Monday, January 6, 2014

Better Health Starts With #LittleChanges

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of the US Highbush Blueberry Council through the Mom It Forward Blogger Network. Regardless, all the opinions expressed are 100% my own.

As many of you know, last year I started my journey to a healthier(and thinner) me. I lost a great deal of weight, and was feeling amazing. From about October on though, I kinda cast my diet aside and ate whatever I wanted(which was not a smart thing to do). I figured I would put on some weight and knew that I would take it back off in the new year.

To my relief, I actually did not gain very much. Since I had gone from fairly restricted to completely unrestricted, I expect the effects to be devastating, but I am only about 10 pounds from where I was. I am back on track and know I can lose that in no time, and my new goal is to lose at least another 10 on top of it.

I know that I can do it as long as I stick to my plan. The key is to not go overboard. While I want to eat less fat and calories, I do still need some so that I do not go into starvation mode and keep or even gain weight. Also, being too restrictive leads to more weight gain upon eating normally again.

Since I am the mom of two young children(one with special needs), it is also vital that I give my body the proper nutrition, and I need to eat enough to keep my energy up and my body and mind running smoothly. Aside from my long term health, my day to day well-being is essential.

So rather than a diet, I like to focus on Little Changes. Long term habits, things that I can (happily) stick to forever(or at least for a very long time). Eating more vegetables is one area that I have really made an effort on. I used to eat very few, but it is not hard to eat more, and that fills me up so I eat less "bad" foods.

 I also like to snack on fresh fruits (like blueberries) over other foods, and I really enjoy finding healthier swaps for foods that I already love. Things like spaghetti squash instead of pasta or lettuce wraps instead of sandwiches. I just found the most amazing swap recipe and I totally love it.

I am a carb lover, especially when it comes to breakfast foods (french toast, pancakes, waffles, etc.) so I was dreading the thought of losing my most beloved foods. Using fresh blueberries, one of the most delicious and healthy fruits available, I made the most delicious and diet friendly pancakes I have ever eaten. Best of all, they are so easy.

Blueberry Greek Yogurt Pancakes: 

Ingredients: 
1(5.3oz) Cup Blueberry Greek Yogurt (Any brand, but I used Light n' Fit since it is lowest in calories) 1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1 Egg (You could use 2 egg whites to reduce the calories, but I felt the protein was worth the extra 36 calories)
1 Tsp. Baking Soda
Fresh Highbush Blueberries - As many as you like!

Directions: In a bowl, combine flour and baking soda. Add the egg (or 2 egg whites) directly to the yogurt cup (or combine in a separate bowl) and mix until completely blended.

Add the yogurt mixture to the flour mixture and stir until there are no lumps. The mixture will be thick.
Spoon the batter into a preheated griddle(or pan) and add the blueberries, as many as you like.
Repeat with the rest of the batter to make 4-5 pancakes.
When they are golden brown on the bottom, flip over. They are thick, so they are easy to check.
Cook to golden on the other side as well.
Remove from griddle and serve.
Top with a few (or more than a few) fresh blueberries and dig in. The calorie content varies based on how many blueberries you use, but not that much and they those are good calories anyway. The batter has only 370 calories for the whole batch.

You can enjoy only one or two, or, like I did, devour the entire batch and not feel guilty about it.

These were BETTER than any other pancakes I have made. They cooked perfectly and the texture was spot on. I was worries they'd be too flat or too soft, but they are exactly what I was hoping for. They don't taste "diet" at all. I didn't even need syrup athough a blueberry syrup would probably be divine with these.

I could eat these every single day and not get bored, and these were even quicker to make(and require less ingredients) than my usual recipe for pancakes. I cannot wait to make these again. I would do it today except my daughter DEVOURED the rest of the blueberries while I was cooking these. I was almost mad, but I was happy that she loved eating something so healthy that much.

If you are a fan of blueberries or pancakes, you HAVE to try these! The path to better health and a better body begins with Little Changes.

Start with some Fresh Highbush Blueberries and make this recipe or some up with one of your own. If you have a good one, I would love to try it. You can post it in the comments. Be sure to come back and let me know how you liked this recipe after you try it.

Before you go, I have something else to share with you that might be more exciting than this recipe(though it is very close). One lucky reader will win a $75 Via Gift Card. Enter below for your chance. Good luck.

Be sure to follow the US Highbush Blueberry Council on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest to stay up to date on all the latest recipes and info.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

26 comments :

  1. I just made some blue berry pancakes on Sunday. I will defiantly try this one this weekend. Thank you.

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  2. I like that blueberries are healthy fruits.

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  3. LOVE blueberries, esp. for their antioxidants

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  4. I love that blueberries are full of antioxidants, they taste delicious and can be used in so many ways!

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  5. what a great way to incorporate fruit and yogurt.

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  6. I like that they are healthy and taste good in almost anything. We eat them in our yogurt, ice cream, pancakes, waffles, cakes & muffins!

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  7. I love that blueberries are full of antioxidants:)

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  8. I love that I can freeze them and mix them in my morning smoothy with my greens!

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  9. I love that Blueberries are loaded with Vitamin C

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  10. I love that blueberries contain antioxidants and taste good!

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  11. I like how refreshing and healthy Blueberries are.

    rounder9834 @yahoo.com

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  12. I love how sweet blueberries are and yet they are also so nutritious! The best of both worlds! Thankd for the giveaway!

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  13. I love that blueberries are so healthy. I add them on my cereal, yogurt, plus, love them in smoothies and muffins :)

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  14. I love the way they taste.

    Name on rafflecopter: Mary Happymommy

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  15. I love that they are great tasting fresh or frozen

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  16. i love that they are so good

    freebiel0ve@yahoo.com

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  17. I like that they are healthy and delicious

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  18. I like blueberries because they have one of the highest antioxidant capacities among all fruits, vegetables, spices and seasonings
    Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net

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  19. i like how healthy they are for you!

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  20. I love the way they taste and that they are good for you.

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  21. I love fresh blueberries since they are yummy and good for you

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  22. I like how they are cooked into the pancakes in this recipe, I prefer eating them cooked into foods

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  23. I like the taste and healthy benefits of blueberries.

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