Grape Nut Pancakes

on March 10, 2009

Mornin! I am discovering that working out in the morning is (1) not completely torturous and (2) wakes me up! I feel so much more "with it" by the time I sit down to work. Waking up to run for an hour is still out of the question, but 20 minutes of shredding with Jillian Michaels — I can handle that!

Check out the 30 Day Shred widget on the right-hand side of the blog for a summary of Day 7 of the challenge, and click on the Crooms’ 15 Mile Trail Race widget on the left-hand side of the blog for an update on my training.

Wooo hooo!

Before working out, I knew I needed to eat something. Part of the reason why working out on an empty stomach makes you nauseous is that your stomach juices are just bouncing around. Eating a little bit of food gives you a "cushion."

1/2 a banana, a coffee, and a water.

After the Shred, I made an AWESOME brekkie!

I added about 1/8 cup of Grape Nuts + a little extra milk to my normal Hodgson’s Mills InstaBake Pancake Mix. The addition gave my pancakes a wonderful Grape Nutty flavor, some extra chew, and density.

Plus, strawberries and the other half of the banana.

And maple syrup for dipping.

I’m LATE! Have a great day!

If you workout in the morning, do you have something to eat first?

{ 65 comments }

Megan March 10, 2009, 4:13 am
i only eat if it will be a lower-intensity work out. when i go to boot camp in the morning, it is very likely that I wouldn’t be able to keep my breakfast down (gross). but I think it definitely helps give you that bit of energy and keeps you from being STARVING post-workout.

i am loving the pancakes. if only someone in my house could cook….

happy tuesday(wish it were friday)!
VeggieGirl March 10, 2009, 4:27 am
Fun pancakes!!

I do yoga first thing in the morning, so I don’t eat anything beforehand (since it’s not wise to practice yoga on a full stomach).
Mica March 10, 2009, 4:49 am
Ewww, stomach juices bouncing around! Ugh, I hate that feeling. I usually eat a rice cake with a little bit of PB before I go out for a morning run.

Great job with the Shred and with the pancakes!
Melissa March 10, 2009, 4:59 am
I can’t eat anything before I workout in the morning or I feel sick. Water only for me. 🙂
Carolina John March 10, 2009, 5:04 am
yea morning workouts are great! they give you energy for the rest of the day. see if you can get another (different sport) workout in after work too.

I’m about to go for a run now, then get 10 miles on the bike after work. i hope.

I like to eat 2 boiled eggs and a clif bar before swim or run workouts. I don’t know why, but it keeps the body fueled.
Anonymous March 10, 2009, 5:09 am
I like to eat 1/2 a banana and about 6 almonds before a morning workout. Just enough food in my stomach so that I don’t feel sick and the banana helps to not get cramps during a run!
Sarah W. March 10, 2009, 5:15 am
If I am doing Stubborn Fat Protocol (HIIT followed by 30mins SS cardio) then I will not eat!

If I am doing low intensity cardio for the purpose of losing fat then I will do it fasted.

if I am lifting weights – I always eat first.
Courtney (The Hungry Yogini) March 10, 2009, 5:21 am
I have been trying to practice yoga on an empty tummy in the morning but I usually have something small like a piece of fruit of some trail mix before. Especially if it is a long session. I think it is more mental than anything for me!

Your breakfast looks MARVELOUS!
kara March 10, 2009, 5:27 am
I definitely eat before I do ANYTHING haha. I think I’ve just become too used to eating first thing.
seeleelive (for the love of peanut butter) March 10, 2009, 5:32 am
my mornings are so important to me…i like to workout in the PM 😉
Yasmin March 10, 2009, 5:34 am
I usually don’t even though I know I should to give myself more energy and stamina to get through my workout. Have a great Tuesday!
bhealthier March 10, 2009, 5:42 am
I finally started the Shred! Thank you for organizing it because I feel like I wouldn’t go the full 30 days without all the fellow blog shredders!

Lovely pancakes and fruit! Yum!

Eating: I cannot eat within two hours of working out- my stomach will get awful if I do. I try remembering gummies if I go out on a run longer than 6 miles but otherwise I just fuel after.

From what I have found in research, there is evidence either way for helping and hindering performance so I think it really depends on personal preference and digestion!
jane March 10, 2009, 5:51 am
oh eating before running is a must for me. i feel like i have no energy if i haven’t fueled with something. ideally, i like to eat breakfast (a full breakfast- oats, cereal, etc) an hour and a half before my run. if i am short on time i’ll just grab a banana or other fruit but 30 minutes into the run i’m usually feeling slow cause im so hungry!
Dori March 10, 2009, 5:59 am
Oh your pancakes look INCREDIBLE. I am so jealous.

I don’t eat first if I am working out first thing. I generally just don’t have time!

So last night I freaked out because I didn’t have a cord I needed to hook my DVD player to the cable box in my boyfriend’s apt – I basically threw a tantrum about how I’m never going ot get to do the challenge. I decided to go to Exercise TV on Demand and find a replacement to do today until I get the cord – and the Shred was THERE, for FREE. So I did it, and it was challenging and fast and good and I was sweaty!

Time Warner Cable for any of your readers who might want to find this information, Exercise on Demand!
Kim March 10, 2009, 6:01 am
I workout in the morning (5 AM usually), and do not eat beforehand. I can’t workout on a full or even partially full stomach. In fact, if I workout later in the day, I have to make sure I haven’t eaten in the previous 2-3 hours.

Your pancakes look yummy!
Erin March 10, 2009, 6:01 am
I have tried just about every possible eating pattern for morning workouts and I still don’t know what works best for me! I think it depends on how my stomach feels on a particular day. I definitely like to have a full breakfast before a run, but enough time to digest it. It’s a delicate balance!
rebecca (unintuitiveeating) March 10, 2009, 6:02 am
i always eat before exercising. your body actually burns more when it is fueled (not the reason that i do it, but i think it is the body saying that it will work more efficiently–burn less–if you do not fuel it). if i’m going for my usual 3-4mi. run i eat a larabar or something similarly sized.
Matt March 10, 2009, 6:10 am
I can run up to around 8-9 miles without eating anything. During the week, I usually just drink coffee and go, but on the weekends I eat breakfast first.
seesaraheat March 10, 2009, 6:10 am
I always eat before I work out, but I try to do so at least an hour before so I have time to digest. If I don’t eat, I feel weak and my workout suffers. I love morning workouts, they always make me feel better throughout the rest of the day 🙂
RhodeyGirl/Sabrina March 10, 2009, 6:12 am
your breakfast looks SLAMMING today.

if i am exercising for more than 30 minutes I always eat something. usually half a banana or half of some sort of bar.
Julie March 10, 2009, 6:13 am
I always do, or else my stomach grumbles very loudly. I usually have a mini pita or half an english muffin with almond butter.
Quinn March 10, 2009, 6:14 am
I normally have either a half banana or half a bar of some sort. Then I come back and have a normal breakfast. Your meals always have the nicest presentation by the way!
runjen March 10, 2009, 6:30 am
I usually just have coffee and maybe a bite of Ezekial with pb or almond butter.
Tami March 10, 2009, 6:34 am
i get up at 430am every day (my gym opens at 5ish) but I have to take my thyroid meds before I ate so it doesn’t workout for me. just water…but i often wonder if it would be better, i have asked my 5am gym friends and most of them don’t eat, maybe a piece of cheese or a few minutes of crackers but at that time of day, you aren’t really hungry.
Rose March 10, 2009, 6:38 am
It depends on how long. When I go to the gym on Saturdays, I am usually there for 1.5 hours, so I will have a granola bar or half a Larabar. Usually does the trick! Otherwise, I get loopy and dizzy easily..
MarlÃ¨ne March 10, 2009, 6:39 am
I always drink a pint of Greens+ extra energy before my morning run. If it’s a long one (8 to 10km) I’ll add a half banana too.

If I could live on Greens+, I think I would!!
emilydh211 March 10, 2009, 6:44 am
The breakfast looks good! Eating before working out in the morning has always been a mystery to me. Usually its just how ever I feel when I wake up.
Fast Food Detox March 10, 2009, 6:44 am
I never eat before my morning work outs. Usually this works just fine for me. The only problem I have is that 20 minutes after my work out I’m starving! I’ve remedied this problem by taking a protein shake with me to the gym to eat when I’m getting ready for work after the work out.
RunToFinish March 10, 2009, 6:53 am
I used to not eat anything prior to my workouts, but I’ve been hungry so I started having a slice of bread with a little honey and that helped for those longer runs a lot!
Brandi March 10, 2009, 6:55 am
yay for keeping up with the shredding! I can’t wait to see the results.

the pancakes sound great.

sometimes I need 1/2 banana or so before running in the morning or at least a little water.
Becca March 10, 2009, 6:58 am
I have something very small if its very early in the morning (ie running at 6 am) and will usually just increase the size slightly if its later in the morning before breakfast. I usually just have a little bread with nut butter. I can’t eat too much though or then I have a hard time running.
Lisa D. March 10, 2009, 7:21 am
Yum, those pancakes look good! Good point about the pre-workout snack. Your banana is also giving your body carbs for energy!! Also important pre-workout especially if you are shredding with Miss Jillian
Brooke March 10, 2009, 7:24 am
I usually have a banana and a glass of water before I workout (elliptical, strength, dance workout). I also teach spin class and before one of those, I add a little 6 oz. cup of nonfat yogurt with the banana. I’ve experimented with many things, but this is the easiest and its keeps my tummy happy!
ksgoodeats March 10, 2009, 7:25 am
I loved working out in the morning! I always had to eat something though or else I would get way too light headed!!

Love the pancakes 🙂
AshleyT March 10, 2009, 7:35 am
I can’t eat or drink anything before a morning run. I feel it in my stomach and it makes it so much harder to finish the run. Crazy…maybe but it works for me so it’s what I’ve been doing.
Amy March 10, 2009, 7:35 am
I only eat before long runs. And even then its a process!

I have to wake up at least 2 hours before and I have one slice of bread with PB and a banana: a banana hotdog!
Thinspired March 10, 2009, 7:40 am
Definitely depends on how early and how long the workout will be. Most of the time, I have to eat before I do anything! But if it’s just a short elliptical session or something I will wait until I am back. Otherwise, I prefer to eat a large meal, let it sit for a couple hours and then workout!
Hi! I'm Erin March 10, 2009, 7:41 am
I’ve tried it both ways. Without fuel I tend to tire easily and get cold sweats. I think my metabolism must be extra busy at night because I usually wake up STARVING.

Of course, mostly I’ve tried cardio on an empty stomach. I don’t know how I’d do if I tried strength training on an empty stomach. I keep thinking I’ll drag myself out of bed and join the 30 Day Shred challenge and do it before work, but the bed pretty much holds me hostage until the last possible minute.

Also, yum to pancakes!
eatingRD March 10, 2009, 7:55 am
I usually always have something to eat first before working out. A larger meal if it is 2-3 hours before and a smaller snack if it is less. It’s really important to eat before to maintain the blood sugar levels so I don’t get too hungry during the workout because then I just wimp out. Then I eat something (3-4:1 carb to protein ratio) within 1/2 hour afterwards because this is when the muscles are most receptive to refueling and rebuilding. It is harder to eat that much before my 6am spin class, so I make sure to get a hearty breakfast afterwards. Man, I am in the mood to make pancakes this weekend now!

-kristen

p.s. I had to send my computer in to get a new motherboard, so I am unable to post for at least a week or so 🙁
Meg March 10, 2009, 8:12 am
Love the pancakes!
HangryPants March 10, 2009, 8:20 am
If I was doing the shred or the elliptical then I don’t need to eat, but if I am going to run and I am hungry I will eat.
erinbee March 10, 2009, 8:23 am
oh man. i always eat before i work out. its a definite must.

well. i guess thats a lie. i did twenty minutes of yoga before my oatmeal this morning. but food is definitely essential before any sort of running or cardio of sorts. ya dig?

in other news. i saw this recipe on cookiemadness.net the other day and instantly thought of you: http://www.cookiemadness.net/?p=2886

definitely not the healthiest. shortening scares me! but i bet you could tweak them up nicely. yum!
tfh March 10, 2009, 8:32 am
Those pancakes look so good! I don’t like to eat before my morning run (running with anything in my stomach makes me feel icky) but I do like to drink a big cup of coffee with honey and soymilk, which gives me a definite boost. Of course, if I’m running much longer than an hour, I have to eat something and then take time to digest.
Oh She Glows March 10, 2009, 8:34 am
I can’t eat before runs or I get really bad cramps! But if I am just doing the elliptical or walking I will have something small like a small bowl of cereal.

I dont like eating before yoga either!
balancemycake March 10, 2009, 8:34 am
Well it depends. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. I almost always work out within an hour or so of getting up in the morning, so if I wake up feeling particularly hungry, I’ll eat half a Kashi or Luna bar. But most of the time, I don’t and just eat a nice filling bowl of oats afterwards!

🙂

Michelle
Bec March 10, 2009, 8:37 am
those pancakes look great! If I am working out first thing I usually wait till I get home to eat.
Susan March 10, 2009, 8:53 am
How long my run is determines if I’ll eat beforehand or not…usually if it’s eight miles or less, I won’t need to eat, but it’s more, I’ll have some toast and a banana.

Have you tried putting some banana into pancakes? They’re so good, especially if you add blackberries or blueberries (or chocolate chips!).
lauren March 10, 2009, 8:56 am
love your grape nut pancake idea!
Julie March 10, 2009, 8:56 am
I usually work out in the morning and its so early that I’ll usually just have a banana with some peanut butter in the middle and then eat about 3 hrs later after i get ready for work. I couldnt imagine working out with someeething to eat in the morning! I definitely wanna try the Jillian Michaels Shred dvd!
angelcubbie March 10, 2009, 9:02 am
I’ve found that I need to eat something 95% of the time before I workout in the morning. Otherwise with my workout, shower, getting to work, etc. It’s over two hours from when I wake up to when I can eat Breakfast. I end up feeling starving and then not hungry at all, which can’t be good. I love half a banana w/a tsp of pb to get me going.

I just bought a box of pancake mix, how much of the mix dry do you use to make just enough for yourself?
BOBBI McCORMICK March 10, 2009, 9:04 am
depends how hard the workout it, if its going to be a long run yes but if not I wait till after. I ussulay have a piece of toase with pb and honey, the perfect pre workout snack in my opinion. Did your hubby like the workout last night?
aron March 10, 2009, 9:12 am
depends on the workout… definitely before morning long runs on the weekends. during the week it really just depends. if i do its usually a banana + coffee, just like you 🙂
Caitlin at Healthy Tipping Point March 10, 2009, 9:26 am
susan – i LOVE banana pancakes!

angel cubbie – i cut the pancake recipe down to 1 cup of dry mix (i think the recipe on the back is based on 2 cups). 1 cup of dry mix is enough pancakes for me and the husband. i’d say we split it pretty equally. when i’m making pancakes and he’s not around, i’ll make 1/2 pancakes and 1/2 waffles, and i’ll freeze the waffles in a ziploc bag. they freeze really well!
Shea March 10, 2009, 10:03 am
I usually eat either a half or whole bagel before heading to the gym in the morning. I should probably be eating fruit instead but even with the bagel I’m usually starving when I get home two hours later!
dailydulcie March 10, 2009, 10:06 am
those pancakes look soo good!!!

I should definitely make some pancakes for a change instead of my daily oatmeal 🙂
Breadcrumb Runner March 10, 2009, 10:08 am
I prefer running in the afternoon, when I’m actually awake, but I can always appreciate a good morning run come summer when it’s too hot to run any other time. Except I can’t eat before I run, as food doesn’t seem to act as a “cushion,” but rather additional stuff to bounce around and make me nausceous.

That breakfast looks quite delectable, though! If I could actually cook like that, perhaps I’d trade an upset stomach for an amazing breakfast like that before I run. 😉
Leanne March 10, 2009, 10:25 am
I usually eat something small, but probably only because I look forward to breakfast so much lol… Grape nut pancakes look yum, you should try granola pancakes. I bet you would like them!:-)
Run Saraah March 10, 2009, 10:30 am
Those pancakes look delicious, I have to try added cereal to pancakes. Double yum 🙂
Claire March 10, 2009, 11:05 am
Nope!!! That banana strawberry salad looks so refreshing.
Lori March 10, 2009, 12:28 pm
I have to eat before I do weights or I can’t lift as much. I do not eat before running or I feel sick to my stomach. The weather was beautiful and I ran farther than planned (13 miles) and think I should have had something. Before other cardio workouts I usually have something small (piece of fruit, half a bar). Interesting topic, I think everyone has to figure out what works for them.
Sammie March 10, 2009, 1:53 pm
I always eat something before I exercise in the AM. I can not workout on an empty stomach – I actually start to feel very ill. I usually have a Kashi Soft-Baked bar which seems to hold me over till my official breakfast. I used to just eat a banana but that started to upset my belly so I had to do a little switch-a-roo.
Nikki March 10, 2009, 2:34 pm
I love the Bollywood dance workouts on exerciseTV. So fun!
Erin of Care to Eat March 10, 2009, 5:55 pm
I’m SO glad you’re loving your AM workouts! I start mine at 6:00 and eat a full on breakfast at 5:00. It doesn’t bother me at all. I’m very hungry when I wake up so there’s no alternative!
ChickPea March 10, 2009, 10:32 pm
I almost always eat something before I run in the mornings. Exercise physiologists all say that you don’t really need it for relatively short runs, but I am terrified of dizziness/faintness in the midst of a workout! I usually opt for a mini Clif or a Clif Z to do the trick.
MyRunningJourney March 11, 2009, 9:05 am
During the week, I workout and run at 5:30 AM, and don’t eat anything before. If it’s the weekend and I workout late morning, I eat a normal breakfast and wait a couple hours

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