Wednesday, February 23, 2011

A new recipe and a word about using soy

From the D.I.E.T? side:  I am so excited about a new version of the "high protein pancake" that we used at the retreat.  This one is even higher protein and seems closer to the usual wheat pancakes that many of us love.  The protein count for the following is right at 30 grams per serving.

High Protein Pancake 
Ingredients:  egg white, yogurt, soy protein powder (Bob's Red Mill brand is at our local grocery store), Quick Oats, baking powder, plus a pinch of salt.  I use the yogurt in the fridge that has an expiration date that has already passed.  That means the good bacteria counts have dropped some, and when you heat this batter up, I bet the survivors are few! So you don't want to use the freshest yogurts for this recipe.  The older yogurt retains good things like the protein and the predigestedness of the lactose, and it is smoother than cottage cheese.  But you could use cottage cheese instead, if that's what you like.

Mix dry ingredients together and store in a covered container at room temperature:   Quick oats and the soy powder in a ratio of  3:2 so that might be 1 and 1/2 cup of the oats and 1 cup of the soy protein powder plus 1 tsp of baking powder, and a pinch of salt.  (I actually double this for storage.)

Per cup, this mixture has 30 gm protein and 180 calories.

Mix together:
1/2 cup of the dry ingredients
1/3 cup of egg white
1/3 cup of yogurt or cottage cheese
Add a splash of any kind of milk you like to get the consistency of batter that you want.  Vanilla almond or vanilla rice milk are my favorite.
Add frozen or fresh blueberries if desired.
Preheat your pan and spray with a cooking spray (There is a new one that I like that is an expeller pressed olive oil spray, brand name "Spectrum")  And cook as usual.  

Makes 3 4 inch cakes.  
Protein 30 gm, calories 180


DO I EAT THIS?:  using soy might raise an eyebrow, particularly among breast cancer survivors like my nurse.  A six year long study on 68,000 women, ages 40-70, concluded in 2009 and was published in JAMA. It found that survivors of breast cancer who use soy in moderation have no worries.  And it may even be helpful. This Shanghai Women's Health Study found a 30% lower risk of recurrence in women who ate at least 11 gm of soy protein a day.  This same study also showed a 30% reduction in colon cancer.  These are two of the most common cancers in our country.  

FROM THE SOUL-SIDE:  Hope you are all doing well, taking care of your bodies as they are a gift from God.  I always sort of "discover" that I live within that temple of the Holy Spirit after I pray for others.  Is that how it is for you?  God bless you.