Have a healthy pancake day!

Pancake Day (or Shrove Tuesday) is fast approaching, so we thought we’d give you a helping hand to stick to your healthy regime with our top tips for having a healthy pancake day.

Let’s face it, come 17 Feb many of us will be dying to get stuck into a gooey pile of chocolatey pancakes (especially if you’re giving up the good stuff for lent), but if you’re keen to stay away from the sweet stuff, want to bypass the gluten or simply want to try something different, we’ve got you covered.

So how can you make your pancakes healthier? Well first up, ditching the flour in favour of a bigger protein hit is a good option. ‘Pancakes don’t have to be a white flour nightmare. If you swap traditional British pancakes for American ones, you up the nutrition content immediately. US pancakes use cottage cheese or soft cheese as well as eggs so the protein content is much higher. Alternatively, you can go Eastern European and do a blini, which is a pancake using buckwheat flour. Buckwheat is a seed, not a grain, so is gluten free. It is also full of healthy fats’, says nutritionist, Lowri Turner.

Adding fruits to your pancakes, such as blueberries, strawberries, raisins and so on, increases the vitamin content. These fruits are high in vitamin C and dietary fibre, an important part of a healthy diet. Bananas are another good option as they provide a great source of potassium. Instead of covering your pancakes with a load of chocolate, why not try nut butters. Not only are they healthier, but they also provide the ‘good fats’ needed in a balanced diet. If you want to go for the savory option with your pancakes, adding proteins and vegetables into the mix adds to your 5-a-day and are home to many antioxidants which help to boost immunity.

Registered nutritionist, Louise Pyne, says, ‘If you’re watching your diet, the good news is pancakes taste just as good minus the gluten, dairy and sugar. Ditch sugary toppings for fresh fruit and you’ve got a fabulous health-booster on a plate. Great toppings include berries with plain Greek yogurt, banana with grated raw chocolate and banana with shredded coconut. Raw chocolate is high in brain-boosting flavonoids and Greek yogurt is a natural probiotic which helps to keep your digestive system happy.’

Go Vegan
If you’re after a vegan pancake recipe, we have you covered. This highly nutritious recipe gives you tasty alternative to the traditional pancake ingredients.
weheartliving.com/healthy-recipes/vegan-gluten-free-pancakes/

Nutritionist, Louise Pyne, also has a suggestion for a tasty vegan pancake – Mix 1 cup of ground oats with 2 mashed banana, 1/3 cup of ground almonds, 2/3 cup of flaxseeds, 1 cup of coconut milk, a drizzle of honey and pinch of cinnamon. Ladle into a pan and cook on both sides. Whisk a couple of tablespoons of coconut milk until thick and spoon over the pancakes with your choice of fresh fruit.

Go gluten free
Preparing gluten-free pancakes is also easy to do and is a great alternative to traditional pancake ingredients such as flour and eggs, with added healthy benefits and they help to beat the bloat afterwards!

weheartliving.com/healthy-recipes/easy-gluten-free-pancake-recipe/

Go savoury
If you are wanting to dish up some savoury pancakes, try out this wholegrain option as a great alternative to sweet recipes. By adding vegetables, you create a yummy nutritional alternative and it also counts as part of your 5-a-day!

holycowvegan.net

Go nuts
Adding nut butter to your pancakes is a great alternative for chocolate and syrups which are full of sugars. Nut butters, such as almond butter and peanut butter, are high in heart-healthy unsaturated fats, which may reduce your risk for heart disease when you choose them over saturated fats. That’s nuts!

yummly.com

Go fruity
There are tons of different recipes to have a go at depending on what takes your fancy. If you’re after a recipe which includes something fruity, try our blueberry avocado pancake recipe:
weheartliving.com/food/blueberry-avocado-pancake-recipe/
Berries are a more nutritious substitute for sugar and syrups, which will also curb that sweet tooth! Alternatively you can add raspberries or strawberries or whatever takes your fancy!

weheartliving.com/food/yoghurt-banana-vanilla-pancake-recipe/