Warm days and cold nights is a sure sign of spring and maple syrup season. The perfect pairing with maple syrup is of course pancakes. Sadly most pancake recipes calls for refined white flour, sugar, and are then smothered in butter and covered in syrup. This results in a meal that is not particularly healthy and should really be considered a dessert rather than the main course. The store bought mixes or premade pancakes are even worse often lacking fibre and include various preservatives and additives.
Thankfully, there is a way to make pancakes healthier Start by using whole grain flour and substitute sugar with bananas or unsweetened apples sauce. If you want more fibre, add some grated carrots or zucchini and if you want more protein add some cottage cheese, plain Greek yogurt, or a protein powder mix. For extra goodness, add healthy toppings such as fruit, nut butters, and spices like cinnamon. Here are some other ideas and you can find the matching recipes in the link below:
Sweet Potato:
Make a sweet potato pancake using sweet potato puree, coconut oil, whole-wheat flour, and cinnamon and nutmeg. This will provide some vitamin A from the sweet potato, which aids in vision health, immune function and reproduction health.
Buckwheat:
Using buckwheat flour adds a slight nutty flavour to the pancakes along with fibre and protein. Buckwheat is a gluten free seed and isn’t a type of wheat at all despite its name.
Flaxseed:
Using flaxseed meal to make pancakes results in a gluten free option and provides fibre and omega-3 fatty acids which may help lower cholesterol and promote good heart health.
Quinoa:
Quinoa flour is gluten free and full of protein, fibre, and magnesium that helps regulate blood pressure and aids in bone health.
Nut Flours:
Combining almond and coconut flour can give you a healthy paleo pancake.
Check out the recipes in the link below.
https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/healthier-twists-on-the-classic-pancake-recipe/
