My husband has awesome muscles, no doubt. He has a very physically demanding job already, but when he began Krav Maga and Brazilian Jui-Jitsu almost a year ago, those muscles really started getting the workout of their lifetime. We also transitioned to a mostly plant-based, whole-food style of eating shortly before that, and we’re still working on how to balance regular life around us with this new focus on our health. On days like today when my husband knocks around at the Krav gym, he is also very likely to leave before sunup and not get home until sundown, since we currently live in the boonies a million miles from the rest of our life. All of this leaves me with a big dilemma: How to make yummy, protein-injected, plant-based foods that he can eat on the run and will keep him energized throughout his day. This is a work in progress, but I’m slowly getting better at healthier ways of cooking. Here is a recipe for some delicious pancakes that also make a great portable, anytime snack. This morning, my man slathered some crunchy peanut butter on a couple of these babies and packed them in his lunch. They’re going to make a nice snack with a jolt of protein that will not fill up his stomach too much just before he starts punching and kicking and throwing hammerfists and whatnot. They were tasty with some maple syrup, but they are also delicious on their own, even when they’re cold!  Enjoy!

Carrot Cake Pancakes, Adapted from Everyday Happy Herbivore

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• dash of ground ginger
• 3 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup shredded carrot (about 1 regular carrot)
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup raisins

Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and spices together. Add brown sugar, non-dairy milk, and water. Stir to combine well. Let batter rest while you grate carrot as finely as possible. Heat a griddle or nonstick pan. Mix carrots, walnuts, and raisins into your batter. Pour pancake batter about 1/4 cup at a time onto griddle. Cook on one side until bubbles form, which is usually 2-3 minutes. Flip pancake and cook on other side, about 2-3 more minutes. Repeat until all batter is used, stirring batter each time so carrots, walnuts, and raisins do not settle to the bottom. Serve with maple syrup, peanut butter, or just eat one all by itself!  Here is the nutritional information, from Sparkpeople’s Recipe Calculator:

Without the walnuts, less calories but also less protein: