• Use the Mediterranean Diet for Bodybuilding

Not only that, the majority of the people think that to shed some extra fat, the best way is to stop eating after dinner. Here is what usually happens when you try not to eat anything after dinner:

• If you manage to go through those tough hours and sleep, you wake up with zero energy and a feeling of starvation. This makes the start of your day hard.
• No matter how hard you try, you still have cravings for salty chips, ice cream, and other treats, which are considered unhealthy for your gains and physique.
• With a completely empty and roaring stomach, you naturally get a bad temper and often at times sulky. People will obviously avoid you.

Forget the myth that your body won’t burn off anything you eat right before sleep. Try out these 5 late-night protein snacks to make some gains and not ruin your diet.

Protein Snack Ideas

1. Protein Ice Cream

Let’s kick this off with our favorite snack, ice cream. To prepare this healthy late-night snack, you only need two ingredients and a bit of patience.

Ingredients

• ½ cup Cellucor Marshmallow and Peanut Butter Whey Protein Powder. You can also use a chocolate whey protein powder
• 1 big tub of 2% Greek Yogurt, approx. 500 grams

How to Prepare?

You need a large square Tupperware container. Mix the yogurt and protein powder into a separate bowl, ensuring you have no protein powder that is not mixed in.

Finally, add a thin layer of this delicious mixture in Tupperware container for a faster chill. Place it in the freezer for about 30-45 minutes.

Now take the mixture out of the freezer and if you see any protein clumps use a fork and mix some more. Put the mixture back in the freezer for another 30-minutes. Finally, remove it from the freezer, turn on your favorite show and enjoy.

This treat delivers 511 calories, 10-13g fat, 22g carbs and 76g protein.

2. Low Fat Cottage Cheese with Berries and Almonds

Low fat cottage cheese is packed with whey protein and casein, which would help to fuel your muscles for their repair and growth throughout the night. This delicious snack takes very little time to prepare.

Ingredients

• ½ cup fresh berries
• 10-12 almonds
• 1 cup cottage cheese

How to Prepare?

Take a small bowl and add the cottage cheese in it. Next, add the berries and mix with a spoon. Make sure the berries don’t break while you mix them. Sprinkle some almonds on top if you’d like and enjoy this tasty treat.

This snack contains 290 calories, 21g carbs, 11g fat and 29g protein.

3. Protein-Packed Omelet

Some of us don’t crave sugar, we crave salty. Omelets deliver a healthy serving of protein and healthy fats that will keep you full throughout the night. While omelets are somewhat basic, check out our method of preparation.

Ingredients

• 2 whole eggs and 2 egg whites (If you want more protein you can always increase this number)
• A small onion fully diced
• Diced tomato
• One fully chopped green chili
• Salt and pepper to taste

How to Prepare?

Crack your eggs into a bowl; add the diced onion, tomato, green chili, and seasoning. Beat all ingredients thoroughly.

Cook like a regular omelet and enjoy!

This treat delivers (based on 2 whole eggs and 2 egg whites) 215 calories, 24g protein, 12g fat and 2g carbs.

4. No-Bake Cookies and Cream Protein Bars

These no-bake cookies will satisfy your cravings for junk food while keeping it clean and healthy. It’s delicious, mouth-watering, includes your favorite Oreos and comes with enough protein to grow your muscles.

Ingredients

• 40g cookies and cream protein powder
• 80g vanilla protein powder
• 2 tbsp cacao powder
• 2 tbsp granulated erythritol
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp melted coconut oil
• ¼ cup almond flour

Cream Layer Ingredients

• ¼ cup coconut flour
• ¾ cup Confectioner’s erythritol
• 8 oz. zero fat cream
• ½ cup cottage cheese
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• 10 mini Oreos
• 1/8 tsp almond extract

How to Prepare?

Combine all cookie layer ingredients in a bowl until you get a dough. Now press it to the bottom of the 7×5 baking dish which is lightly coated with cooking spray.

Next, mix the creamy layer ingredients except for the Oreos in a blender and blend until it becomes smooth.

Finally, add the cookers and pulse the blender till they are fully spread in the mixture. Add the cream layer onto the base and freeze it for 2-3 hours. Cut into pieces and take a bite.

1 bar of this treat delivers 174 calories, 7g fat, 11g carbs and 17g protein.

5. Protein Shake

Last but not the least; nothing is better than a protein shake as a late-night snack. You can be a little creative and add some extra ingredients to make it even more delicious.

Ingredients

• 1 serving of your favorite protein powder
• ½ a banana
• ½ tbsp. almond butter. You can also use peanut butter.
• 1 tbsp. cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp. unsweetened coconut milk

How to Prepare?

Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend them. Pour into an ice-cold glass and enjoy your protein smoothie.

This shake delivers 290 calories, 30g protein, 22g carbs, and 11g fat.