Two of the most common questions we get when it comes to nutrition are:
- How do I get more protein in?
- What should I eat?
While the importance of breakfast is definitely over hyped, if you decide to skip the meal (which many people do because of time restraints), it’s easy to quickly get behind on hitting your calorie and macronutrient goals for the day. This is especially true with protein.
Most of the current research on optimal protein intake puts the number some where between 0.8g per lb of lean body mass, all the way up to 1g per lb of total body weight. That means for a 150lb woman that’s 20% body fat, you would be some where between 100-150g of protein per day. Most people who begin tracking their food are shocked to find out how little protein they actually eat. It’s also not uncommon for people to think that a simple protein shake is “enough” when in reality most protein shakes only have 15-25g of protein. If your protein requirements are on the higher end of the spectrum that would only be 10% of your total daily protein needs.
The point is, you have to consciously be choosing foods that pack a protein punch at almost every meal. Fortunately that doesn’t mean you have to constantly be drinking shakes or stuffing yourself with grilled chicken. There are a lot of foods that offer a respectable amount of protein that aren’t supplements or meat. Enter Kodiak Cakes “Power Cakes“
Kodiak Cakes Power Cakes
These are a staple in my meal plan and for good reason (if you prefer to watch the review click here). They only use two ingredients, take less than 15 minutes to cook from start to finish, the clean-up is easy, and the macros are well rounded.
You can make these with water, but I prefer to add Fairlife Fat Free milk which gives me extra protein, very little carbs, and no additional fats. Mix the water or milk with the pancake powder, cook on a griddle for about 10 minutes (flipping once half way), and you’re good to go.
Taste, Texture and Price
Kodiak makes a wide variety of flavors from your basic buttermilk and chocolate chip to things like almond and poppy seed or cinnamon oat. My three favorites are the dark chocolate (which basically tastes like a warm chocolate chip cookie), buttermilk and chocolate chip. Some of the more adventurous flavors don’t have a true pancake texture to them.
With that said, my top 3 picks are true-to-life pancakes. There are dozens of different protein pancake mixes out there, and I think the Kodiak cakes are second-to-none. They clock in at about $4-5/box and each box has 10 servings. A single serving makes 3 medium sized pancakes,making the value per calorie quite good. I eat these at least 5 times a week, meaning a single box will last me about two weeks.
