Flaxmeal Pancakes!

So pancakes are definitely one of my weaknesses when considering a low-carb lifestyle long term!  How can a person seriously give up pancakes?  Well I refuse to, but since I'm also so thrilled with the results I've been getting, I'm not about to set the progress back by splurging for the real thing.

I've been trying a few of the MIM recipes from the Atkins website and discussion boards.  A MIM, otherwise known as Muffin-in a-Minute, is primarily made of flaxseed meal.  The stuff is mostly fiber so when you are counting *net* carbs like on an Atkins diet, it's next to nothing!  Flaxseed absorbs water and with all that fiber keeps you filling full longer, which is a huge plus to anyone in the mindset of "dieting".  You don't have the middle of the morning or middle of the afternoon cravings when you eat something like this or even when you add it into other foods.  I mixed a little bit into some cottage cheese and didn't even notice a change in the flavor.  I've also read about people adding it into yogurt and soups (although don't add it into something hot until just before you're ready to eat).

Anyway back to the pancakes...The recipe is easy and makes only 6 small pancakes so you're not tempted by a lot of leftovers, although you should be full enough not to want seconds anyway!  I served them warm with a little pad of butter and Maple Grove Farms sugar-free syrup.  The sorbitol in the syrup is a sugar alcohol and gets subtracted from the total carbohydrates just like fiber when you are counting net carbs, so it's  a nice big 0 per serving.  Plus the serving size is 1/4 cup which is more than enough for 3 small pancakes.

Here is a link to Atkins MIM page with all the flaxseed recipes.  The pancake recipe is towards the bottom of the page and also includes a recipe for a single pancake if you only wanted to make one to go with something else for breakfast.  I won't post the exact recipe here, just in case they put out a copyright on it!  I will mention though that I left out the vanilla extract when I made mine.  I'll try to remember it next time because I will definitely be making these again, but I didn't leave it out on purpose.  I was just hungry for pancakes and got a little too eager to get these on the griddle.  I don't think they took longer than normal pancakes like the recipes says they should, but they did start to get a little dark so I may turn the griddle down lower than I typically would for pancakes next time and then let them cook a little longer that way.

I can also see these being very good with some cut up strawberries or blueberries and some homemade whipped cream (made with Splenda of course).  They aren't the light fluffy buttery pancakes you'd get at IHOP; hey are much denser and more filling!  These definitely satisfied the craving for pancakes though!  And I'm looking forward to experimenting with them again.